Age, centre of pressure and clubhead speed in golf

Abstract

Golf is enjoyed by people of all ages. The ability to hit the ball long distances generally declines with age. This study examines how age affects the ability of 40 recreational golfers (age 20 to 59 years) to generate maximum clubhead speed. The study also investigates how centre of pressure (CP) movement in the golf swing contributes to maximum cluhead speed. The results show that golfers between ages of 20 to 39 years produce the fastest clubhead speeds. The range of CP movement between the feet, maximum displacement of the CP on the front foot (medial/lateral movement) and the maximum CP velocity all correlate with a faster clubhead speed. These factors were also correlated with age, indicating an increase in age leads to a decreases in each of the CP parameters, which in turn correlates with the a decrease in clubhead speed.