A British researcher claims to have discovered the secret of the perfect golf swing, with the use of the arms more important than the wrists.
Professor Robin Sharp from the University of Surrey used high-speed photography of three golfers from 1968 - Bernard Hunt, Geoffrey Hunt and Guy Wolstenholme - to study the most successful swing actions.
Contrary to the old saying that the secret of the swing is ''all in the wrists'', Prof Sharp found that generating the right amount of power in the arms at the correct time produces the best results.
He explained: "The optimal strategy consists of hitting first with the shoulders while holding back with arms and wrists and after some delay, hitting through with the arms.
"In the expert swings studied, control of the arms and not the wrists appears to be the priority."
Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, Prof Sharp''s research also claims that taller golfers do not necessarily have an advantage when hitting long-range shots.
06/11/2008