A-level Physical Education
Teaching and Learning Resources
Golf
Coaching
Marking Band: Mid Range - High
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A2 B&C Coursework
Golf Coaching
AA1- Long Shots: Playing a driver off the tee.
B2- Compare to elite performer
When Ernie Els addresses the golf ball his feet are
shoulder width apart with his knees flexed and his
gastrocnemius contracting in a comfortable position.
Ernie‟s shoulders are relaxed and form a triangle to the
hands. His right shoulder points up giving him a higher ball
flight as he will catch the ball on his upswing. When taking
the club back his right shoulder horizontally abducts and
the left horizontally adducting. The deltoids are the main
agonists to create abduction in the right shoulder; however
the latissimus dorsi is the main agonist to create adduction
in his left shoulder. Both of these contribute to the rotation
of the shoulders. This is done in a consistent and
controllable rhythm.
Whilst the backswing is taken on the angle shown in the photo Ernie‟s head stays stationary
throughout which improves his balance and stabilises his swing. When taking the club back Ernie‟s left
elbow flexes as the right biceps concentrically contracts to reach parallel. The hands delay flexing to
create a lower swing plane meaning the swing is a two flexed backswing. As the club reaches a
parallel position to the target Ernie‟s elbows flex and causes his biceps brachhi concentrically contract.
When on Ernie‟s the down swing the body‟s weight is distributed from his left leg to the right, this is
done by his hips to the right and horizontally adducting however staying in a transvers plane. His head
doesn‟t move on the down swing and both his hands begin to flex, Ernie‟s left elbow begins to extend
on the downswing which causes the eccentric contrition in the biceps brachii. Ernie‟s arms starts to
accelerate and rotate whilst staying on the same plane as on the backswing. When making contact
with the ball his left arm extends and the triceps brachhi is caused to contract under pressure. The left
shoulder flexes and the elbow also extends due to the rotation of the shoulder. The body should also
stay „tall‟ and straight when making contact. The rotation of the hips causes Els right foot to plantarflex
which causes flexion at the knee and therefore produces the gastrocnemius to eccentrically contract.
After making impact his hips rotate out to the target with the hands following the same rhythm. His
right latissimus dorsi helps with the adduction of the right arm; his elbow flexes which creates
concentric contraction in biceps brachii.
My performer’s technical model. B1
When my performer steps up to the ball they try and place their feet should width apart, however they
have an inconsistency of placing their feet consistently apart and positioning the ball at the inside of
the left heel of their body. As they place the ball both knees flex causing concentric contraction in their
quadriceps This is a weakness of their game as it affects their balance when impacting with the ball.
Causing the ball to lose around 20 yards of distance and veer off the left creating a large fade/ slice.
This happened to them in a match play event at Outlane Golf Club when they were on the 4th hole; it
caused them to lose the hole as the ball finished in the rough therefore it was a harder approach into
the green. They made a bogey 5.
When on the downswing their head movement is weak, as on occasions they move their head down
when on the downswing phase which means that they come down on the ball and catch a divot before
making contact with the ball. It means that the ball isn‟t struck first as a divot is created and usually
around 50-70 yards of distance is lost.
The right triceps brachhi
isometrically contracts as it
stays the same size throughout
the downswing. The left elbow
has to extend on the
downswing a lot faster as the
head had dropped because the
bicep eccentrically contracts as
it has to compensate for the
dipping of the head.
My performers knees are
being caused to flex too
early as their head had
dipped. Therefore their
gastrocnemius has
concentrically contracted.
The head dipping can be
seen due to the right knee
being considerably lower
than the left knee.
This happened on the 9th hole at Outlane Golf Club when they were playing another member at the
club in a competition. Their head dropped considerably, therefore meaning the opponent was around
50 yards in front of my performer and had the advantage when hitting the second shot into the green.
They also stand too upright causing an inconsistency with the beginning of their swing. Therefore it
affects the plane of which their swing takes place, it usually is lower than it should be, this occurred on
the 11 hole at Outlane Golf club when they began their backswing the pane of their swing was very
low causing too little contraction in their gastrocnemius as their knees weren‟t flexed enough. This
cause a thin in their shot as I they ended up hitting the top of the ball, therefore they lost the direction
of their shot, it created a large fade which turned into a slice and therefore had a tougher second shot
due to this.
Another weakness of their game is the distribution of weight to the right leg when on the downswing,
this is because their hips don‟t rotate fast enough through to the target, and their hips have a limited
rotation because their feet are further than shoulder width apart. Therefore their right leg has to flex
more to generate lost power. Their hips didn‟t rotate enough on the 7th hole at Outlane Golf Club in a
junior open. They lost around 15 yards of distance on the other players in their group this put more
pressure onto their shot into the green.
Section C
C1- Lack of Flexibility in my perfomer– Hitting a driver off the tee
Flexibility is defined as the capacity of a joint or muscle to move through its full range of motion.
When driving they have poor flexibility in the hips, reducing trunk rotation at the hips, this is due to
their feet being over shoulder width apart. This also reduces the power they can potentially create in
the rotation action. Therefore affecting their final outcome as they lose around 50 yards.
Their lack of flexibility occurs in the hip joint, the hip joint is a ball and socket joint which allows the
potential of 360 degrees of movement. The head of the femur fits into the acetabulum of the pelvis,
the joint is surrounded by strong ligaments which mean there is a reduction in its mobility. The sagital
plane is set on the transverse axis in the hip. It uses the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius to
create extension and adduction with further aids from the three types of adductors in the inside of the
thigh.
Flexibility is very important as it assists golfers in a variety of ways; it prevents injuries from occurring,
and it also increases the speed and force of muscle contractions. Flexibility is categorised into two
types, static and dynamic. Static flexibility is the range of movement around a joint for example in a
golfing situation holding the backswing in golf as it gives a large movement in the hip, whereas
dynamic flexibility is the resistance of a joint movement on the downswing for example. Both of these
types of flexibility determine the rotation we achieve at the joints. In this case the more relevant
flexibility is dynamic as their feet are too far apart it creates high resistance on the hip, due to this the
gluteus maximus cannot adduct the joint to the centre of the body when on the downswing. This also
means that the adductors cannot aid the left thigh as the resistance is high.
Flexibility has several factors it‟s affected by, one of these is the amount of stretch allowed by the
surrounding muscles in the thighs, e.g. the adductors, this is due to the wide stance taken when
stepping up to the ball. This limits the mobility in the knee and therefore reducing the power that‟s
created on the downswing. The adductors struggle to bring the left thigh into the ball and therefore
mean the swing becomes inconsistent.
Due to the hip joint been deeper than the other joints the ligaments are closer and this therefore
means that the ligaments have a strong hold around it, this means that the use of the joint is restricted
and a full adduction cannot be create due to this.
C2- Corrective Measure – Use of PNF Stretching
Flexibility can be improved in my performer by using a series of stretching training programmes that
would increase the range of movement. By using stretching techniques the muscle fibres stretch to
remove tension and tight areas in the muscles. By stretching for at least 10 seconds per muscle and
10 minutes per session on a day to day basis muscles fibre will become longer and less susceptible to
injury. There are three main types of stretching, static, ballistic and PNF.
Static stretching works in two ways, it is either active or passive. When active the performer works on
one joint, pushing it beyond its point of resistance, this pushes the muscle and the connective tissue
around it. The second type of static stretching is passive, this type of stretching occurs with the help of
an external force such as a wall or partner.
Ballistic stretching involves performing a stretch with swinging or bouncing movements which
concentrates pressure on one particular muscle movement. However this technique should only be
used by people who have a high flexibility, the sports which mainly use this type of stretching are
dancing and gymnastics. Therefore I will not include it in my programme.
The final type of stretching that can be used for flexibility is PNF. Also known as „proprioceptive
neuromuscular facilitation‟ PNF stretching shows improvements in the range that an individual can
stretch immediately. The muscle is stretched for 10 seconds and the relaxed for a period of time and
repeated which normally has the outcome of stretching further the second time it‟s been stretched.
By using PNF stretching technique on my hamstrings it would enable my performer to flex their leg
further when setting up to the golf ball.
By stretching the adductors the hip rotation will increase as the muscle fibres will stretch to extend the
range of movement and therefore increase hip adduction. Therefore in a competitive game it would
increase the distance of their tee shot as their hips would generate more speed and therefore have a
higher application of power.
Long shots- 2- hitting a 7 iron
When Ernie Els steps up to the golf ball his feet are shoulder width apart with knees flexed at a
comfortable position. He positions the ball in the centre of his stance as his club selection is a 7 iron.
Ernie‟s hands form a triangle from his deltoids to his wrists.
When taking the club back Ernie‟s‟ left shoulder horizontally adduct to
the body and the left abducts away from his body, the deltoids extend
and assists with his shoulder rotation. His backswing is slow and
controlled to improve the tempo of his backswing. Ernie‟s head stays
stationary whilst on the back swing as it keeps control and stabilises
the swing. His left elbow begins to flex when reaching the 90 degree
mark. Because of the flexion at the elbows his biceps brachii
concentrically contracts under pressure of the swing. His right elbow
also flexes to complete the top of the swing; therefore concentric
contraction is created in the biceps brachii. When hitting this point
Ernie‟s wrists begin to flex to complete the backswing. His shoulders
rotate due to the main agonist the latissimus Dorsi abducting the
shoulders away from the target line. Ernie‟s hips also rotate through to
the ball as the left quadriceps isometrically contracts.
When on the downswing Ernie‟s shoulders rotate due to the main agonists the deltoids adducting the
shoulders back into the ball. Due to the shoulder rotation both arms adduct back to the ball. Ernie‟s
right triceps isometrically contract as its under tension, his left elbow extends from the flexed position
and the biceps brachii concentrically contracts. Ernie‟s body weight is distributed from the right leg to
left the flexion creates isometric contraction in the left quadriceps; the hamstring and abductor
muscles also play a large part in the weight distribution. When the hands accelerate on the downswing
they lateral rotate and flex at the wrists this means that when he makes contact with the ball the
direction is more controlled.
When making impact with the ball Ernie‟s for arm continues to laterally rotate, the movement of his
ulna and the radius create to lateral rotation. The left arm stays straight meaning that the triceps is still
under tension therefore isometric contraction occurs, in the left arm the elbow begins to flex to which
created eccentric contraction in the biceps brachii. The pectoral major and latissimus dorsi help with
the rotation of Ernie‟s shoulders.
Ernie Els played this shot at the BMW Championship in2007 on the 16th hole. He had 170 yards to
the pin so he took a seven iron to the green, he made perfect contact with the ball as his tempo was
controlled and his shoulder rotation was perfect, he played the shot to 9 foot leaving himself an uphill
putt for his birdie.
My performer’s Technical Model
When playing a 7 iron their head has a consistency to drop at
the top of their backswing and the beginning of their downswing.
Because their body becomes too close and compact, as they
become compact and their hands come too close to the centre
of their body it becomes harder to produce shoulder rotation and
therefore the latissimus dorsi isn‟t generating enough power to
give a large enough shoulder rotation, it also means that the
elbows have to extend faster down to the ball, this means that
the eccentric contraction in the right biceps brachii has to
happen faster which means more tension and pressure is
placed on the biceps. Because of the head dipping they catch a
divot before the ball and therefore lose distance on the shot.
This happened to my perfomer on the 1st hole at Meltham Golf
Club playing a junior competition when they were 145 yards
away from the green. I saw their head drop and therefore the
outcome of their shot was very poor, the ball finished short of
the green and caught a downslope so the ball finished 40 yards
away from the pin and created a harder shot with a lot more
pressure on it.
When taking their backswing they have a tendency to not reach
to the top of the swing. This means that the left elbow doesn‟t
flex and eccentric contraction in the biceps brachii doesn‟t
occur, because of this they don‟t create a full range of
movement in their swing, the shoulder rotation is reduced
meaning that the latissimus dorsi isn‟t used to its full potential,
as the range of movement is reduced distance on the shot is
lost. Around 10 to 15 yards are lost which can be the difference
in hitting the green or coming up short of the green. The angular
momentum of the shot is also affected as it means that they
sway and don‟t get enough turn when playing. More specifically
the shoulders and hips don‟t turn enough as they should rotate
more as they are on a longitudinal axis. This shot occurred on
the 13 hole at Outlane Golf Club playing in the junior Cresta
Trophy. My performer was 150 yards away from the hole and
was put under pressure by their opponent playing a good shot
into the green. Thier shot finished 5 yards short and in the
bunker to the right of the hole, as their opponent was around 4
foot away they conceded the hole, this made the round a lot
tougher and gave them a psychological disadvantage.
When making impact with the ball they don‟t drive my hips through
the ball enough, what I‟m meaning by this is their hips don‟t
accelerate enough through the ball, because this happens their
quadriceps have to generate more power, they are concentrically
contracted due to the flexion at the knee. The gluteus medius,
gluteus maximus and the adductors also have to work harder on
driving the hips and rotating them through the downswing and into
the follow through. Because of this the direction and height of the
shot is changed, the ball tends to go to the left of the target
because the rotation isn‟t complete the arms are aimed to the left.
This happened to them on the 8th hole at Willow Valley Golf Club
in a junior open championship; their hips didn‟t drive and rotate
enough meaning that the shot was pushed into the trees on the left
side of the green.
Because of making constant mistakes when performing this type of
shot my performer has reached a plateau.
Section C1 – Hitting a 7 iron. Plateau in performance.
When playing a 7 iron my performer tells me they feel like they cannot improve in their 7 iron shot
accuracy, this is due to their performance plateauing. They play their 7 iron to around 10 feet when
playing a good shot; it feels like they can never get closer than 10 feet meaning that their motivation
levels have dropped. This performance barrier occurs nearly every time they hit the shot.
The diagram below is the learning curve, it shows how the rate of learning in their golfing ability with a
7 iron. This is diagram represents the plateau affects in performance
C. This represents plateau in my golf performance, it
represents that there is no improvement.
B. This is the stage I was previously at, it shows that their
performance has dramatically increase from stage A, this
is moving from being a cognitive learner into an
associative learner, or even autonomous. This is when
they were playing a 7 iron to around 10 foot every time,
their performance was very consistent.
A. This is the cognitive stage of learning; there isn‟t really any significant increase in performance.
This is when they first started golf, playing a 7 iron specifically, they would just want the ball to
go in the air and straight when they first started. It was when they were learning the sub routines
and trying to put them into one whole motion.
Plateau could have happened due to them reaching their maximum ability at hitting a 7 iron; therefore
they can‟t get less than 10 foot to the pin with a 7 iron. There is a stage after plateau where the
performance actually starts to get worse. This is called drive reduction. Drive reduction occurs due to
the individual gaining success on the task and having the drive to succeed, but due to the lack of
increase in ability the drive for success is lost. The task of hitting a 7 iron onto the green has been
accomplished and now a new adaptation of the task is needed to regain maximum motivation levels.
C2- Corrective measure- offer rewards
The main cause of plateau in performance is due to the lack of motivation they have, for instance
when performing they have experienced a loss of interest which has reduced motivation levels. As
they are seeing no improvements it means that they can‟t see why they should be practicing as much.
Due to this I have decided as their coach to offer rewards which they don‟t normally gain when
playing. Instead of just offering my praise I will also give encouragement and extrinsic rewards.
I would set up a drill with a 7 iron that would challenge the performer hitting the ball under 10 feet, 10
feet to 15 feet, and 15 feet plus. When hitting the shot I would still give advice on how they could
improve their technical model. For example, I could explain that they are pushing the ball out to the
left; they need to move their left bicep through the ball more. This would provide them with constant
feedback throughout which would make them think about the swing psychologically, it would give
them the chance to think about the sub routines of performance still.
When hitting the ball less than 10 feet I would give him extrinsic rewards such as a small sweet to
promote hitting a good shot. If they got it between 10-15 feet I would give him some form of praise. An
example of this would be „well done, that was a good shot‟. And finally when hitting the ball 15 feet
plus I would just give encouragement.
When doing this programme I would set rings around the pin to replicate 10 and 15 feet. When doing
this I would ask my performer to hit between 20-30 shots so that their interest levels don‟t deteriorate.
AA2- Short shot 1- approach from 60 yards
From 60 yards away Ernie Els doesn‟t complete a full backswing motion with the club. It is important
he goes the correct distance during the backswing as it determines whether he falls short of the green
or goes too far past it.
Ernie‟s feet should be shoulder width apart and should be slightly open to the target. As a wedge shot
is being played it is important that Els puts the ball in the centre of his stance so that his arms create a
triangle. The back should be arched slightly and knees are flexed at a comfortable position.
The arm are around 90 degrees with
the left shoulder abducting and
causing isometric contraction in the
triceps brachii and the right shoulder
adducting and therefore has
concentriccontraction in the biceps at
the elbow.
The latissimus dorsi is
adducting under
tension in the
subscapularis and the
deltoids
When beginning the backswing his shoulders push away
from the body with the left triceps brachhi isometrically contracting
and the left shoulder abducts, consequently meaning that his right
shoulder should adduct as its moving away from the body. The
shoulders and hips should move away from the target and turn to
the right simultaneously The deltoids play a large part in chipping
from sixty yards as getting the correct amount of shoulder turn is
vital for the distance of the shot.
Due to the Shoulder turn the latissimus dorsi is used with the main
agonist the deltoid creating adduction. The weight distribution in the
legs is important for Els as it gives him more power to the shot, it also
stabilises the body and creates better control and balance. During his
backswing the club head is „hooded‟ meaning that the face of the club
is pointing in towards the feet, this reduces the percentage risk of a
slice. When Ernie‟s the arms reach the 90 degree to 100 marks on the
backswing he begin the downswing as going any further would produce
a shot that passes the 60 yard mark needed.
After Ernie makes impact with ball his hips begin to turn towards the target, his gluteus medius
contract on a frontal plane which drives his hips through the ball. His right knee begins to flex,
plantarflexion occurs in the right foot. This causes the gastrocnemius to concentrically contract. His
hands stay straight through impact and gradually begin to flex when the head rises to see the ball.
Ernie Els played this shot in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, TPC Louisiana in April 2012. The
shot was played on the 8th hole; Ernie played his shot to 5 foot giving him a good opportunity to
improve his standing on the leader board.
B1 - My performer’s weaknesses
When they step up to the ball they place the ball too far back in their stance which means their left hand
is flexed too much already. This creates a steep backswing as the club is already on an angle. This
causes problems later in the swing as the club is on a steep angle; this therefore means the hands are
controlling the swing more than they should do. This means their muscle contractions happen a lot
faster, the left biceps brachii concentrically contract faster and therefore speeds the tempo of the shot
up which creates a larger inconsistency. As the hands are more controlling in the swing it‟s a lot harder
to distribute power through muscles such as the triceps, biceps and latissimus dorsi. Because of this
distance is lost so the target of 60 yards isn‟t reached. This happened to my perfomer on the 12 hole at
Crosland Heath golf club as they were playing an inter club competition. They were 62 yards away from
the green and their ball positioning was too far back, this caused them to be 10 yards short of the green,
this put more pressure on their next shot as they had to get down in two from where they were or they
wouldn‟t shoot par.
The club has passed the angle needed, this
caused over swing in their backswing. The hands
are also over flexed because of this.
The hips abduct due to the turn in the body with the
gluteus medius being used more than it should do,
which generates a lot of the power. Also the right
quadriceps is generating power to the swing.
After making contact with the ball their hands flex too early and regularly, because of this the direction of
the ball is affected, the ball can be pushed out to the right or it could be hooked to the left. This simply
happens because if the hands don‟t flex at the right time the ball will not go on a direct path. This
happened to them on the 18th hole at Outlane golf club when they were playing in a weekly medal
competition. Their hands delayed when they flexed which therefore caused them to push the ball out to
the right, because of this they ended up in the bunker which made getting up and down a lot harder than
expected.
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Section C – hitting a 60 yard approach shot. – C1 – Cause of weakness application of
force
When chipping in golf it‟s important to apply spin to the ball, in this case when approaching from 60
yards it‟s important to target the pins and therefore by using spin it makes it easier to get closer to the
pins. The poor application of force occurs when my performer‟s backswing is too long. This means that
when they are trying to get the ball to go on a higher plane it doesn‟t due to them having a larger
backswing and therefore over compensating for it on the downswing, this means they catch the ball on a
lower trajectory which means little to no spin is applied.
The height of release is very steep
as the backspin causes the ball to
rotate faster meaning the ball will go
higher. This is also due to the
impact of the ball. The flight plane
follows a non-parabolic flight path as
the ball suddenly drops.
The ball makes impact with the club
at the bottom which makes the ball
travel at a higher level, but it also
means that it‟s made impact on and
off centre area which generates the
spin and causes backward rotation in
the ball.
A force can be described as „pus or pull‟. It can cause the body at rest to move and the body when
moving to stop, slow down or sped up or even change direction. These forces can be either internal or
external. An internal force is generated through the contraction of the skeletal muscle whereas, an
external force comes from the outside the body, For example in golf air resistance created on the ball
effects the flight plane of the ball, and in this case would create a non-projectile flight.
When performing the 60 yard approach my performer has to apply large amounts of power specifically
to the left bicep brachii and the right triceps brachii to drive through the ball, by creating such a fast
abduction in the right triceps it means that the direction of the ball is altered, more specifically the right
triceps is the arm that leads and therefore directs the follow through and the direction of the ball. The left
bicep controls the downswing as it helps work on where the impact occurs on the ball. Therefore the
best application of force to hit the ball is at the bottom of the ball.
The force that my performer applies when playing this shot is back spin as it means that the ball has
more chance of going closer to the hole. When on the downswing it‟s important that they make sure that
they apply the force underneath the centre of mass, due to applying more force it means that it will
rotate backwards and therefore it will travel higher and further in the air. When the ball lands the speed
is decreased due to the angle when making impact with the ground. When the speed decreases the ball
will either stop straight away or it will roll backwards, this means it‟s easier to target a specific spot when
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attacking pins. It is important to look at the conditions, for instance when it‟s wet the ball will just stop as
it‟s too wet too move the ball. However in dry conditions the ball spins more.
C2- Corrective measure – massed practice
Massed practice is the continuation of a skill with no rest periods. It requires high levels of fitness and
also means that the correct technique needs to be used or it would be reinforcing poor sub routines. I
would use massed practice with my performer as it would mean that I could repeat the swing with them,
and therefore make alterations along the way as they are not at the cognitive stages of learning and
their personal technical model uses the correct technique. The idea of using massed practice is
applying the correct technical model and work on a specific part of the skill. I would use it with my
performer as I would be able to get them to apply different amounts of power and therefore look at the
different outcomes of spin. Looking at the different levels of spin would mean that they would be able to
know how much force they would have to apply to achieve the level of spin needed; this would therefore
improve their accuracy when playing a 60 yard approach shot.
Massed practice is better than distributed practices as it‟s a continuation of the skill, as my performer is
highly motivated and has high fitness levels it means that they don‟t need continuous breaks, so
therefore more practice would be done which would mean they could begin to make alterations on how
much spin they apply on the ball. As the golf swing is only a short and fast motion it means that it‟s not
too physically demanding showing that using massed practice would be more beneficial.
Short shot 2 – Section B
B2-Chipping from the side of the green
When Ernie approaches the ball he puts his feet inside shoulder width
apart, however he keeps his feet „open‟ this is where they don‟t directly aim
to the line of the target. The ball is in the centre of his stance with his hands
forward from the ball. Ernie also flexes his knees to make clean contact
under the ball to create spin so that the ball will check on the green. His
shoulders are relaxed and his hands form a triangle with the deltoids in his
shoulders.
When bringing the club back Ernie‟s left arm adducts and his right arm
abducts, Ernie‟s shoulder rotation plays a big part in the swing as the left
arm and elbow stay straight and only isometric contraction is created in the
right triceps as no noticeable movement is seen. Shoulder turn is created by
the latissimus dorsi which is the main agonist on the backswing. However
his left deltoid creates the adduction in the left arms as it brings the arm into
the centre of the body. Ernie‟s right elbow begins to flex which creates concentric contraction in the
biceps brachhi, this therefore means that his main agonist it the left arm is the bicep. He stops his
backswing when he reaches around 70 degrees. In the backswing there is little hip rotation and a very
limited flexion at the knee, the rectus femoris is mainly use in the knee flexion.
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When on the downswing the tempo is
increased and the acceleration of the
club is faster so that he can apply more
spin on the ball. On the downswing
there are more muscles used, for
example when Ernie begins to bring the
club back down we see flexion in the
wrists. When brining the club back
down the right arm continues to stay
straight this helps improve the direction
and power added onto the shot as
there isn‟t a lot of wrist movement in
the downswing. As the left arm stays
straight and creates adduction and
isometric contraction still occurs as it‟s constantly under tension as it‟s the leading arm on the downward
phase. The right arm is adducting as its moving back into the body, however extension at the right elbow
occurs as its straightening up to make impact with the ball. Just before making contact with the ball
lateral rotation occurs at the radius and ulner due to the rotation of the shoulders, horizontal adduction
occurs in Ernie‟s right shoulder, to bring the shoulders back to face the target the subscapularis, deltoid
and latissimus dorsi are used as the main agonists. Ernie‟s hips also drive through the ball to the target
to create a higher rate of control.
When making impact with the ball Ernie‟s shoulders turn further to the target line, the main agonist
muscle used is the latissimus dorsi as it helps turn the back through to the ball. However on making
impact with the ball he also uses his pectoral majors to bring the club to the top of the swing. When his
shoulder reaches his chin his head begins to rise to look at where the ball is going. His knee flexes to
give a small amount of hip rotation. The left elbow flexes which creates concentric contraction in the
biceps brachhi and brings the club up to the peak of the swing. The wrists flex to also bring the club up
to the top of the swing.
Ernie Els played this shot at the Deutsche Bank Championship in March 9th 2012 on the 6th hole; he
put the ball to 1 foot and had a brilliant opportunity to save his par.
B1 - My performer’s weaknesses
When they step up to the ball they position their hands too far forward
which leads to catching the ball thin on impact phase, this happens
because the angle that the club has to come down on is very steep.
This makes the wrist action in the swing increase. If the wrist action is
slightly out the shot will either lose distance or the ball would pass the
required distance. When on the backswing the hands flex after
adduction by the right arm. Then when on the downswing their hands
have to laterally rotate to make a square contact to the ball. They
positioned themself like this due to their low levels of confidence, they
felt like they had to use a technique that felt comfortable, however by
doing this it meant that their performance levels decreased. This
happened on the 7th hole at Outlane Golf Club they were at the side of
the green, when making contact with the ball it came out thin causing
the ball to go too far and pass the flag. This made a harder putt for
them to save par.
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When on the downswing their hips drive through the ball, when chipping
this shouldn‟t be created as it adds distance onto the shot, this is because
the left knee is flexing causing the quadriceps and gastronomies to work
harder to drive through to the ball. The arms work in a pendulum motion
which adduct back into the body and the ball. This happened on the 16th
hole at Outlane Golf Club when they were playing in the July Cup. The ball
travelled around 5 feet past the hole which meant the putt back to the hole
was much harder than it should have been. This caused a bogey when
they should have been making par on the hole.
Golf – Chipping from the side of the green – C1-Cause of weakness, lack of confidence.
When chipping the ball my performer can have a tendency to play poor shots as they have low
confidence levels when performing. Because they have low self-efficacy they tend to position their body
incorrectly in the preparation phase. They position their hands too far forward which leads to catching
the ball thin on impact phase, this means that when on the backswing the hands flex after adduction by
the right arm. Then when on the downswing their hands have to laterally rotate to make a square
contact to the ball. Due to this it means that the ball goes past the flag so putting themselves under
pressure to save par.
Confidence is defined as a belief in your own ability to master a specific sporting situation. Self efficacy
is needed to solve the weakness of chipping from the side of the green in section B, self efficacy was
needed when on the preparation phase as their hands were flexed too far forward which caused the ball
to be thinned to the back of the green. Other causes such as the importance of the event and the
significance of the shot reduced confidence levels in their ability.
Confidence is hindered by a variety of different factors. Performance accomplishments are one of the
factors that affected the execution of the skill. This can be defined by the confidence being altered by
previous experiences or the things performed in the past. Because of the negative past experiences the
performance in the future is hindered. In section B during a match played at Outlane Golf Club whilst on
the 7th hole competing in a match play competition. My performer‟s confidence levels were affected as
playing a chip shot at the side of the green wasn‟t the strongest point of their game. I reviewed their
previous performances of the shot. These were unsuccessful which put negative thoughts of the shot
back into their head and therefore reduced their confidence levels. This caused my performer‟s
technique to be affected particularly with their wrist action, because my performer‟s swing technique was
altered by their wrists being too flexed this made them have to over compensate for other movements in
the swing such as the lateral rotation in their right arm. Because of all the over compensations it caused
them to thin the ball past the flag.
Secondly confidence is affected by vicarious experiences, thus meaning that confidence is changed due
to others completing the task successfully or unsuccessfully, because of this it changes the levels in
confidence the observer has. When waiting to play the chip shot mentioned in section B another
performer who my performer was playing with played the shot poorly and placed the ball to around 6
foot from the hole. As they saw the other performer as better than they were, they saw it as a
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impossible to play the shot well as they saw him play it poorly. Because of this my performer‟s
confidence levels dropped and therefore found it hard to focus when playing the shot.
C2- Corrective measure- Goal setting
By using goal setting I feel like it will be a relevant method of improving my performer‟s confidence
levels. This is because if I use a careful goal setting strategy i should be able to set targets for my
performer to reach and feel more assured about performing the chip shot at the side of the green with a
higher level of confidence.
Goals are categorised into long term and short term aims. A long term goal would be something that
would be seen as a final objective which takes practice to achieve. A short term goal would be achieved
in around 1 hour to a day of practice. For example in a golf situation looking at playing the chip shot
closer than 3 foot from the hole. As this would need consistency and therefore meaning having to go
away and work on getting the ball inside 3 feet on a more consistent level.
This differs to short term goals as it focuses on improving technique which is known as a process goal,
and also performance goals which concentrate on the technique of the technical model. An example of a
process goal would be trying to get a smoother backswing which would mean reduce movement in the
hands. A performance related goal would be to get a 4 one a hole or even shoot a 78 around the whole
18 holes.
My process goal working with my performer would be to improve the positioning of the hands and the
flexion in the wrists. By doing this it will improve my performer‟s shot as the hands will not be under
tension due to the flexion that was applied previously. The forward press of the wrists means that the
lateral rotation is created on the downswing and it would be hard to control when on the follow through.
Improvements in my performer‟s technique would mean that as their coach I would be able to give
them more positive feedback, for example I may say well done on that last shot your hands weren‟t too
far forward and you executed the shot well, The improvements in technique will also improve their
technical model by having more consistent results, the success to failure rate would go up as the correct
technique would be applied. It would be possible to see the improvements by the final results of the
round this would also make the performance look more athletically pleasing.
My performer‟s performance goal would be to improve the number of attempts that were in 3 feet of the
hole. I would look for them to hit around 80% of the balls within 3 feet; if they achieved this I would
regard it as successful practice. By reviewing my performer‟s attempts I would be able to view the
increase in progression that my performer has achieved. I would do this by keeping them on a practice
routine which I would stick to when looking at improving my performer‟s chipping method. Again this
would help with reducing the problem and therefore it would mean that it would counter the problems
they faced previously because it would increase their motivation which would mean that it wouldn‟t effect
the type of shot they play
The long term goal I would set for my performer is to improve the final score they achieve in a
competitive match after finishing a round. A long term goal could be from a week of training to months
dependent on the dedication and progression that the performer makes. Doing this would show how
much chipping had affected their final score in the past and would mean that I would be able to target
chipping as one of the large factors that had been hindering my performer‟s game. When practicing I
would get my performer to hit 20 chips and record how many they could get within 3 foot, the target I
would set for them would be 17-20. Therefore by looking at the results they got through practicing it
would give them confidence to play these shots out on the course. By doing this it will improve their final
outcomes on holes and rounds.
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AA3- Strategies and tactics – punching the golf ball
Punching the ball normally happens as a tactic/strategy if the pin is at the back of
the green, if trees may come into play when attacking the pin or also if you‟re
playing into wind. The swing is generally the same but the positioning of the ball is
altered. When playing this shot the ball flight is lower as it reduces the chance of
hitting a tree and keeping the ball “under the wind”.
When stepping up to the ball Ernie‟s feet are slightly inside the line of his shoulders,
making impact at the back of the ball easier. Both Ernie‟s knees are flexed to
improve his balance for when he makes contact with the ball, he positions the ball
to the centre of his stance and he puts most of his weight on his front foot so that he
drives through the ball. Els puts around 60 percent of his weight on his front foot.
His hands are lower down the club and forward in the stance which will keep the
trajectory of his ball flight lower, therefore when he is playing shot when behind
trees or into wind they won‟t come into play as much as if he played a normal shot.
On Ernie‟s backswing the club comes up steeper than
on his standard iron shot swing as it‟s the only place
the hands can go as they are forward in the stance.
When taking the club back the shoulders rotate due to the latissimus dorsi
and the deltoids being the agonists in his shoulder rotation. His left pectoral
major helps to adduct the left arm; this is also due to the rotation of the
shoulders. Ernie‟s right arm abducts because of the rotation, however it at
his right elbow flexion is created due to concentric contraction at the
triceps. On the right arm isometric contraction is caused due to pressure in
the backswing. The rotation in the hips is limited due to the amount of
flexion in the knees. The main muscles used to help with the flexion in the
knees are the quadriceps and the hamstring. When reaching 70 degrees
his hands begin to flex, he reaches 100 to 120 degrees and then begins
the downswing.
During the start of the downswing Ernie‟s shoulders begin to rotate back to
the ball. His deltoids and latissmus dorsi help with the shoulder rotation as
the left deltoid extends back into the ball. Ernie‟s arms both adduct his left
triceps brachii isometrically contracts as it‟s not moving under the pressure
of the adduction. His right elbow begins to extend therefore creating
concentric contraction in the biceps brachii, because of the contraction the
arms begin to accelerate creating more power and speed therefore
creating more spin and distance for Els. The pectoral majors help with the acceleration as the assist
both the shoulder rotation and the adduction in his arms. An el creates very little hip rotation when on
the downswing because the flexion at his knees the range of movement in the gluteus medius and
abductor magnus, because of this his range of movement in the hips is very limited. Due to the flexion at
the knees concentric contraction occurs in both his quadriceps. Ernie‟s right foot plantar flexes when
making impact with the ball to stabilise his balance.
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After making impact with the ball the arms and hands have to work hard to quickly stop the club. As his
hands are still accelerating after making contact with the both the biceps
and triceps brahii have to work hard to stop the arms. Both Ernie‟s elbows
begin to flex which means the triceps brachii concentrically contracts to
stop the movement in the arms. His hands flex at the top of the swing to
create a more controlled aesthetically pleasing swing. The pectoral majors
and latissimus dorsi help stop the shoulder turn which helps stabilises
balance, finally Ernie‟s head rises and looks to the target.
Ernie Els played this shot in the US Open Championship at the Olympic
club. He played it into the wind so he tried to keep the ball as low as
possible. The shot was to a small green with a pin position at the back of
the hole. The outcome of the shot was brilliant; he put the ball to 10 foot
away from the pin, therefore leaving himself a good birdie opportunity.
B1- Weaknesses of my performer
When they step up to the ball they position the ball at the back of their stance
which means they put most of their weight on their back foot which
automatically means that their balance is affected. This is generally due to a
level of anxiety they face when thinking about the shot process. The weight
ratio is around 65 percent on their back foot and 35 percent on their front foot.
The hands are already flexed which means their backswing is very inconsistent
as their biceps have to contract a lot more as they are under a large amount of
tension often to counter the forward press on the swing. This occurred on the
10th hole at Outlane Golf Club in a junior match play event. The outcome of
this shot was very poor as they lost their balance and the ball drifted to the right
of the target due to the wind and also because of large amount of contraction
the biceps brachii had to create.
When on the backswing my performer‟s shoulder rotation is too small, this means
that both arms don‟t adduct enough which creates a very small backswing,
therefore around 15 yards of distance is lost. Their left elbow doesn‟t flex enough
which reduces the amount of concentric contraction in the biceps brachii. The
hands are flexed too early in the swing, partly because of the position of the ball but
also because of the little shoulder rotation the hands have to work harder to get the
club back onto the correct plane. The nerves that they had due to spectators
watching meant that they had a fear of failure which meant they weren‟t
concentrating on doing the perfect technical model. This happened to them on the
15th hole at Outlane Golf Club in a steward‟s day competition; the ball finished 20
yards short of the green and put more pressure onto their 3rd shot into the green.
They finished with a 5 on the hole meaning they dropped a shot.
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C1- Cause of weakness – anxiety when playing a punch shot
During section B I mentioned the punch shot which my performer plays during different situations on the
golf course, for instance when having to play the ball low it‟s a perfect shot to play as it keeps the ball
slightly lower than other more lofted shots. However sometimes they play the ball slightly too high which
is all due to the preparation phase of the shot. I think the cause of my performer‟s problems was a
nervous and tense approach to the skill which meant that the maximum effort wasn‟t applied due to the
fear of failure, due to this slight hesitation it meant that they place more weight onto their left foot,
therefore their hands are already flexed which creates a very inconsistent backswing.
Anxiety is a negative aspect of performance which is generated by stressful situations and it can
weaken a performance massively, the stressful situation that my performer experienced in section B
was because of the pressure of fear of failure, as they‟ve played the same shot on the same hole before
they have remembered the failure of missing the green prior to playing the shot. Another factor as to
why they performed the shot poorly is the seriousness of the task, as they were playing a „match play‟
instead of „stroke play‟, it is vital to play every hole well to keep your opponent under pressure. As my
performer‟s opponent played a good shot into the flag it asserted more pressure onto the shot they had
to perform which meant that there was a fear of failure due to remembering the shot played the last time
they were playing the hole.
There are a verity of different anxieties, for instance trait anxiety is innate, and you can‟t change the
initial anxiety levels you have. State anxiety is temporary as is a response to a specific situation, for
example the importance of the event meant that it altered the anxiety levels my performer was
experiencing. They were playing a junior match play event, because of this it meant that their other
teammates were relying on my performer to perform well. There was also a small group of spectators
watching which meant there was added pressure. As their opponent had already played his shot close
to the hole it meant that the shot had more meaning as it was basically if they won the hole or not.
Therefore showing state anxiety as it was only temporary as it was premature and lasted for one hole.
These factors meant that my performer‟s arms didn‟t contract enough due to the forward positioning of
the hands, the flexion experienced wasn‟t enough to counteract for the poor set up and positioning of
the body.
Cognitive anxiety is psychological; it‟s a lack of concentration, over thinking, or irrational thinking. When
they performed the shot they had a fear of failure which led to irrational thinking- they didn‟t want to
embarrass themself in front of the spectators who were watching the performance. This resulted in the
ball drifting to the right, the wind also caught the ball as I didn‟t keep it low enough and therefore lost
distance.
Somatic anxiety is Physiological and includes signs of muscular tension and increased heart rate. When
performing the skill I saw my performer experience an increase in heart rate which indicates the nerves
they experienced when completing the shot. However they also told me that they felt like their arms,
more specifically their biceps were becoming tighter which meant it would be harder to get the correct
swing and also create the correct concentric contraction that was needed.
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C2 - Corrective Measure – Positive self talk
By using positive self talk it will help me to improve the cause of my performer‟s weaknesses because it
should give a larger amount of confidence, followed by more positive attitudes when performing on the
golf course. This will reduce their negative feelings when playing the punch shot.
Positive self talk can be used to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. As I mentioned in section
C1 my performer tends to have a fear of failure which means that they talk themself down, for instance
they say „don‟t hit another bad shot‟ or „it‟ll be embarrassing if you hit a poor shot here.‟ If I can correct
this in my performer with self talk this will allow me to change what they are saying for example I would
be able to change what they are saying and would be able to give encouragement, for example, „you‟ve
just hit a good shot, let‟s keep it up‟ or „you can do this, you‟re good at playing these shots‟ . Therefore
my performer will feel confident in their game and therefore in the shots they are about to play.
Positive self talk can be used to stop bad habits. When my performer played a punch shot which is
mentioned in section C1 they tend to set up incorrectly, more specifically their hands are flexed which
means that the angle would have to be steeper when performing the shot which creates inconsistencies.
They do this because it feels more comfortable, so when they are performing it means that they feel
comfort is more important over technique. If they can correct this with self talk it will allow them to
perform a better technique, therefore meaning their consistency and quality of shot would significantly
improve. This would also improve their confidence.
Positive self talk can be used both during and before a game, before they play my performer could
visualise pervious shots where the technical model is perfect. This would reduce their anxiety as they
would know the technical model and would think about hitting the ball really well. The benefit of this is
that they would be less anxious at the start of the game. Therefore their preparation phase of the
punch shot would be improved as they would be thinking of the correct technical model they would use.
During the game they can continue to use positive self talk so that they can focus on the match being
played. This would mean that my performer wouldn‟t be thinking about playing a poor shot and would
concentrate on playing well instead of thinking what the shot would be like if it was performed badly.
This will then improve their performance in section C as their preparation would have improved, more
specifically their hands wouldn‟t be as flexed and the angle of backswing wouldn‟t be as steep. Finally
meaning my performer‟s backswing wouldn‟t be under as much tension and therefore it would mean that
they swing in a smoother motion, this would mean that the technical model could be easily replicated.
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AA3- Strategy 2 – going for the green in two on a par 5.
B2- Elite model
Going for the green in two is a risky but rewarding strategy if done correctly as it gives the player the
opportunity to make an eagle (3). However it is a much harder shot as the player has to use a wood,
therefore meaning the sweet spot on the face is smaller and the ball has to travel a longer distance, this
means wind becomes one of the large factors when considering taking on the shot. Hazards such as
green side bunkers also become a factor as you cannot land the ball directly on the green as the club
face is a lower degree the amount of spin produced is a lot less than an iron shot. This shot shouldn‟t be
considered as a strategy if water is positioned in front of the green.
When Ernie steps up to the ball he positions his feet at shoulder width apart, he flexes his knees at a
position that feels comfortable, his quadriceps are isometrically contracted as they stay in a stable
position throughout to swing. His shoulders stay relaxed. He positions the ball at the front of his stance
as he has to get the ball up into the air. This causes his right shoulder to be on an angle as it helps gain
height when hitting the ball. His feet point away from the body to improve his balance when on the
downswing phase.
Ernie‟s deltoids begin the backswing as they are the first initiation of movement, his
left deltoid flexes whilst his right extends away from the body, therefore abduction is
created to the right arm because of the shoulder turn his latissimus dorsi and
subscapularis are being used to control the direction and swing plane of the arms.
Because of the shoulder turn Ernie‟s illo psoas makes the hips flex so they follow the
same turn as the shoulder do. When the club reaches approximately 90 degrees both
of his biceps brachhi concentrically contract causing both elbows
to flex. His head continues to stay stable when reaching this point
in the swing. Ernie‟s left knee is flexed causing his hamstring to
concentrically contract under tension. At the top of Ernie‟s swing
his club points to the target due to the hands flexing.
When on Ernie‟s downswing his weight is distributed from his right
leg to his left, he does this by extension at his hips; the main
agonists are the gluteus Maximus and the gluteus medius as they
create abduction in the hips. His right shoulder is caused to turn due to the flexion
and the deltoid, Ernie‟s right elbow extends due to the eccentric contrition in the
biceps brachii. His left arm stays straight throughout the swing as it gives him more
distance. The right hip begins to horizontally abduct which causes flexion at his right
knee; this is caused by concentric contrition of the gastrocnemius.
After making contact with the ball Ernie‟s hips and shoulders rotate through to the target, When Ernie
played this shot he assessed the situation as he knew that leaving the ball short would mean he‟d be
caught in the bunker, he also realised that due to his score he had to create a good opportunity to
improve it. He played this shot in the 2012 US Open on the Olympic Club course in San Francisco on
the 6th hole. Ernie played his 3 wood, he realised that the fairway leading up to the green was tight,
there was bunkers surrounding the green so there was little room for error in this shot. He played the
ball to 20 foot away from the pin; he removed all the bunkers from play and hit the green, therefore
Ernie‟s tactic of going for the green paid off, he gave himself a great opportunity to better his score.
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B1 - Weaknesses of my performer
A weakness with my performer‟s game and this shot is psychologically they think they have to hit the
ball further as they are hitting a wood rather than an iron so that they reach the green. This affects their
whole tempo and rhythm as because they are making alterations to their swing. It causes an over swing
at the top of the backswing, this is because their shoulders are rotating too much and therefore means
that they flex their hands too much, it also means their right elbow flexes which creates concentric
contraction on the bicep brachhi because of the over swing the direction of their shot is effected, the ball
tends to go more right than it should. This showed a lack of power in their golf swing and therefore is
another factor as to why they lose distance. This happened on the 7th hole at Outlane golf club, they
knew that they had to go for the green as the hole was a good opportunity to make a Birdie, however
knowing they had to hit a perfect shot to reach so they were under pressure, they over swung meaning
the shot went out to the right and finished up in the rough at the side of the hole.
Another weakness when playing this shot it that on completion of the backswing, moving into the
downswing my performer drops their head which means that their head comes into their body and
therefore means their swing is compact and their arms and hands come too close to the body.
Dipping their head also means that their knee flexes a lot further than it should normally, the hamstring,
quadriceps and gastrocnemius are used under a lot more pressure, and the quadriceps is eccentrically
contracting as the pressure from dipping their head causes it. This happened to my performer on the
12th hole at Outlane golf club, due to the lie of the ball they knew they had to hit the ball hard so it would
go up in the air, however due to their head dipping the ball wasn‟t struck first/cleanly meaning they lost
30 yards in distance and it caused them to come up short and land in the bunker, therefore it was a bad
tactical decision going for the green with the lie the ball was sitting in, this hindered the final score on the
hole which put my performer under pressure for the rest of the round.
C1 Cause of weaknesses- Lack of Power – going for the green in 2 on a par 5
Power is the amount of work performed per unit of time; it‟s the ability to overcome resistance with a
high speed of contraction. This is speed x time, power is normally seen in explosive exercises such as
sprinting or hitting a ball, for instance a kick in football. Power is normally noticed when there is a high
percentage of a fast gycolytic fibre needed for good performance.
Power plays a major role in golf as it increases the distance that the ball goes, the more power the
further the ball will travel. When facing a long par 5 which is reachable in two, the application of more
force would mean more power to get to the green; the speed of the arms is a large factor as to amount
of power created and the fore applied onto the ball.
When on the downswing the hips adduct as they come into the centre of the body, due to this the arm
speed increases as it causes the shoulders to adduct too. Therefore the arms gain momentum which
means that they can begin to contract in the biceps and the triceps which generates power and speed
into the swing to improve distance. The muscle fibres play a large part into creating power, there is three
types of muscle fibres, these are, type I slow oxidative, type IIa fast oxidative glycolytic and finally type
IIb fast glycolytic. Dependent on the individual they could have a larger percentage of one fibre groups.
Due to my performer‟s poor time management skill they tend not to have enough time to warm up for the
match, this means that It takes them a couple of holes to get warmed up, however as power in the arms
is needed it means that their isn‟t as much elasticity in the muscles because they haven‟t had time to get
warm and stretched. Therefore it physiologically alters their game, as muscle temperature increases it
creates an increase in enzyme activity which makes the energy easily accusable. This reduces the
power in their arms, more specifically their triceps as they direct the club onto the ball. Because they
have not properly warmed up it means that the first 4 holes are generally poor because they don‟t hit the
ball as far. The force that they would normally create isn‟t created as the muscles are too cold to
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generate it. Therefore if I get my performer to increase the amount of time doing a warm up the nerve
impulses will which would enable their muscles to contract with more force, this means more power and
force would be generated to create a further distance on the shot.
C2- Corrective Measure- Plyometrics
By using plyometrics training it would increase the power capabilities in the arms of my performer. This
would therefore mean that they would be more likely to be able to reach the green when attempting to
make it in two shots instead of three. There are many different types of plyometrics that could be used
for eccentric and concentric contraction of the biceps and triceps, this would mean that the exercises
could be varied and therefore wouldn‟t be tedious to do. By setting up a programme of circuits to
improve power through plyometrics would mean that the power created in the golf swing of my
performer would increase.
By performing a short warm up to begin with as it would loosen up the muscles, the elasticity of the
muscles would increase which would mean that it would reduce the chances of pulling a muscle. Due to
this none of the exercises would be reduced in effectiveness, as it wouldn‟t take one to two of the
exercises to warm up.
Firstly, I would use standard push ups in the first section of the plyometrics circuit for my performer as it
would be an easy start to the circuit; this would work the triceps concentrically and eccentrically. After
that I would then increase the intensity of the exercise by adding hand clap push ups, by doing this the
triceps are under constant tension as they have to work against body weight and then further support
the weight of the body after completing one of the claps. Moving on the third exercise, by using medicine
ball the arms and hands would be at chest height, they would then push the ball out in front of the chest
and would then move it back into the body. By repeating this it would mean that the biceps as well as
triceps are strained as they have to hold the ball up but they have to also have to take it away and to the
body creating eccentric and concentric contractions. A partner is needed for the next exercise, the
partner would stand on the box with the performer laid on the floor, and the partner would drop the ball
into the arms of the performer which would create a contraction in the triceps and biceps.
In the first week of the programme I would get my performer to do ten repetitions for the standard press
up with a gap of two seconds on the downward phase and also two seconds to come up after the push
up. By doing this it would mean that the muscle is under tension all the time. I would give them a rest
period of 1 minute before starting the next exercise. When completing this I would then get them to
progress onto the hand clap push ups, I would get them to do ten repetitions and have another 1 minute
rest period. After completing this I would move them onto doing ten medicine pushes, after I would allow
another 1 minute rest. Then I would use a partner to do ten medicine drops. This complete plyometrics
circuit would be done 3 times a week for around 2 to 3 weeks before it becomes intensified.
After doing the pervious circuit for a few weeks I would then consider increasing the intensity as it would
mean that I would begin to look at increasing the repetitions as then the triceps and biceps are under
tension for a long period of time. By reducing the rest periods and increasing the repetitions it will mean
the lactic acid system is in use. I would increase the push up reps to 15 and reduce the rest period to 45
seconds, the hand clap push ups I would keep the same in repetitions; however I would reduce the rest
rate to 45 seconds. I would increase the weight of the medicine ball and would increase the reps to 15
with 45 seconds of rest. Finally i would ask my performer/partner to do 20 medicine drops to complete
the circuit.
After another 3 weeks I would then work on increasing the amount of times I would get my performer to
complete the circuit. I would keep the rest periods at 45 and the repetitions at around 15 to 20 so that it
would create a consistent amount of reps.
AQA Education (AQA) is a registered charity (number 1073334) and a company limited by guarantee registered in
England and Wales (number 3644723). Our registered address is AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX.
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