VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL, AND ROTATIONAL POWER: PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVISION I NCAA MALE GOLFERS

Doug B. Smith1, Jonathan Moore1, Breanne S. Baker1, Taylor K. Dinyer1, Olivia Anderson1, Allen L. Redinger1 , Bert H. Jacobson1 , J. Jay Dawes1 , & Quincy R. Johnson1 1Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK Adequate levels of flexibility, muscular strength and power, and rotational power are needed to excel within the sport of golf. However, little research has been dedicated to measuring power-based contributors to athletic performance within the elite male golf population. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to profile the physiological characteristics of Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) male golfers. METHODS: Data for 10 NCAA Division I male golfers were used for this analysis. The data was collected in November following the fall golf season. Body composition was assessed by measuring height (m), weight (kg), and body mass index (BMI; m/kg2). Vertical power was assessed using a countermovement jump (CMJ; cm) with peak and average power (PP, AP; watts) and peak and average velocity (PV, AV; m/s) being calculated based on CMJ performance. Horizontal power was measured with a lateral bounding task from the dominant (D-LB) and non-dominant (ND-LB) limbs. The ‘Sayers Equation’ was utilized to estimate peak power output from jumping tasks (Peak Anaerobic Power Output = (60.7 x jump height (cm)) + (45.3 x body mass (kg)) – 2055). RESULTS: Overall, elite NCAA male golfers have normal to slightly above average BMIs, excel at expressing power vertically (68.30 W/kg), horizontally (164.26 W/kg), and in the transverse plane (3.70 W/kg). CONCLUSION: Efforts to better understand athletes and the physiological characteristics that may contribute to their athletic performance can be of value to sport coaches, strength and conditioning professionals, and exercise science researchers alike. Additionally, developing physiological profiles within elite level athletics can be especially useful for enhancing athletic performance through the identification of areas of excellence and areas of improvement