The Effects of a 10-Week Strength and Conditioning Intervention on Physical Capacity and Golf Shot Performance in University Male and Female Golfers

ABSTRACT: Bishop, C, Muir, I, Gartshore, A, Scott, D, Coughlan, D, Turner, A, and Murray, A. The effects of a 10-week strength and conditioning intervention on physical capacity and golf shot performance in university male and female golfers. J Strength Cond Res 40(1): e32-e40, 2026-The aim of the present study was to undertake a 10-week strength and conditioning training intervention and determine the effects on golf shot data and physical capacity in both high-level male and female university golfers. A total of 11 golfers (males = 6; females = 5) undertook a comprehensive testing battery preintervention and postintervention, consisting of golf shot data (with a driver), an isometric midthigh pull, isometric bench press, countermovement jump, seated medicine ball throw, and thoracic spine mobility. For the 10-week intervention, all players undertook 6 weeks of strength training twice per week, followed by 4 weeks of power training twice per week. No statistically significant differences were evident in the male group; however, large improvements (as defined by Hedges g effect size analysis) were observed for force at 100 milliseconds in the isometric bench press (g = 1.13), carry distance (g = 0.98), and ball speed (g = 0.82). In the female group, significant large improvements were evident in all isometric bench press metrics-force at 100 milliseconds (g = 3.79; p < 0.05), force at 200 milliseconds (g = 3.04; p < 0.05), and peak force (g = 1.54; p < 0.05), in addition to nonsignificant large increases in carry distance (g = 0.84). In summary, this intervention showed that large improvements in golf shot data can be made from undertaking strength and power training twice a week for 10 weeks, for both male and female players. Furthermore, and aligned with previous research in female golf, the importance of maximal and rapid force production in the upper body seems to be of particular importance for female golfers.