Inicio News Driving success: insights into competitive differences between male and female golf
Ten Golf
The LPGA and the Ladies European Tour showcase the abilities of the best women golfers in the world, and there is evidence that the popularity of women’s golf is growing.
Inspired by players such as ten-time Major winner Annika Sorenstam (and you can discover why Annika Sorenstam is considered one of the greatest female golfers of all time as explored in an in-depth analysis by IGN), it seems that more women are taking up the sport ever year, which can only be good for the future of the sport.
The women’s game, however, remains overshadowed to an extent by the higher profile men’s tours, most notably the PGA Tour, which rewards top male players to a far greater level than female players. Conversations about this disparity often turn to discussions about the differences between male and female golf. But just how different are they?
Driving and Iron Differences
It is often assumed that the main and perhaps only significant difference between the top male and top female players is their power off the tee and with the irons, but this is a much more nuanced comparison then you might expect.
The top female players do not generate the same clubhead speed as their male counterparts, which means they generate less spin and their shots tend to have a lower and flatter trajectory.
One study, published in 2010, listed the significant differences between the movements of a sample of top female and top male golfers. One important difference was that female golfers had slower swings overall, due to thoracic, rather than pelvic, twist speed and that they also had more forward tilt during the downswing, while males tended to have more sideways tilt.
Yet this slower clubhead speed and reduced spin is not necessarily a disadvantage. A tendency to hit flatter shots with less spin can be a significant advantage in windy conditions, providing more penetration than more powerful shots that take a higher trajectory. This nuanced difference underlines both how unwise it can be to make generalisations about the abilities of male and female golfers, and it also reminds us that the mechanics of a golf shot are complex and multi-faceted.
What About Putting?
Putting is not about power or club head speed, so are there any significant differences between male and female golfers at the top level? Yes, according to this study. An examination of putting techniques of female golfers found that, compared to their male peers, they had a more precise putter path and face angle relative to the putting target, a higher impact spot on the putter, a shorter time before impact and a significantly longer downswing.
The result of these differences amounted to an improved putting performance for female golfers, compared to male players, with better control over putting distance parameters and more precise control of direction. On the green, at least, it seems that the top female players have an advantage over the top male players. This has not, however, translated into recognition and prize money.
Prize Money and Resources
While players such as Sorenstam have occasionally grabbed the headlines in the golf world, these occasions are rare. A lower profile for women’s golf means less television exposure, smaller audiences, less lucrative media rights and sponsorship deals, and, overall, a much lower level of resourcing for the women’s game.
Less money means only the top players can afford to hire coaches and other support staff. It impacts on time that they can practice and increases the pressure on those women golfers who are attempting to sustain a career solely out of the game of golf.
This in turn means that the strength in depth of the competition in the women’s game is not as extensive as in the men’s game, and fewer women players reach their full potential. Attempts to rectify this would most likely start with an evening out of prize money, but in the meantime, any analysis of the difference between the top female and the top male golfers has to recognise this resource disparity.
Conclusion
Closer study of the differences between women’s golf and men’s golf reveals that it isn’t simply the case that male players are more powerful and thereby more successful. The women’s game has strengths that counterbalance any disadvantages. It is only with equal funding, however, that we could make a true and fair assessment of the true differences between the two versions of golf.
