IDENTIFYING CRITICAL KINEMATIC PARAMETERS FOR BETTER GOLF PUTTING

In modern golf competition, putting is one of the crucial parts of the game. It has been reported that putting accounts for about 40% of all golf shot played in tournaments (Gwyn & Patch, 1993). Wiren (1992) also indicated that, on average, putting constitutes 38% of all golf strokes in competition and improving putting skills is th e fastest way to lower the score. However, it is also true that most recreational golfers neglect the putting and seldom practice it hard. Despite this revealing statistics and the obvious importance of competent putting, much of the pedagogical literature is based on the observations and anecdotal evidence provided by top players and coaches (Paradisis & Rees, 2004). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify critical kinematic parameters of a putt by comparing putts performed by elite and novice golifers, and nongolfers. The findings might provide valuable information for improving putting performance.