Heart Rate Changes In Response To Putting Distance In Collegiate Golfers

Variations in internal and competitive pressures can influence performance in precision sports. Changes in heart rate (HR), a surrogate measure to assess autonomic nervous system influence on the cardiovascular system during stress, have been shown to influence fine motor skills. However, the association between HR and golf performance, particularly during putting, has not been extensively studied. PURPOSE: Quantify the influence of competitive stressors via the modulation of putting distance on heart rate and performance in golf athletes. METHODS: Nine male NCAA Division I student athletes (age: 20.1 ± 1.6 yrs, height: 1.82 ± .06 m, mass: 78.1 ± 7.1 kg), with a handicap of zero or better, participated. Maximal HR (HRmax) was assessed during maximum exertion sprint on a stair climber for 1000 feet during a baseline session. Athletes performed two putting drills on separate days, consisting of equidistant putts from 6 and 8 ft (n = 10/distance). Putts were completed every minute on the minute for a 10 min period in a controlled, indoor facility with distance being the only changed variable. HR was monitored during the entirety of the putting drill to create a representative HR response curve (Figure). Peak (HRpeak), minimum (HRmin) and range (HRrange) of HR were evaluated and normalized to HRmax and the number of putts made and missed were tracked. Paired t-tests assessed differences between the two distances. RESULTS: Performance did not differ between distances (8 ft: 6.8 ± 2.1 made; 6 ft: 6.3 ± 2.7 made; p > 0.05). HRpeak (8 ft: 48.2 ± 1.2 %HRmax ; 6 ft: 45.0 ± 1.3 %HRmax; p = 0.05) and HRrange (8 ft: 3.5% ± 1.1%HRmax ; 6 ft: 0.5 ± 0.1%HRmax; p = 0.01) was significantly greater during the 8 ft putts. There were no significant differences in HRmin (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the difficulty/distance of the putting task significantly increased HR in golfers. More research is needed to understand the association between increased cardiovascular demands and performance during putting .