Flexibility helps golfers to be king of the swingers

GOLFERS are more likely to improve their game by going for a strenuous walk than heading to the fairway, according to research by a Scots academic.

Susan Brown studied the actions of 50 golfers using sophisticated motion capture cameras to identify the “perfect” swing.

But instead of confirming strength or the height of the backswing as key factors, she discovered a golfer’s ability to move their hips and upper body independently was more important.

Golfers with this level of flexibility were more likely to achieve the high club speeds needed to drive the ball accurately for hundreds of yards.

Ms Brown, a lecturer at Napier University, Edinburgh, said golfers who spent most of their working lives sat behind a desk were less able to move their pelvis and thorax independently of each other.

So taking the dog for a good walk, heading to the gym, going swimming or taking a yoga class is more likely to turn aspiring golfers into the next Rory McIlroy than endlessly tramping towards the 18th hole.

She has spent four years studying golf swings and her findings will be published shortly in the Journal of Sports Sciences.