Dr Ben Langdown

Professional biography

Ben is a senior lecturer in Sports Coaching on the Sport and Fitness qualifications at the Open University. Previously he was head of Sports Science at The PGA National Training Academy at The Belfry from 2005-2016. Ben has a PhD in the field of golf biomechanics and motor control, studying movement variability and strength and conditioning for golf. He has published various journal papers in the area of golf and sports science. Specifically, Ben's research focuses on athlete monitoring, warm-up protocols, and training interventions in the sport of golf. Ben is also a Strength and Conditioning Coach for England Golf and for >15 years has provided biomechanics and training support to golfers from amateurs through to European (Men’s and Ladies’) Tours and a European Senior Tour Season Champion.

Ben has presented at four World Golf Fitness Summits and the 2018 and 2024 World Scientific Congress of Golf, where he was on the Scientific Committee and acted as an invited review panel member supporting education for >150 academics/coaches. He has delivered various invited keynote workshops with international organisations, including England Golf, The PGAs of GB&I, Spain, Czech Republic and Slovakia with all adopting his applied approaches. Most recently, Ben has developed the AMI Sports: Golf athlete monitoring app allowing further insight into golfers’ practice, tournaments, training and daily wellbeing.

Follow Ben on X (@BenLangdown)

Follow AMI Sports on Instagram

Follow the Sport and Fitness qualification team on X (@OU_Sport) 

Click here to read the Sport and Fitness team blog
 

Research interests

Ben's research interests lie within all aspects of golf performance, athlete monitoring, sports biomechanics, motor control, junior development and strength and conditioning. Some of his academic publications can be viewed by clicking on the 'publications' tab above.

Ben has presented his research at four World Golf Fitness Summits in The USA, at the World Scientific Congress for Golf and been a keynote workshop presenter for many organisations across Europe including The PGAs of Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, and The PGA of GB&I at coaching CPD workshops.

He is also engaged in research projects within tennis, kitesurfing and use of massage guns for sports performance, warm-ups and pain management. 

For information about sport and exercise science PhD opportunities please contact Ben directly.

Click here to view Ben's ResearchGate profile

Articles written by Ben on the Sport and Fitness team blog can be found here

Ben is Chair of the Sport Research group and their blog can be found here

Teaching interests

Ben is module team chair for E236 - Applying Sports and Exercise Sciences to Coaching. He is lead for the Digital Champion Group for the school of Early Childhood, Youth and Sport. This group aim to promote, support, facilitate and engage colleagues in new innovations and digital pedagogies that can support student experience, research and scholarship. Ben is also involved in innovative enterprise projects taking sports science research into the commercial sector.

Impact and engagement

Ben's research has impact upon the education material of sports coaches, most noteably on The PGA's FdSc in Professional Golf. Here his research into warm-up protocols, training behaviours and practices and perceptions of sports science in golf etc. has influenced the design of their residential and online teaching material.

Ben has completed the Medici Enterprise Training programme (2019) and is involved in enterprise projects developing sports technology using evidence from his research and publications.

External collaborations

Consultancy:

Alongside his OU role Ben works with many elite amateur and professional golfers (since 2006) providing strength and conditioning support. Ben is the strength and conditioning coach for England Golf's West Midlands U18 squads: 2012-present.

Journal Reviews:

Ben is an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Golf Science and has reviewed papers for other journals including Sports Biomechanics, Journal of Sports Sciences and Journal of Sport and Exercise Science, International Journal of Sport Science and Coaching, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

International links

Ben is currently undertaking a research project for Therabody Inc. into the use of percussive therapy in golf and has contributed to their scientific blogs.