PGA CPD event tackles strength and conditioning and breast health in the women’s game

16/04/2025

On Wednesday 2nd April, over 20 WPGA Members and PGA Trainees gathered at the PGA National Training Academy for a CPD event exploring challenges and opportunities in female golf performance.

This event was led by PGA Lecturers and PhD researchers Lewis Clarke and Luke Robinson, who are conducting research in female golf as part of their doctorates.

Exclusively open to WPGA Members and female PGA Trainees, the event was designed to bring together female members and trainees, offering a chance for collaboration and networking, whilst learning more about female health in golf. Attendees engaged in evidence-led discussions that combined academic research with real-world coaching insights.

The day began with a broad look at female health before focusing in on Lewis’s and Luke’s specialist research. Drawing on their academic and applied work with the Ladies European Tour, the PGA duo highlighted how understanding female-specific physiology can transform coaching practices.

“We wanted to give attendees a chance to network with each other, but also to educate them on female health in golf using our research in this area,” said Lewis Clarke. “As a sport industry, female-focused research is really limited. Luke and I are trying to change that and having a platform to educate coaches on our research areas is really valuable”.

One of the major talking points was the knowledge gap surrounding breast and bra-related issues in sport, as well as focussing on the unique demands of golf.

“There were some excellent discussions from the group, talking about their current coaching practice and now having added knowledge to help inform their daily practice” Lewis added.

Luke Robinson, whose PhD focuses on strength and conditioning practices in female golf, spoke about the common misconceptions that persist among both elite and amateur players.

“Some of the biggest misconceptions I’ve come across relate to a fear of engaging with strength and conditioning as a female player. At elite level, there’s often a belief that it’s only beneficial during the off-season. Among recreational golfers, there’s a common concern about gaining too much muscle mass. These are just a few of the ideas we wanted to challenge.”

Deana Rushworth, PGA Professional at Witney Lakes, said the session gave her a fresh perspective on player potential and the importance of support wear in performance.

“It was interesting to see that you can still make distance and speed gains in older golfers,” she said. “It challenged what I thought I knew.”

“I hadn’t really considered the importance of wearing a sports bra. I didn’t realise how much of a difference it could make in terms of movement and overall breast health. Some of my clients could see more torso rotation and distance gains just through better support.”

“Any CPD is brilliant—I always come away feeling like I’ve picked something up. As a full-time coach, it’s good to feel like you’ve got something new to say. These types of events revitalise you and give you confidence that you’re on the right track. These topics aren’t always covered, so it’s great to have The PGA hosting events like this.”

Jodie Himsworth, PGA Professional at Fulford, echoed this sentiment.

“Understanding so much more about women’s health, and how our bodies are so different to men’s, was really useful,” she said. “I get a lot of women golfers coming to me, and being able to apply what we learned today is going to be really helpful.”

“I learned a lot from the conversations around breast health. Golf is so male-dominated, and not many women know about sports bras or how they can help.

“I can now approach these topics as a normal part of coaching. It does come up a lot, so it’ll really help.”

Although this particular event focused on WPGA Members, Lewis and Luke are already looking at ways to expand this education across The PGA.

“Today was a WPGA event designed to help Members connect and learn,” said Clarke.
“But it’s really important for male coaches to engage with this CPD too. We’re planning more events for all Members and Trainees, and we hope to enhance their understanding of female health-related issues.”

If you are interested in hosting your own CPD event with The PGA, please contact the PGA Learn team at pgalearn@pga.org.uk

For more information on all upcoming CPD events, click here.