tDCSNCT07839910
Wearable tDCS and Acute Golf Shot Performance
A study testing Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2) in people with tDCS and Golf Specific Performance, run by Shanghai University of Sport at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been investigated as an ergogenic aid for two decades, but most sport evidence comes from laboratory stimulators operated by experimenters. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 16 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- tDCS, Golf Specific Performance, Athletic Performance Enhancement
- What is being tested?
- Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 67 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 1 May 2025to 31 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 16 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age ≥ 16 years;
- at least 2 years of systematic golf training;
- own set of clubs covering the standardized test clubs;
- right-handedness;
- normal or corrected-to-normal vision;
- no musculoskeletal injury in the previous 6 months that would affect the golf swing.
Who cannot join
- History of neurological or psychiatric disease; epilepsy;
- metal implants in the head; pregnancy;
- skin lesions under the electrode sites;
- current use of central-nervous-system-active medication;
- migraine within the previous year.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
China1 site
Shanghai University of Sport, School of Physical Education
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200438
About this study
Official title: Skill-dependent Acute Effects of Wearable Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Golf Shot Performance: a Double-blind, Sham-controlled Randomized Trial
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been investigated as an ergogenic aid for two decades, but most sport evidence comes from laboratory stimulators operated by experimenters. This trial evaluates whether a single 20-minute session of wearable, app-controlled bilateral motor-cortex tDCS (Halo Sport 2, 2 mA) improves full-swing golf shot performance compared with sham stimulation. The study is a double-blind, sham-controlled, parallel-group randomized trial with a pre-test/post-test design in golfers stratified into professional, amateur-high, and amateur-middle skill groups. Each participant attends a single session comprising a 40-shot pre-test, 20 minutes of real or sham stimulation, and a 40-shot post-test, with shots measured by a TrackMan 4 launch monitor across eight standardized club categories. The primary outcomes are change scores (post minus pre) in carry distance, ball speed, smash factor, within-player carry-distance variability, and absolute lateral deviation. Effects will be examined overall and as a function of skill level (categorical group and continuous golf handicap).
Read the detailed description
Participants are stratified by skill level (professional, amateur-high, amateur-middle) and sex, and randomly assigned 1:1 to real or sham stimulation using a computer-generated sequence; allocation is concealed from the testing team. Real stimulation: Halo Sport 2 headset, bilateral primary motor cortex (approximately C3/C4), 2 mA for 20 minutes (30-s ramp up and down), controlled by smartphone app. Sham: identical device and app procedure with a 30-s current ramp-up followed immediately by ramp-down and no sustained current; the app does not display the stimulation mode. Each participant attends one session: 10-min standardized warm-up, 40-shot pre-test, 20-min stimulation, 40-shot post-test. Shot outcomes (carry distance, ball speed, smash factor, spin rate, launch angle, launch direction, club speed, attack angle, face-to-path) are recorded with a TrackMan 4 launch monitor; within-player variability (SD of five shots) is computed per club category (Driver, 3-wood, hybrid, 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron, 70-yd wedge task, 100-yd wedge task). Analyses use linear mixed models with likelihood-ratio tests; skill-dependent moderation is tested categorically (group) and continuously (handicap linear and quadratic interactions) with false-discovery-rate correction. Anonymized participant-level data and analysis scripts will be made available in a public repository (Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22684611).
- Being tested
- Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2)
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2)Behavioural
Participants stratified by skill group (professional / amateur-high / amateur-middle) and sex, then randomly assigned 1:1 to real or sham stimulation
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Real tDCS | Experimental | Halo Sport 2 wearable headset; bilateral primary motor cortex (approx. C3/C4); 2 mA; 20 min (30-s ramp up/down); single session between pre- and post-test; app-controlled Receives: Behavioral: Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2) |
| Sham tDCS | Sham comparator | Same device and app; 30-s ramp-up followed immediately by ramp-down; no sustained current Receives: Behavioral: Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Carry distance change
Post minus pre carry distance (yards), per club category
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Ball speed change
Post minus pre ball speed (mph), per club category
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Smash factor change
Post minus pre smash factor (ball speed / club speed), per club category
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Carry distance variability change
Post minus pre within-player SD of the five shots per club category (yards)
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Absolute lateral deviation change
Post minus pre absolute carry-side deviation (yards), per club category |
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Secondary outcomes (8)
Total distance change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Spin rate change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Launch angle change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Absolute face-to-path change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Absolute launch direction change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Club head speed change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Attack angle change
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Ball speed variability change（within-player SD of five shots）
Measured: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Sep 2026
- Study start1 May 2025
- Primary completion31 Dec 2025
- Study completion31 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for tDCSStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 67 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Shanghai University of Sport
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hongbin Xiang, Shanghai University of Sport
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07839910
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 102772025RT109
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 24 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Anonymized participant-level dataset and analysis scripts
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Skill-dependent Acute Effects of Wearable Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Golf Shot Performance: a Double-blind, Sham-controlled Randomized Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07839910
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 102772025RT109
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 67 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Shanghai University of SportUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been investigated as an ergogenic aid for two decades, but most sport evidence comes from laboratory stimulators operated by experimenters. This trial evaluates whether a single 20-minute session of wearable, app-controlled bilateral motor-cortex tDCS (Halo Sport 2, 2 mA) improves full-swing golf shot performance compared with sham stimulation. The study is a double-blind, sham-controlled, parallel-group randomized trial with a pre-test/post-test design in golfers stratified into professional, amateur-high, and amateur-middle skill groups. Each participant attends a single session comprising a 40-shot pre-test, 20 minutes of real or sham stimulation, and a 40-shot post-test, with shots measured by a TrackMan 4 launch monitor across eight standardized club categories. The primary outcomes are change scores (post minus pre) in carry distance, ball speed, smash factor, within-player carry-distance variability, and absolute lateral deviation. Effects will be examined overall and as a function of skill level (categorical group and continuous golf handicap).
Detailed description
Participants are stratified by skill level (professional, amateur-high, amateur-middle) and sex, and randomly assigned 1:1 to real or sham stimulation using a computer-generated sequence; allocation is concealed from the testing team. Real stimulation: Halo Sport 2 headset, bilateral primary motor cortex (approximately C3/C4), 2 mA for 20 minutes (30-s ramp up and down), controlled by smartphone app. Sham: identical device and app procedure with a 30-s current ramp-up followed immediately by ramp-down and no sustained current; the app does not display the stimulation mode. Each participant attends one session: 10-min standardized warm-up, 40-shot pre-test, 20-min stimulation, 40-shot post-test. Shot outcomes (carry distance, ball speed, smash factor, spin rate, launch angle, launch direction, club speed, attack angle, face-to-path) are recorded with a TrackMan 4 launch monitor; within-player variability (SD of five shots) is computed per club category (Driver, 3-wood, hybrid, 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron, 70-yd wedge task, 100-yd wedge task). Analyses use linear mixed models with likelihood-ratio tests; skill-dependent moderation is tested categorically (group) and continuously (handicap linear and quadratic interactions) with false-discovery-rate correction. Anonymized participant-level data and analysis scripts will be made available in a public repository (Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22684611).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Real tDCS | Experimental | Behavioral: Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2)Halo Sport 2 wearable headset; bilateral primary motor cortex (approx. C3/C4); 2 mA; 20 min (30-s ramp up/down); single session between pre- and post-test; app-controlled |
| Sham tDCS | Sham comparator | Behavioral: Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2)Same device and app; 30-s ramp-up followed immediately by ramp-down; no sustained current |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 16 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Age ≥ 16 years;
- at least 2 years of systematic golf training;
- own set of clubs covering the standardized test clubs;
- right-handedness;
- normal or corrected-to-normal vision;
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- History of neurological or psychiatric disease; epilepsy;
- metal implants in the head; pregnancy;
- skin lesions under the electrode sites;
- current use of central-nervous-system-active medication;
- migraine within the previous year.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2)Participants stratified by skill group (professional / amateur-high / amateur-middle) and sex, then randomly assigned 1:1 to real or sham stimulation | Behavioural | Real tDCS, Sham tDCS |
Primary outcome
Carry distance change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Post minus pre carry distance (yards), per club category
Ball speed change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Post minus pre ball speed (mph), per club category
Smash factor change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Post minus pre smash factor (ball speed / club speed), per club category
Carry distance variability change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Post minus pre within-player SD of the five shots per club category (yards)
Absolute lateral deviation change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Post minus pre absolute carry-side deviation (yards), per club category |
8 secondary outcomes
Total distance change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Spin rate change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Launch angle change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Absolute face-to-path change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Absolute launch direction change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Club head speed change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Attack angle change
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Ball speed variability change（within-player SD of five shots）
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Anonymized participant-level dataset and analysis scripts
Related trials for tDCS
Recruiting
Tdcs And cogNitive traininG cOmbined for AUD (TANGO)
Alcohol Use Disorder, Addiction
Recruiting
Cerebellar tDCS Stimulation in Children and Adult Women With Anorexia Nervosa Disorder
Anorexia Nervosa
Recruiting
Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Raynor Cerebellum Project
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Active, not recruitingPhase 2
Effects of Brain Stimulation on Food Intake and Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment
Electric Stimulation Therapy, Obesity
Active, not recruiting
Comparative Effects of tDCS and tACS on Pain, Dexterity, and Strength in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN)
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Wearable transcranial direct current stimulation (Halo Sport 2) in people with tDCS and Golf Specific Performance, run by Shanghai University of Sport at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Carry distance change (time frame: Baseline and immediately after intervention (same-day single session)). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Sep 2026.