The Development and Validation of the STOP S.L.O.W. GO Pre-Shot Routine Model for Golf – a Delphi Study

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the past research that has been conducted on pre-shot routines in golf via a thorough review of the literature. From this review, the STOP S.L.O.W. GO Pre-Shot Routine Model for Golf was developed and assessed among college golf coaches in the United States. A total of 36 college golf coaches working at the NCAA Division I level participated in a two-round Delphi study to validate the usefulness and future utility of the STOP S.L.O.W. GO Pre-Shot Routine Model for Golf. The usefulness of the STOP S.L.O.W. GO Pre-Shot Routine Model for Golf was validated by achieving a 72.73% consensus agreement level among study participants. Five out of the six steps of the model achieved a 100% consensus agreement rate as to their usefulness outside of Step 4, which received a 90% usefulness agreement rate. The researchers were unable to reach adequate levels of expert consensus amongst college golf coaches working at the NCAA Division I level about the future utility of the STOP S.L.O.W. GO Pre-Shot Routine Model for Golf in their golf instruction. However, it was found that future utilization rates of the model may increase if the designer of the model were to provide educational sessions to college golf coaches and members of their college golf team.