Correlates of Maximal Driver Club Head Speed in Elite Male and Female Golfers: The Role of Maximal Muscle Strength, Power, and Anthropometry

This study examined associations between driver club head speed (dCHS) and strength, power, and anthropometric measures in elite golfers, analyzed in males and females. Forty-one golfers (22 males, 19 females), including PGA and LPGA Tour professionals, completed a standardized test battery comprising golf swing testing (TrackMan launch monitor), countermovement jump (CMJ), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), isometric bench press (IBP), and trunk rotation power testing. In males, dCHS showed very strong associations with trunk rotation peak power (r = 0.89, 95% confidence intervals [0.72; 0.96]), CMJ impulse and peak power (r = 0.78 [0.53; 0.90]), and IMTP peak force (r = 0.75 [0.47; 0.90]), and a strong association with IBP peak force (r = 0.68 [0.35; 0.86]). In females, dCHS correlated strongly with CMJ impulse (r = 0.67 [0.30; 0.87]), CMJ peak force (r = 0.66 [0.28; 0.86]), IBP peak force (r = 0.60 [0.18; 0.83]), and trunk rotation peak power (r = 0.59 [0.16; 0.82]). Median-split analyses confirmed that high-dCHS golfers consistently outperformed those with lower-dCHS across key strength- and power-related measures, with anthropometric variables further differentiating high- from low-dCHS females. These findings highlight both shared and sex-specific associations of dCHS with physical performance in elite golfers and support the use of CMJ, IMTP, IBP, and trunk rotation power testing for profiling and longitudinal monitoring in this population.