Physical Profiling for Golfers with Disabilities

Golf is played by 66.6 million registered players world-wide and because of the existing infrastructure has potential for growth to accommodate individuals with disability (WHO, 2019). Over recent years, the launch of the Golf 4 Disabled (G4D) Tour has created a unique opportunity for golfers with disabilities to compete at the highest level within the game. However, in order to support golfers with disabilities, there needs to be a greater appreciation of the links between physical performance and key performance indicators such as clubhead speed and drive distance. From a physical profiling standpoint, the DP World Tour (one of the largest golf tours in the world) use vertical jumps and isometric assessment to physically profile golfers. This is because these procedures are 1) easy to perform, 2) accessible and 3) significantly relate to golfers’ clubhead speed (Wells et al., 2018; Wells et al., 2019). Despite there being a large body of evidence supporting the use of these assessment methods within able-body golfers, there is no research that has assessed these links among golfers with disabilities. This lack of evidence means that current practices are adapted from research based on able-bodied athletes, or anecdotal experience, neither of which are conductive to supporting golfers with disabilities.

Evidence has highlighted that disabilities can significantly affect the force generating capacity of athletes (Paulson & Goosey-Tolfrey, 2019). As such, understanding force generative capacity and the links with clubhead speed in golfers with disabilities is of particular interest. The most common method of assessing muscle strength within disabled athletes is isometric testing (O’Connor et al., 2022). Indeed, isometric strength in disabled athletes has been shown to correlate with hand speed in throwing tasks (Hyde et al., 2017). This is noteworthy given the biomechanical similarities between throwing and the golf swing. Furthermore, research has noted significant differences in vertical jump height between different disabilities (i.e. cerebral palsy = 18.9 cm, loss of limb = 24.9 cm) (Cherif et al., 2022). Given the strong relationships between clubhead speed and vertical jump performance in able-bodied golfers’ (Wells et al., 2022), it is entirely plausible to suggest that these links may exist among golfers with disabilities. To date, however, no research has assessed the links between clubhead speed and physical characteristics in golfers with disabilities. The aims of this research would be to determine the links between physical performance and key performance indicators (i.e. clubhead speed and drive distance) among golfers with different disability categories. This will help to support classification within disabled golfers and guide interventions from strength and conditioning coaches moving forwards.

This project is being funded and further supported (through collaboration) by The R&A (the global governing body for golf) and the European Disabled Golfers’ Association (EDGA). This is an extremely exciting opportunity to study for a PhD working with highly skilled and elite golfers with disabilities. In addition, the supervisory team have extensive experience and a proven track record of developing world leading research within this field. 

If you would like to discuss the research project further, we would be delighted to speak with you. If so, please email me at jack.wells@aru.ac.uk

Who are we looking for? 

You should have a 2:1 Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s (desirable) within a relevant discipline. We are particularly interested in candidates who have 1) experience in strength and conditioning / biomechanics / physiotherapy, 2) understanding of disabilities and 3) experience within the sport of golf. In addition to satisfying basic entry criteria, the University will look closely at the qualities, skills, and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project in order to ensure successful and timely completion. The advert is open to individuals on either a full-time or part-time basis, starting in September 2025.

How do you apply? 

Applications must be submitted through our online application portal on our website: https://www.aru.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research/vc-phd-scholarships

 You will also need the following documents available electronically to upload them to the application portal (we can accept files in pdf, jpeg or Word format): 

1. Certificates and transcripts from your Bachelor and Master’s degrees (if applicable) 
2. Your personal statement explaining your suitability for the project. We recommend uploading this as a Word or pdf file, but you can also type it directly on the form.  
3. Curriculum Vitae 

You do not need to upload a research proposal with your application, only a personal statement is needed.     

We will review all applications after the submission deadline of 31^st March 2025. Interviews are expected to take place between 1 May 2025.

If you have any queries relating to the application process or the terms and conditions of the studentship, please email phdscholarships@aru.ac.uk