The importance of individualising exercise testing and prescription for golfers

Abstract

The importance of exercise as an essential component of an individual’s health is well accepted (Buford et al., 2013). Many studies have outlined the benefits of exercise for a wide range of populations and conditions. However, whether comparing one form of exercise to another, or comparing an exercise intervention to a control group, the majority of studies have tended to report main effects and group differences with few evaluating individual responses to the intervention (Buford et al., 2013; Hecksteden et al., 2015). The studies that have investigated the effects of exercise for improving performance and preventing injury in golfers fall into the category of group data evaluation. More recently, however, the concept of exercise as ‘personalised medicine’ has gained more attention, with several studies in non-golfing populations demonstrating that exercise programs that are tailored to an individual’s attributes are more effective than generic exercise programs. While there is good evidence that exercise programs for golfers can result in positive physiological and golf performance outcomes, individualising exercise testing and prescription may offer superior results for golfers of all ages and abilities. There is also a need for application of individual, evidence-informed exercise programs for golfers that incorporate the well-established three pillars of evidence-informed medicine: (1) the best available evidence from scientific studies; (2) the expertise, experience and judgement of the practitioner or coach; and (3) the values and preferences of the golfer/s.