Development of sports talent in childhood: an analysis of long-term models applied to golf
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55892/jrg.v9i20.3169Keywords:
Sports talent development, Golf, Childhood, Sports performance, Sports trainingAbstract
The development of sports talent in childhood has been widely investigated in the literature, particularly regarding the application of long-term athlete development models across different sports. In this context, the present study aimed to critically analyze, based on recent scientific literature, the models of sports talent development applied to golf during childhood, with emphasis on their main determinants and practical implications. This study is an integrative literature review, conducted through searches in recognized scientific databases, including studies published between 2016 and 2026. The results indicated that the development of young golfers is influenced by multiple interdependent factors, including physical and maturational aspects, motor learning, development environment, competitive preparation, and long-term development models. It was observed that physical capacities such as strength and power are directly associated with technical performance, while learning strategies based on variability favor motor adaptation. Furthermore, the development environment and athlete support were shown to play a decisive role in sports progression, as well as the quality of competitive experiences throughout the training process. It is concluded that sports talent development in golf during childhood should be understood from a systemic perspective, requiring integrated approaches that consider the different dimensions of performance over time.
Downloads
References
BAKER, J.; GAYMAN, A.; JOHNSTON, K. Lifespan models of athlete development: what have we learned from previous attempts? Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, v. 5, p. 1179767, 2023.
COUGHLAN, D. et al. Physical characteristics of youth elite golfers and their relationship with driver clubhead speed. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, v. 31, n. 11, p. 3177–3186, 2017.
GRECIC, D.; CARSON, H. J.; COLLINS, D. The US golf academy system and the twenty first century talent tourists: future lines of research to understand this new golf talent pathway. International Journal of Golf Science, v. 6, n. 1, p. 1–19, 2017.
HENRIKSEN, K.; STAMBULOVA, N. The social environment of talent development in youth sport. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, v. 5, p. 1127151, 2023.
HOHMANN, A. et al. Toward a differentiated model of athlete performance development (DMAPD): preliminary version and testing based on a German sample representing six sports. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2025. In press.
PILGRIM, J.; KREMER, P.; ROBERTSON, S. The development of a tournament preparation framework for competitive golf: a Delphi study. European Journal of Sport Science, v. 18, n. 6, p. 860–871, 2018.
ROOS, S. J.; KRUGER, A.; JOOSTE, J. Key factors promoting professional development in golf: a mixed-studies systematic review. Cogent Social Sciences, v. 10, n. 1, p. 2417046, 2024.
SHAW, J. et al. Physical determinants of golf swing performance in competitive youth golfers. Journal of Sports Sciences, v. 41, n. 19, p. 1744–1752, 2023.
VALENÇA, M. et al. Investigating the effects of differential learning on golfers’ pitching performance as a function of handicap. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, v. 19, n. 19, p. 12550, 2022.
WHITTEMORE, R.; KNAFL, K. The integrative review: updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, v. 52, n. 5, p. 546–553, 2005.
YIN, P.; ABDULLAH, M. F.; HASSAN, M. F. B. H. The key factors of talent development environment for campus football athletes in China. Cogent Social Sciences, v. 10, n. 1, p. 2431590, 2024.
