Abstract

This pilot study examined the effects of a self-myofascial release (SMR) intervention on driver swing performance in male collegiate golfers. A pilot cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted among 16 male golf major students from two universities in Hainan Province, China. The two universities were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (IG; n = 8), which received an SMR intervention, or the control group (CG; n = 8), which received conventional static stretching. The intervention lasted for two weeks, with three sessions per week and 30 minutes per session. Driver swing performance was assessed at pre-test, post-test 1, and post-test 2. The measured indicators included club head speed (CHS), ball speed (BS), carry distance (CD), and mean absolute lateral error (MALE). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). The results showed significant Group × Time interactions for CHS, BS, and CD. At post-test 2, the IG demonstrated greater improvements than the CG in CHS, BS, and CD, indicating potential benefits of SMR for swing output-related performance. In contrast, no significant group, time, or Group × Time effects were observed for MALE, suggesting limited effects of SMR on shot accuracy. Given the pilot design and small sample size, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence rather than definitive evidence of effectiveness. In conclusion, a short-term SMR intervention may have the potential to enhance driver swing output, particularly club head speed, ball speed, and carry distance, while its effects on accuracy-related performance remain unclear. These preliminary findings provide a basis for future larger-scale studies investigating the role of SMR in golf training.