A longitudinal examination of performance decline in champion golfers

Baker, Joseph; Horton, Sean; Pearce, Wendy M.; Deakin, Janice

doi:10.1080/13598130600617928

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There is the possibility, however, that reducing the number of hours, and a narrowing of training activities to focus on ones that are less effortful has performance consequences and explains the accelerated performance decline we see in some areas after a certain age [4,47]. Ericsson [17] noted that most age-related decline in expert performance is not a result of an inevitable deterioration in general capacities but instead a consequence of a reduction in the frequency and intensity of practice activities.…”

Section: Moderating the Declinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, experts maintain this performance in spite of reduced involvement in their field. For example, the scoring average of elite golfers only deteriorated by one stroke per round (71.5 to 72.5) from the ages of 35-49, even though the number of competitive rounds played declined by almost two thirds [4]. While a reduction in competitive rounds does not necessarily indicate reduced overall involvement in the game, research into the practice habits of master level runners and swimmers showed that they train substantially less than those competing at an elite level [44].…”

Section: Moderating the Declinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Baker et al [4] examined the performance of elite professional golfers from the age of 35 through to age 60. The rate at which performance deteriorated was substantially less than the 0.5% predicted by Bortz and Bortz [6].…”

Section: Developing Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Expertise and aging: maintaining skills through the lifespan

Horton

Baker

Schorer

2008

Eur Rev Aging Phys Act

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As lifespan continues to increase in many developed countries, so too does the age at which we see extraordinary achievements from older adults. Examples from running, golf, and other domains continue to redefine what is possible as we age. Evidence suggests, however, that progression through adulthood is associated with a dramatic decline in all manner of physical and cognitive abilities, from physiological capacities (e.g., VO2 max) to cognitive and perceptual functions (e.g., IQ scores, reaction time). In the face of such precipitous decline in specific abilities, how do we account for maintenance of skilled performance and expertise amongst those supposedly well along the age-decline curve? Expert performers are seemingly able to sustain high levels of achievement in the face of an overall deterioration in general capacities. Moreover, experts maintain this performance in spite of reduced involvement in their field. There are three primary explanations for the ability of experts to maintain superior performance in spite of an overall decline in abilities: (a) preserved differentiation, (b) compensation, and (c) selective maintenance. Overall, research into the high achievements of older adults may reveal a great deal with respect to skill preservation and how to best counter age-related decline.

show abstract

Section: Moderating the Declinementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Moderating the Declinementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Expertise and aging: maintaining skills through the lifespan

Horton

Baker

Schorer

2008

Eur Rev Aging Phys Act

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a recent study (Baker, Horton, Pearce, & Deakin, 2005) we examined the performance of 17 elite professional golfers whose performance spanned the Professional Golfers Association (PGA; open to all ages) and Champions (open to players age 50 years and older) Tours. All golfers met the criteria of having played an average of at least 30 tournament rounds per year from age 35 to 60 on either tour and having won at least five tournaments on the Champions Tour.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Maintenance of Skilled Performance with Age: A Descriptive Examination of Professional Golfers

Baker¹,

Deakin²,

Horton³

et al. 2007

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Demographic studies indicate a remarkable aging trend in North America. An accurate profile of the decline in physical and cognitive capabilities over time is essential to our understanding of the aging process. This study examined the maintenance of skilled performance across the careers of 96 professional golfers. Data were collected on scoring average, driving distance, driving accuracy, greens in regulation, putts per round, and number of competitive rounds played using online data archives. Analyses indicate that performance in this activity can be maintained to a greater extent than in activities relying on biologically constrained abilities. Although the generalizability of these results to “normal” aging populations is not known, they suggest that acquired skills can be maintained to a large extent in the face of advancing age.

show abstract

“…First, researchers have empirically described the age-related rates of decline in performance for Masters and contrasted these rates with figures believed to represent normal aging trends. For example, Baker, Horton, Pearce, and Deakin (2006) discovered that continuously engaged professional golfers' performance declined at an annual rate of 0.25% from ages 51 through 60, which was far less severe than the 0.5% general rate of slowing expected for normal, less-trained populations (Bortz & Bortz, 1996). Second, researchers have contrasted longitudinal and cross-sectional athletic performance data from Masters (Starkes et al, 2003).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining Performance in Elite Middle-Aged Runners: Contributions from Age and from Ongoing and Past Training Factors

Young

Medić

Weir

et al. 2008

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Researchers have contended that patterns of age-related decline are not necessarily due to age, but rather to disuse, or declining practice (Bortz, 1982; Ericsson, 2000; Maharam, Bauman, Kalman, Skolnik, & Perle, 1999). A regression approach was used to examine age and training variables as predictors of 10-km running performance between 40 and 59 years of age. A sample of 30 Masters runners (M age=50.1 years, M 10-km time=39:19) reported data for ongoing training, cumulative running in the past 5 years, and cumulative running earlier in a career. In Analysis 1, ongoing training variables explained more variance in performance than age alone, and reduced the unique variance attributable to age in a combined model. In Analysis 2, findings were replicated using past cumulative running variables and age; running in the past 5 years explained more unique variance than age alone. Discussion focuses on how findings relate to the selective maintenance account (Krampe & Ericsson, 1996), how various aspects of training help to preserve performance in aging populations, and recommendations for future research.

show abstract

A longitudinal examination of performance decline in champion golfers

Cited by 15 publications

References 16 publications

Expertise and aging: maintaining skills through the lifespan

Expertise and aging: maintaining skills through the lifespan

Maintenance of Skilled Performance with Age: A Descriptive Examination of Professional Golfers

Explaining Performance in Elite Middle-Aged Runners: Contributions from Age and from Ongoing and Past Training Factors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About