Three-Dimensional Kinematics Observed Between Different Clubs during the Full Golf Swing

Three-Dimensional Kinematics Observed Between Different Clubs during the Full Golf Swing

It has been documented that the golf swing should be identical for all clubs, yet biomechanical studies of the mechanics of the golf swing obtained with different clubs are somewhat lacking. The aim of the current investigation was to determine the three-dimensional kinematic differences in full body swing kinematics when using three different clubs (driver, 9 iron and 6 iron). Thirty five skilled male golfers performed maximal velocity swings using each of the three clubs. Full body 3D kinematics were obtained using an eight camera motion capture system operating at 500 Hz. Differences between clubs were examined using repeated measures ANOVA’s and the similarity of the 3D kinematic waveforms were inspected using intraclass correlations. The results showed that the 3D kinematics waveforms from the three clubs generally exhibited a high level of similarity R2 ≥ 0.861. However, both club head velocity and stance width were significantly greater when using the driver. It was also revealed that the torso, hip and knee were significantly more extended when using the driver. Thus before the notion that the mechanics of the golf swing are similar between clubs can be accepted, additional work is required.