Stage 2 Research Project B – 2022

External Assessment Cover Sheet

Assessment Type 3: Evaluation

SACE Registration Number:

9 2 4 4 4 3 H

Research Question:
‘The role of biomechanics in injury prevention in the golf swing’

word counts:

summary 150 max: 163

written evaluation 1500 max: 1459

This evaluation is assessed using the following specific features:

Synthesis Evaluation
S3 E1
E2
E3
Written Summary
150 Words
The golf swing is a complicated manoeuvre that if not done correctly can amount great stress on the spine
resulting in lower back injuries. Due to this I have decided to research the role of biomechanics in preventing
lower back injuries within the game of golf. To begin my research I used archival sources written by
professionals in the field to gain a better understanding of the golf swing and the components involved. I also
placed great value on interviewing Associate Professor Paul Grimshaw and Dr Michael Cole and getting their
professional opinion and understanding on the topic. Both Grimshaw and Cole have written reports on the
issues and what needs to be done. My outcome reported on the findings gathered from my sources including
the injuries sustained from a poor swing, the mechanics of a golf swing and the implications on performance,
determining whether there is a perfect swing and the strategies a golfer can use to minimise the risk of injuries.

E1
Throughout my research I utilised different sources to enhance and deepen my understanding of my research
topic. Qualitative sources, interviews conducted either by email or through zoom were an excellent way to get
a professional's understanding and thoughts on the complicated topic of golf swing biomechanics. Crucial for
the development of my research, was interviewing Associate Professor Paul Grimshaw of Adelaide University.
As he was able to both explain and demonstrate different aspects of the swing and how they contributed to
injuries or injury prevention. He was able to clearly talk me through complex manoeuvres such as the stretch
shorten cycle which I had previously struggled to understand and incorporate within my research. This allowed
me to delve deeper into my topic and be more critical of the sources I was coming across. After this interview
Grimshaw pointed me in the direction of a colleague of his, Dr Michael Cole of the Australian Catholic
University.and he proved to be a critical source of information that helped me develop and understand injury
prevention and the difficulties that come along with his line of study. Specifically, he enlightened me about the
anthropological differences that face golfers and how its existence would mean that the search for a one size
fits all approach to injury prevention in golf could never happen. Once again Cole’s immense knowledge
allowed me to better understand anthropologic and physical differences that meant finding a perfect swing
would be nearly impossible.

I utilised reports from leading biomechanists, physiologists and doctors such as Dr Scott Lephart from the
University of Kentucky and Dr George Gluck of the University of North Carolina. These online reports were
vital as they allowed me to get information on certain subtopics within my research question. These were
subtopics such as ‘Classic v Modern Swing’ or ‘Differences in Professionals and Amateurs’. By breaking down
the topic of biomechanics in the golf swing, into smaller sections it allowed me to take in important information
that directly helped my research such as pelvic separation. Unfortunately with a changing question I annotated
and used sources that did not benefit me in the long run and were not worthwhile to my overall research.
These were often articles found on the websites of golf magazines such as ‘Golf.com’. These articles had
professional writers and were often demonstrating drills taught by professionals; they did not provide a
substantial amount of information such as statistics or reasoning for injuries that was critical for my research.
An article that was specifically helpful that wasn’t a report was an illustrated breakdown of the golf swing. This
allowed me to see the golf swing separated into different sections such as the backswing, the strike and the
follow through. As each section was discussed I was able to use my knowledge of the swing to better
understand why certain positions that a golfer may get into would cause lower back pain and injuries.
E2
A challenge I faced was that the original articles such as ‘Lee Trevino 10 rules’, did not have information that
was credible as they were not supported by scientific research nor professionals in the field. These articles did
not directly focus on the biomechanical elements of the golf swing. This meant that the information provided
would not be of use to me when coming to a conclusion. To combat this waste of time I refined my question
to ‘The role of biomechanics in injury prevention in the golf swing’ after reading an article on PGA professional
Bryson Dechambeau. About the different ways he changes his body shape to create more speed and for the
swing to be safer for him. This proved a pivotal point in my research. I commenced exploring the biomechanics
of the golf swing and of more relevance to me was the role of the swing in injury prevention. The consequence
of this was that I researched large scientific reports which explained in depth more substantial than previous
sources. Whilst analysing the reports there was a consistent comparison between the modern golf swing and
classic golf swing. This comparison was very useful as it meant that I was able to visually see the differences
and similarities. I was also able to notice when certain sections would cause injuries to the body. Each report
was heavily researched and cited. This meant that my question would be answerable and I would be able to
write an outcome that would be supported by credible sources.

An opportunity I got was being able to interview a professor on the topic that I was researching. After reading a
report written by Associate Professor Paul Grimshaw and Dr Michael Cole I decided to reach out for an
interview with both of them. I knew that they would be brilliant sources of information as they had written vast
amounts of reports on this topic such as, ‘The biomechanics of the modern golf swing: Implications for lower
back injuries’. It was one of the better sources I read as the information was well researched and had been
cited often. Both authors held high positions at Adelaide University and the Australian Chrisitian University, so I
understood that they may not have time for my interview. Yet, they were both very willing and hospitable to my
request. I first interviewed Grimshaw over Zoom. I was lucky for him to be so willing to conduct this interview
and especially over zoom as it meant that he would be able to demonstrate in video movements such as the
Stretch Short Cycle. By interviewing him it meant that I could get him to answer my questions on his own piece
of writing, I asked questions on topics such as the differences between modern and classic. The same was for
Cole; he provided a written response which was beneficial because it meant I would be able to annotate and
write my thoughts on different things he said such as his view on the X-factor and how it is a waste of
measurement because it is completely subjective.

E3
Whilst researching my question of ‘The role of biomechanics in injury prevention in the golf swing’ I knew that I
somewhat had to find the perfect golf swing. After being told by Dr Michael Cole and reading reports such as
‘The biomechanics of Golf’ I understood that this would be quite tough. This was because the swing is different
to everyone. No matter what, each golfer is built differently both physically and mentally. Each golfer wants
something different out of their swing, some want power others want direction. Some golfers are built like
rugby players whilst others haven’t played a sport before golf. Due to these factors it was vital that I
understood that there was no perfect swing and that I would only be able to find measures that could reduce
the likelihood of injuries. Through this lens I found that physical conditioning is the main prevention measure
that needs to take place. In my outcome I believed I provided a good amount of understanding and explanation
of what needs to be done. Though my thoughts and findings were not groundbreaking knowledge for the
industry. It has been previously discussed the importance of strengthening the muscles around the spine to
ensure stability. These muscles included the external obliques, latissimus dorsi, transverse abdominal muscles
and the multifidus muscle. I believe it would be useful if I was able to clearly outline the exercises that should
be performed such as single arm rows.
My strongest key finding was on the differences of the classic and modern golf swing in terms of performance
and safety. This was my strongest key finding as I was able to substantiate a clear difference between the two.
Reports such as ‘The biomechanics of the modern golf swing: Implications for lower back injuries’ helped me
in the process of clearly understanding how each swing utilised different biomechanical elements such as
thoracic and pelvic separation to safely accommodate the force applied to the spine. This information was
further supported by interviews conducted with professionals within the field of biomechanics such as Dr
Michael Cole.

The weakest key finding within my outcome was the research on the different injuries golfers face. This
outcome was investigated yet I didn’t interview anyone who had actually been injured whilst playing golf. By
having a first hand experience from someone with an injury it would have allowed me to associate different
swing features to the injury they suffered. This would have strengthened my key finding rather than supporting
statistics with information found within scientific literature such as ‘The relationship between biomechanical
variables and driving performance during the golf swing’. This definitely hindered my response as my question
directly applied to injuries throughout the golf swing.
E1: Evaluation of the Research Processes used Specific to the Research Question
E2: Evaluation of Decisions made in Response to Challenges and/or Opportunities Specific to the Research Processes Used
E3: Evaluation of the Quality of the Research Outcome
Reference List