Finally PhD
2012-Feb-23
I am happy to say that i finally reached one of my long term goals, finishing my doctoral studies. The name of the dissertation is Expert Performance in Golf, and the area is Sports Science. Dr. Debbie Crews from Arizona State University was the opponent. Thanks to all that have supported me during all these years!
http://www.golf.se/Folja/Nyheter/2012/2/Doktorshatten-pa-i-Orebro/
http://www.golf.se/Folja/Nyheter/2012/2/Doktorshatten-pa-i-Orebro/
World Scientific Congress of Golf VI
2012-Feb-15
The program for World Scientific Congress of Golf VI is taking form. I will have two talks; One about my research on PGA Tour players short game, and one about expert performance in golf. See more here.
Doctoral dissertation in golf is "nailed"
2012-Feb-01
The doctoral thesis “Expert performance in golf” is officially released. In Sweden, there is a tradition to use a hammer and a nail to publish the printed version of the doctoral thesis. This means that the thesis is up for public scrutiny until it is defended. The dissertation will be 22nd of February 2012 at Örebro university. Welcome!
Research subject
Sports Science
Keywords
Golf, professional, world-class, expert, psychology, physique, technique, game statistics, tournament
Abstract
The competition in elite golf is fierce. Players therefore often have psychological, physical, and technical experts supporting them. The associations between these experts focus areas and how they relate to the playing results are valuable to understand, in order to create more effective training programs. The aim of this thesis is therefore to investigate the relationships between physique, technique, and playing results in golf, and to integrate these findings with psychological research on elite golfers.
Two review studies (A and B) and three empirical studies (I, II, and III) are included. Study A and B provide a theoretical foundation where the relationship of psychological, physiological, and technical variables to playing results is reviewed. The empirical studies (Study I, II, and III) were selected based on the findings in the reviews and the applied needs.
Study I shows that some stability test results are strongly correlated to swing technique. Study II found that strength tests as measured in absolute strength or power are strongly correlated to clubhead speed for elite players, but relative strength (percentage of body mass) is not. Study III used PGA Tour ShotLink statistics collected over a year to investigate tee shot accuracy, striking distance, and hole scores. It was found that the ability to hit the ball with high accuracy and a long distance is strongly correlated with low hole scores. Furthermore, the type of fairway miss is relevant to consider as well as striking distance in relation to the distance of the hole.
These results may be used to make gap and needs profiles. Task, personal, and environmental variables should also be considered before giving training advice based on test results. Future studies should further investigate the causality between key areas and playing results, and test the validity of models that may be used to analyze and set goals for elite golfers.
See more information at http://oru.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:483903
Research subject
Sports Science
Keywords
Golf, professional, world-class, expert, psychology, physique, technique, game statistics, tournament
Abstract
The competition in elite golf is fierce. Players therefore often have psychological, physical, and technical experts supporting them. The associations between these experts focus areas and how they relate to the playing results are valuable to understand, in order to create more effective training programs. The aim of this thesis is therefore to investigate the relationships between physique, technique, and playing results in golf, and to integrate these findings with psychological research on elite golfers.
Two review studies (A and B) and three empirical studies (I, II, and III) are included. Study A and B provide a theoretical foundation where the relationship of psychological, physiological, and technical variables to playing results is reviewed. The empirical studies (Study I, II, and III) were selected based on the findings in the reviews and the applied needs.
Study I shows that some stability test results are strongly correlated to swing technique. Study II found that strength tests as measured in absolute strength or power are strongly correlated to clubhead speed for elite players, but relative strength (percentage of body mass) is not. Study III used PGA Tour ShotLink statistics collected over a year to investigate tee shot accuracy, striking distance, and hole scores. It was found that the ability to hit the ball with high accuracy and a long distance is strongly correlated with low hole scores. Furthermore, the type of fairway miss is relevant to consider as well as striking distance in relation to the distance of the hole.
These results may be used to make gap and needs profiles. Task, personal, and environmental variables should also be considered before giving training advice based on test results. Future studies should further investigate the causality between key areas and playing results, and test the validity of models that may be used to analyze and set goals for elite golfers.
See more information at http://oru.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:483903