The effects of wearing myofascial meridian stimulation banding during integrated golf functional fitness training on the golf swing in adolescents with developmental disabilities

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of golf-integrated functional fitness training with or without myofascial meridian-stimulating banding wear on golf swing performance in adolescents with developmental disabilities.Design: Quasi-experimental design Methods: Eleven female adolescents with developmental disabilities (aged 13-17 years) residing in a state-supported facility were randomly assigned to either a banding wear group (n = 6) or a non-wearing group (n = 5).Both groups participated in a 16-week golf-integrated functional fitness training program.Swing performance was assessed using the SG Screen Golf Korea system, which measured driving distance, ball speed, left-right angle, and up-down angle.Before testing, participants performed 10 minutes of stretching and 10 practice swings, followed by 10 swings with a 7-iron, with average values used for analysis.Results: After a golf-integrated functional fitness program, the myofascial banding-wear group demonstrated significant within-group improvements in swing distance and ball speed, while the non-banding group showed a significant increase in swing distance (p0.05).However, no between-group differences were observed for swing distance or ball speed (p0.05).In addition, left-right and up-down swing angles did not show significant changes in either group (p0.05).Conclusions: These findings indicate that golf-integrated functional fitness training can enhance swing performance in adolescents with developmental disabilities.Moreover, the additional use of myofascial meridian-stimulating banding wear may support balance, intermuscular coordination, and directional control during the swing, suggesting its potential as a complementary aid for optimizing golf performance in this population.