An investigation of weight transfer amongst amateur golfers with different foot postures during golf swing

Abstract

Background: Golf is one of the most popular sports around the world attracting a variety of people. However, several factors including poor swing mechanics can predispose one to golf-related injuries. Golf coaching literature has brought out the importance of performing the proper weight transfer pattern, this is, the shift from one foot to another, during golf swing. Research has shown different weight transfer patterns according to different variables such as skill level and golf clubs however, none have investigated weight transfer patterns according to physical attributes of a golfer such as his foot posture. It is known that foot postures alter dynamic activities due to structural differences however, it is not yet known how they can affect sports performance. Therefore, knowing if foot postures affect weight transfer during golf swing may be beneficial for the golfing community in terms of injury prevention and performance enhancement. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between foot posture and weight transfer during golf swing. Research Design and Method: A prospective non-experimental descriptive correlation study was conducted at the Biomechanics Lab at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta. Amateur golfers from the Royal Malta Golf Club were enrolled in this study. The Foot Posture Index-6 was performed on each participant and were grouped accordingly prior to performing 10 suitable golf swings with a 7-iron. Each foot placed on an AMTI ©,force plate embedded in a ten-meter walkway to measure ground reaction forces. Each component of the ground reaction forces was noted at 10 different golf swing events which were segregated using a 100Hz camera placed at a 90-degree angle showing the frontal plane motion of the golfer during golf swing. These results obtained were evaluated according to foot posture, age, and handicap group. Results: Significant differences were found (p<0.05) in the vertical component of both feet during early downswing between different age groups with varied foot postures. In addition, the vertical component and the medio-lateral component of the left foot were significantly different during early downswing and ball impact, respectively, between golfers of different age groups (over 55 and under 55 years of age). The same significant differences were found on the right foot between golfers of different age groups with the addition of the anterior-posterior component during early downswing. Conclusion: Age and foot posture together affect the ground reaction forces during golf swing in amateur golfers. This can be due to the physiological changes one experiences as one ages. Since the magnitude and direction of the ground reaction forces as well as weight transfer are important factors in golfing performance, this kinetic data should be considered to improve performance and promote participation in golf in later life.