Biomedical subjects

A J Fradkin

Publications and source records attributed to A J Fradkin.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Golf injuries--common and potentially avoidable.

Injuries sustained during golf rarely receive the recognition given to injuries from sports perceived as more violent or strenuous. However, golfing injuries are believed to occur frequently. The aim of this study was to explore the injury profile of female golfers, including treatment sought and the impact of the injury on performance and participation. Forty-one team captains were given questionnaires to distribute to their players. A total of 522 golfers participating in the Victorian Women's Pennant Competition in Victoria, Australia, from both the Metropolitan and Country competitions, completed the study. Over one-third (35.2%) of the golfers reported having sustained a golfing injury within the previous 12 months, with the lower back being the most commonly injured body region. Strains were the most frequent type of injury (67.9%). Of the 184 injuries reported, 154 sought treatment from a health professional. Physiotherapists were the most common health professional consulted. Performance was affected in 78.9% of cases, with 69.7% of the injured golfers missing games or practice sessions due to injury. Golfing injuries appear common and have a substantial impact upon the injured golfer. As lower back strains are the most common injury, strategies such as performing an appropriate warm-up could be investigated to determine the possible injury prevention benefits for golfers. This study has also highlighted that the majority of treatments are from allied health professionals, suggesting that a complete epidemiological description of golf injuries requires information from broader settings than general practice clinics and hospitals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

How well does club head speed correlate with golf handicaps?

The velocity at which a golf club impacts with a golf ball is known as club head speed. Although club head speed has been used to measure performance changes in a number of golf studies, it has not been validated as a golf performance measure. As handicap is the usual measure of performance, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between club head speed and handicap, and to determine whether club head speed at impact is a valid measure of golfing performance. Forty-five male golfers aged 18-80 years, all with registered golfing handicaps (2-27), participated in this study. Each golfer performed 10 golf swings captured by a high-speed camera. Golfers' club head speeds were determined using Video Expert 2, a biomechanical computer program. Golfers with a lower handicap (i.e., a better skill level) had faster club head speeds than higher handicap golfers. Linear regression analysis found club head speed to be highly correlated with handicap (r = 0.950). This relationship was described by the equation: In (club head speed)= 4.065 - 0.0214 x handicap. In conclusion, this study has shown that club head speed is a valid indicator of performance in golfers and may therefore be a useful performance measure in future laboratory-based studies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a golf specific warm up programme (both immediately prior to play and after performing it five times a week for 5 weeks) improved performance in 10 male golfers compared with 10 controls matched for age, sex, and handicap. METHODS: Twenty male golfers were matched for age (+/-2 years) and handicap (+/-1 stroke). Club head speed was assessed by two dimensional video analysis in a laboratory setting. In week 1, all golfers performed 10 strokes. In weeks 2 and 7, the controls underwent the same procedure as in week 1. The exercise group performed the golf specific warm up followed by their 10 strokes. Between weeks 2 and 7, the exercise group performed the specially designed warm up five times a week for 5 weeks. RESULTS: The mean club head speeds of the exercise group improved at each testing week. Between weeks 1 and 2, golfers in the exercise group improved their club head speed on average by 3-6 m/s (12.8%), and between weeks 1 and 7, they increased their club head speeds by 7-10 m/s (24.0%). With the exception of one golfer whose club head speed varied by 1.7 m/s, the mean club head speeds of the golfers in the control group hardly varied over the testing period (range: 0.3-0.8 m/s). A significant difference (p = 0.029) was found between the mean club head speeds of the exercise and control groups over the duration of the study, and a significant interaction over time (p<0.001) was also found. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that golfers' performances will be significantly improved by undertaking a golf specific warm up programme compared with not performing the warm up.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Warm-up attitudes and behaviours of amateur golfers.

Although it is widely recommended that golfers warm-up before play/practice to enhance their physical performance and to prevent injuries, few actually undertake this activity. The reasons why golfers do/do not warm-up are not known. The aim of this study was to determine the self-reported behaviours and attitudes of adult golfers towards warming-up. A survey of 1040 randomly selected golfers was conducted over a 3-week period in July 1999. Information about golf participation, usual warm-up habits and reasons for these warm-up behaviours was obtained by a verbally administered self-report survey. Over 70% of the surveyed golfers stated that they never or seldom warm-up, with only 3.8% reporting warming-up on every occasion. The most common reasons why golfers warmed-up included to play better (74.5%), to prevent injury (27.0%), and because everyone else does (13.2%). Common reasons for not warming-up were the perception that they don't need to (38.7%), don't have enough time (36.4%) and can't be bothered (33.7%). These findings suggest that in order to increase the proportion of golfers who warm-up, education programs focussing on the benefits of warming-up, including injury prevention, need to be developed and implemented. Different strategies may need to be adopted to accommodate golfers' differing attitudes and baseline behaviours.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Warm up practices of golfers: are they adequate?

BACKGROUND: Although it is widely recommended that golfers warm up before play or practice to enhance their physical performance and reduce their injury risk, it is not known to what extent they actually undertake such warm up procedures. OBJECTIVE: To collect information about the proportion of golfers who actively warm up and to determine the types of warm up behaviours. METHODS: This study was conducted over three weeks at three different golfing venues: a private golf course, a public golf course, and a golf driving range. Golfers' warm up behaviours, defined as any form of preparative exercise, were recorded by direct observation by two independent observers. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1040 amateur golfers (852 men and 188 women) aged at least 18 years. Only 54.3% (95% confidence interval 49.8 to 58.8) performed some form of warm up activity. Air swings on the tee were the most commonly observed warm up activity, with 88.7% (95% confidence interval 85.9 to 91.5) of golfers who warmed up performing these. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of amateur golfers perform appropriate warm up exercises. To improve on this, golfers should be educated about the possible benefits of warming up and be shown how to perform an appropriate warm up routine.

Golf↗