The effects of smartphone use during play on performance and enjoyment among recreational golfers

Db le Roux, L Carstens, C Walburgh and C Werth

International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 2025, vol. 25, issue 4, 822-838

Abstract: Smartphone use during play is common feature of recreational golf. It is not known, however, whether this form of behaviour has any impact on golfers’ performance or round enjoyment. The present study is the first to address this question. Based on theories of cognitive switching and psychological detachment, we propose that frequent digital distraction resulting from smartphone use during play would negatively affect both performance and round enjoyment. We surveyed 186 recreational golfers (94% male) with a mean age of 55.7 years (SD=15.8) at five different courses directly after their participation in mid-week club competitions. Participants were asked to report their age, handicap, gross score, level of round enjoyment, and the frequency and nature of their smartphone use during the round. Our results indicate that smartphone use for work-related purposes has a small negative effect on performance (β = 0.11), but that smartphone use for personal purposes has no effect. Additionally, we find no direct relationship between smartphone use and round enjoyment, but propose that it may indirectly impact enjoyment through its impact on performance. Recreational players aiming to improve their concentration during rounds should be mindful of the manner in which digital distractions can disrupt performance routines during play.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/24748668.2024.2348285 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:rpanxx:v:25:y:2025:i:4:p:822-838

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RPAN20

DOI: 10.1080/24748668.2024.2348285

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport is currently edited by Peter O'Donoghue

More articles in International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().