Knee kinematic during the golf swing: a cross-sectional analysis between groups of different handicap

Abstract

Introduction: Golf is played by more than 50 million of people worldwide. The swing is the fundamental movement, and it is repeated many times during practice and competitions. Knee injuries are frequent in golfers and the mechanism of injuries is different considering their level. Few authors have investigated leg kinematics and differences of motor pattern between pro-player, mid-players and beginning players have not been fully investigated. The goal of this study was to analyse knee biomechanics by measuring the oscillatory differences on the left knee in ecological conditions. We analysed those difference in three group of players according to their handicap. Methods: 18 right-handed golfers were recruited. The sample was divided into three group according to their handicap: four pro-player (0-11.4), five middle level (11.5-26.4) and nine beginners (26.5-54). To analyse the acceleration of the knee, we used a tri axial Shimmer3 sensor, and we used ZeppGolf to choose the best shot performed by the players. Results: There was a statistical difference between group 1 and group 2 in both the frequencies analysed at 1-2Hz (p<0.001) and 2-3 Hz (p<0.004). Between group 1 and 3 in 2-3 Hz frequency (p<0.0008) and between group 2 and 3 at 1-2 Hz (p<0.012). Discussion: Data was coherent with those in the literature and shows a significant difference between groups in terms of acceleration. The pro-players were considerably faster than the other two group of players, considering the knee acceleration but also for some parameters on the upper limb. Middle level players showed an unsmooth motion with a huge acceleration and deceleration during the swing. Surprisingly considering the knee the amateur players showed a smooth movement but in a restricted range of motion. All this difference was in the voluntary frequency band for every class of players so it could be modified with training. Conclusion: Our result was coherent with literature. The data showed that pro-players reach a greater acceleration on knee joint, comparing to mid-level and beginner golfers. Our goal was to enrich the kinematic data about the golfers considering their handicap level because knowing difference between players could improve the capability to prevent injury and to train golfers properly.