Introduction: Elite competitive golfers commonly use physical conditioning as a way of improving playing results. Multiple studies have investigated the use of different training methods for improving performance but few studies have investigated the use of isokinetic power training as a way of improving swing kinematics and/or club head speed (CHS). The specific objective of the study was to investigate if eight weeks of isokinetic power training was more effective than traditional power training in improving swing kinematics and CHS.

Methods: 20 competitive elite golfers (handicap better than -3.1), 13 men and 7 women, (age 22±2 years) were tested for lower body power (countermovement jump and loaded vertical squat jump 20,40 & 60kg), rotational power (seated upper body rotational power at 10% of body weight; bw) and golf swing kinematics (pelvis, thorax and lead arm peak rotational velocities using electromagnetic motion capture system; Polhemus Inc. USA ) and club head speed (doppler-radar launch monitor system; Flightscope, South Africa), Participants were split into a control (CTL) group (n=10) who continued with the regular strength and power training and an intervention (IK) group (n=10) performing isokinetic power training in the isokinetic 1080Quantum system (1080Motion, Sweden) during 8 weeks. The intervention focused on barbell squat (22kg at 0.5 ms-1) and standing rotation (10% body weight at 1 ms-1).

Statistical analysis: a 2 (between; groups) x 2 (within; time) ANOVA assessed any differences in power, club and swing kinematics.

Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in both the IK and CTL group for rotational power (p<0.001), CHS (p=0.025), and peak arm speed (p=0.001). There were no significant differences in countermovement jump height, peak power during squats, peak pelvis speed, or peak thorax speed following the intervention period.

Discussion: After 8 weeks of power training, both rotational power and peak arm speed improved as did the performance measure of CHS in both the IK and CTL group. However no significant changes were found between the two groups. In conclusion, there was no evidence suggesting that isokinetic training, as performed in this study, is neither detrimental, nor more effective, than traditional strength training when it comes to increasing CHS in golf performance.