Golfers are been urged to take up half-an-hour of yoga a week if they want to significantly improve their swing.
Researchers at Abertay University ran a study examining golfers who took part in two 15-minute yoga sessions a week over a six-week period.
The main focus of the exercise was to see how their hips rotated in relation to their torsos while they played shots — a crucial aspect of golf performance, commonly known as the X-Factor stretch.
The scientists noticed a two to three degree difference in the range of motion among the golfers who had been practising yoga.
This equated to a greater golf club head speed during the swing movement.
The team also recorded a slight improvement in hand speed.
The research was co-authored by Dr Ashley Richardson and Dr Graeme Sorbie of the Dundee-based university’s division of sports and exercise sciences.
Dr Richardson said the findings could change the way players approach their fitness regimes.
“A common issue with golfers when it comes to training is the fear that they can’t become stronger as they’ll lose flexibility,” he said.
“This in turn could affect their golf swing.
“While yoga has a slightly different demographic to golf, it promotes both flexibility and strength.
“Each session was short, meaning it won’t take much time out of a golfer’s life.
“Golf has traditionally lagged behind other sports when it comes to fitness, but that is starting to change as people realise how important it is.”
The information was collected by an undergraduate.
It is hoped a larger study into the subject could be held in the future at the university.
Dr Sorbie added: “The study was conducted over a six-week period and it’s possible that the improvement would be even greater over a longer period of time.
“Although yoga is becoming more popular in football as a way of recovering from injury, it’s not an area which has been hugely researched.
“It’s possible that it could be applied to other sports, with similar rates of success.”
