Golfers, take note! A good caddie can improve your performance by 30 per cent or more, according to a new study.
A caddie is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives insightful advice and moral support.
The research at the Loughborough University, UK, identifies a clear "link between the golfer-caddie relationship and performance success."
"There is, of course, anecdotal evidence which highlights the importance of the player-caddie relationship but we wanted to scientifically evaluate the caddie contribution - I guess you could call it the 'Caddie Factor'," Dr Sophia Jowett, Director of Research Degrees at Loughborough's School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.
"Based on the feedback from our participants, the right caddie can improve a golfer's performance by 30 per cent or more and the relationship is critical to success - golfers highlighted how caddies energised, motivated and supported them.
"All participants agreed that the relationship is stronger and better at the highest level of performance," said Jowett.
Both caddies and golfers felt that the length of good quality relationships can aid their purpose and bring about performance success and acknowledged the best players tended to have longer relationships with their caddie, said Jowett.
The majority of golfers and caddies felt that performance accomplishments can promote the relational bonds between golfers and caddies - strengthen the relationship and its longevity, researchers said.
