Differences in wrist mechanics during the golf swing based on golf handicap

Objectives: Variation in swing mechanics between golfers of different skill levels has been previously reported. To investigate if differences in three-dimensional wrist kinematics and the angle of golf club descent between low and high handicap golfers.

Design: A descriptive laboratory study was performed with twenty-eight male golfers divided into two groups, low handicap golfers (handicap = 0-5, n = 15) and high handicap golfers (handicap ≥ 10, n = 13).

Methods: Bilateral peak three-dimensional wrist mechanics, bilateral wrist mechanics at ball contact (BC), peak angle of descent from the end of the backswing to ball contact, and the angle of descent when the forearm was parallel to the ground (DEC-PAR) were determined using an 8 camera motion capture system. Independent t-tests were completed for each study variable (α = 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficients were determined between golf handicap and each of the study variables.

Results: The peak lead arm radial deviation (5.7 degrees, p = 0.008), lead arm radial deviation at ball contact (7.1 degrees, p = 0.001), and DEC-PAR (15.8 degrees, p = 0.002) were significantly greater in the high handicap group.

Conclusion: In comparison with golfers with a low handicap, golfers with a high handicap have increased radial deviation during the golf swing and at ball contact.