The development of a tournament preparation framework for competitive golf: A Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Performance Psychology
• Golf Coaching

Background:

• Tournament preparation in golf encompasses course knowledge, strategy development, condition optimization, and self-regulation.
• Prioritization of specific preparation behaviors across different competitive stages remains unclear.
• Understanding these priorities is crucial for effective player development and coaching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve expert consensus on the importance of specific tournament preparation behaviors for golfers across five competitive levels.
• To develop a ranked framework of critical preparation behaviors tailored to different stages of competition.
• To provide evidence-based guidelines for national sports organizations and future research.

Main Methods:

• A two-round Delphi study involving 36 experts (coaches, high-performance staff, players, academics).
• Participants rated the importance of 48 preparation items using a 5-point Likert-type scale.
• Consensus was defined as 67% agreement in adjacent score categories.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved for 46 out of 48 preparation items.
• A ranked framework was developed, differentiating the importance of behaviors across competitive levels.
• The framework offers a structured approach to golf tournament preparation.

Conclusions:

• The consensus-based framework provides essential guidelines for prioritizing tournament preparation behaviors in golf.
• This framework can inform the development of targeted learning environments for players and coaches.
• It serves as a valuable resource for guiding future research on critical golf performance factors.