A mixed-methods evaluation of strength and conditioning training to optimise in-season golf performance

Strength and conditioning (S&C) is increasingly recognised as an important component of golf performance, particularly in relation to clubhead speed and golf shot outcomes. However, touring professional golfers face substantial challenges when implementing S&C strategies during extensive in-season and tournament schedules, making optimal physical development within competitive contexts complex. The purpose of this thesis was therefore to examine what is currently known regarding the role of S&C in supporting golf performance, and how such strategies may be applied within these practical constraints. To address this, the literature relating to physical preparation for golf was first explored, before systematically reviewing evidence examining resistance training (RT) priming interventions performed one to 48 hours prior to performance. This review considered RT priming both as a potential means of eliciting short-term performance enhancement via potentiation, and as a strategy for maintaining RT exposure when training opportunities are limited, without incurring fatigue-related reductions in performance. To provide applied context, survey and observational data were then collected to characterise physical preparation practices and perceived barriers to implementing S&C strategies among elite professional golfers. Although most players reported long-term engagement with RT, engagement in-season and during tournament weeks was commonly reduced due to fatigue, time constraints, and facility access. Two experimental studies subsequently examined strength- and power-oriented RT priming interventions to evaluate their feasibility within competitive schedules and determine whether such strategies could preserve or enhance neuromuscular and golf-specific performance. At the group level, neuromuscular and golf-specific performance were largely preserved following RT priming, supporting its utility as a pragmatic training management strategy for competitive golfers. Both increases and reductions were observed at the individual level, reinforcing the importance of individual monitoring when implementing RT priming. Practical recommendations are therefore provided to guide its applied use within golf environments.