Experience of Preshot Routines Among Professional Golfers: An Existential Phenomenological Investigation

One of the challenges in athletic performance is maintaining focus on relevant information. Focusing on irrelevant information can cause inconsistency during performance (Boutcher & Crews, 1987). Both cognitive and behavioral routines have shown to be beneficial to help achieve optimal concentration in the sport of golf (Cohn, Rotella & Lloyd, 1990). Although this is the case, little research has been found which has examined preshot routines from a qualitative perspective. The purpose of the current study was to gain an existential phenomenological understanding of preshot routines among elite professional golfers during performance. Eight professional golfers were interviewed for the study. The primary research question for this study was: What is the lived experience of elite professional golfers when they utilize a preshot routine? Following the interviews, transcriptions were made which were analyzed by the research team to draw conclusions about the experience of preshot routines among the participants. Major themes consisted of routines assisted with optimal focus, physical aspects of routine and various routines for the type of shot, which were then followed by subthemes under each major theme.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (M.S.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Yancey, Allison Kristina

Contributors dc:contributor

• Barry Joyner
• Drew Zwald

• ETD
• Sport psychology
• Qualitative inquiry
• Existential phenomenology
• Preshot routines
• Golf
• Professional

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/92

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1092