Exercise Science Corner – Key Performance Indicators for the Golf Swing in Elite Collegiate Golf Athletes: An Exploratory Study

January 26th, 2026 | Lawrence, KS, USA

Link to article can be found here

Golf swing performance has been found to be influenced by health status, physical fitness, and technical abilities. However, as the sport becomes more competitive, athletes and coaches regularly seek novel approaches to optimizing athletic performance.

PURPOSE

This study sought to identify key performance indicators that are significantly related to golf club head speed within an elite collegiate golf population. 

METHODS

Height, weight, vertical and lateral jump, upper-body rotational velocity, club head speed, and swing kinematics for 21 NCAA Division I female (n = 11) and male (n = 10) golf athletes were collected for analysis. Significant differences between female and male athletes were observed for measures of anthropometry, jumping ability, upper-extremity rotational velocity as well as clubhead speed (p < 0.05). 

RESULTS

Of particular interest were findings that suggest load-velocity profiling as a novel (for the sport of golf) but useful tool to support individualized golf swing profiling and technical improvement approaches. However, no significant differences between groups were observed for any rotational kinematic measure (p > 0.05). Interestingly, a novel assessment of swing kinematics revealed that peak rotational velocities at specific loads relative to an athlete’s body mass were discovered to have a significantly moderate positive correlation with fast club head speed (p < 0.05). 

CONCLUSION

Altogether, these findings can be utilized by sports performance professionals to improve the assessment, development, and performance capabilities of golfers interested in enhancing their clubhead speed.

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Recommended Citation

Johnson, Quincy, Yang Yang, Kira Ziola, Dawei Sun, Jonathan Moore, Paige Sutton, Andrew Fry, and Douglas Smith. 2025. “Key Performance Indicators for the Golf Swing in Elite Collegiate Golf Athletes: An Exploratory Study”. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning 5 (1). https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v5i1.490.
Available at: Key Performance Indicators for the Golf Swing in Elite Collegiate Golf Athletes: An Exploratory Study | International Journal of Strength and Conditioning