RSM, a leading audit, tax and consulting firm, and the European Tour are collaborating on a new player performance study designed to help golfers at all levels improve their performance.
The new academic study, launched today at the British Masters supported by Sports, will be led by Dr Matt Bridge from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
It will explore a number of factors with the potential to affect golf performance, including:
• Time spent at address - is there an optimal amount of time to spend over the ball?
• Player behaviour – number of looks at target, increased practice swings, negative reactions, etc.
• Patterns of the time spent on the practice ground and players’ pre-round routines
Assisting Dr Bridge will be a panel of golf experts, made up of current and past players, coaches, golf journalists, R&A and RSM personnel, and key members of the European Tour.
RSM golf ambassador Andy Sullivan, will also participate in post-tournament interviews to enhance the study.
The data for the study will be collected by RSM volunteers at ten tournaments on the European Tour, including the BMW PGA Championship, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, and the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
David Gwilliam, Chief Operating Officer at RSM said: ‘This study promises to provide a fascinating insight into the factors which can affect golf performance. RSM is used to carrying out in-depth analysis of our clients’ business performance, and we hope to bring this same level of rigour to this study to help golfers improve their game. We look forward to working with Dr Bridge and the entire panel over the coming year.’
Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour said: “We are always looking at ways to help our players better understand the numerous factors which contribute to their performance. This study, in conjunction with RSM, will provide vital insights which will help inform future decisions and we look forward to receiving the findings next year.”
The study results will be released after the conclusion of the 2017 golf season.
