“To hit, or not to hit?” Examining the similarity between practice and real swings in golf

Practice swings are commonly employed among golfers, presumably based on the tacit assumption that they share common psychomotor processes with real swings; however, this has not been verified by empirical research. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether practice swings shared equivalent levels of control to real golf swings, when attempting the same target behavior. Three PGA Professional golf coaches and six amateurs (mean handicap = 2.7, SD = 2.2) each executed 20 swings under two quasirandom conditions; 10 real swings when striking a ball and 10 practice swings without. Underpinned by the theoretical suggestions of the UnControlled Manifold (UCM) approach (Scholz & Schöner, 1999), motor control was assessed using intraindividual movement variability. Results showed the level of equivalence to be inconsistent on both an inter and intraindividual basis. Coaches should, therefore, recognize that practice swings do not share the same effect for every golfer. Optimal coaching needs to consider individual responses before committing to specific training designs if counterproductive training is to be avoided

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN BIOMECHANICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

In contrast to widely researched areas of convergence such as between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and medicine there is minimal evidence of AI in biomechanics for sports. The main focus of this paper is the development of AI coaching systems with a high degree of autonomy that can discover new knowledge from data. This paper relates to areas of AI, biomechanical data, and qualitative analysis of human movement. It first provides an overall rationale for possible AI implementations then reports machine learning related findings from AI golf coaching software and a tennis coaching prototype. A point of view, presented as a scope, is that the future role of AI in sport coaching is about automation, knowledge discovery and enhanced human-like interaction

Working Inside the Black Box: Refinement of Pre-Existing Skills

This thesis aimed to address and inform the gap in current sport psychology/coaching research, knowledge and practice related to the implementation of technical refinement in already learnt, well-established and self-paced skills. This was achieved through a series of studies conducted within golf. Accordingly, Chapter 2 revealed technical refinement as neither systematic nor consistent within and between European Tour players and coaches and high-level amateurs. Building on this need, the systematic Five-A Model was derived from the literature (Chapter 3), targeting outcomes of permanency and pressure resistance. Following, motor control (Chapter 4) and kinematic (Chapter 5) measures, technological methods from which these data could be obtained (Chapter 6) and appropriate training environments and task characteristics (Chapter 7) were determined, aimed at enabling informative tracking of progress through the Five-A Model in applied golf coaching environments. Having developed these ranges of measures and methods, Chapter 8 presented three longitudinal case studies aimed at implementing and tracking progress through stages of the Five-A Model. Results revealed outcomes with different levels of success in facilitating technical refinement, based primarily on psycho-behavioural limitations that were also found in Chapter 2. Therefore, as a final check on measures proposed, Chapter 9 confirmed previous suggestions by tracking six performers making short-term technical refinements within a single training session. Finally, Chapter 10 summarised the findings and implications of this thesis. Particular emphasis was directed towards the impact of psycho-behavioural skills in determining the success when attempting refinements, the further development of informative measures to track progress and inform coaches decision making and the wider implications of this research within clinical and rehabilitation settings

Enhancing performance proficiency at the expert level: Considering the role of 'somaesthetic awareness'

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Objectives: Traditional theories of motor learning (e.g., Fitts & Posner, 1967), along with certain contemporary psychological perspectives (e.g., Weiss & Reber, 2012; Wulf, 2013), postulate that expert performers must relinquish paying conscious attention to, and/or attempting to exert control over, their bodily movements in order to achieve optimal performance. Challenging such largely unquestioned conceptual approaches, however, is an emerging body of evidence (e.g., see Montero, 2010; Shusterman, 2011) which indicates that 'somatic reflection' (i.e., a conscious focus on bodily movement) is an important mediator of continuous improvement (i.e., the fact that certain performers continue to improve their skills even after becoming experts) at the elite level of sport. The present position paper seeks to elucidate and resolve this apparent paradox concerning the role of bodily awareness in expertise. Design: Literature review and position statement. Method: To achieve this latter aim, we draw on empirical evidence (e.g., from research on somatic attention) and theory (e.g., Shusterman's, 2008, theory of body consciousness) to elucidate the role of bodily awareness in facilitating continuous improvement at the elite level of sport. Results and conclusion: In doing so, we sketch some theoretical and practical implications of Shusterman's (2008, 2011, 2012) theory of 'somaesthetics' for contemporary research on expertise in sport

Analysis of coaching behaviors of golf instructors using a systematic approach

Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world for both for men and women with America being the biggest country to support the golf business. This remarkable golf population results in an increased need for golf coaches and golf schools. Golf coaches help players in many ways such as technical teaching and psychological training. The purpose of this study was to analyze the coaching behavior of golf coaches

The effectiveness of television video tape instant playback in learning the pitch and run shot in golf

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using television video tape instant playback in learning the pitch and run shot in golf. The effectiveness of four different teaching methods was compared. Prior to the study itself, a pitch and run shot test was constructed to be used in assessing a golfers' ability in executing a pitch and run shot

Perceptual Differences in Children Learning to Play Golf with Traditional or Modified (Scaled) Equipment

The purpose of the present study was to examine perception differences of competence and enjoyment between learners using modified and traditional equipment, and the potential effects these factors could have on intent for future participation. The participants in this study were 123 children (65 girls, 58 boys) aged 7 to 17 years. Through a convenience sampling method, data was obtained through surveys measuring golf participation and self-perceptions concerning perceived competence, enjoyment and intention to continue participation. To avoid an age confound, the dataset was limited to 2nd through 5th grade children (24 traditional/ 75 modified) for secondary analyses (MANOVA and ANOVA). Analysis revealed no significant differences for enjoyment, perceived competence or intention between children learning with traditional golf equipment and modified golf equipment. Traditional equipment users reported significantly higher experience levels than that of modified users. Enjoyment, perceived competence and intention were regressed on each demographic variable, which indicated traditional equipment was a strong predictor of participants\u27 intention to continue participation. Intention was regressed on the enjoyment and perceived competence variables. For both groups, children using modified and traditional equipment, enjoyment was a strong predictor of intention to continue participation in golf. Even with a significant difference in experience levels, modified equipment users reported similar perceptual experiences as traditional users. The ability to generate positive effects immediately suggests the potential of a more effective way to learn golf. The implication of this research is that further investigations need to occur examining introductory methods to the game

The Effect of Attentional Focus Instructions on Golf Swing Performance in Recreational Golfers

Previous research has addressed the effectiveness of attentional focus instructions in improving golf performance with a single training session. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of external (EF) attentional focus instructions on recreational golfers’ performance over a distributed training period and extended retention interval. Performance was measured by club head velocity (CHV) and X-factor as both have been correlated with greater performance. The current study extends the work of An, Wulf, and Kim (2013), by increasing the training period and retention interval. It was hypothesized EF group would have greater CHV and X-factor measurements during the training and retention interval compared to a control (C) group. Repeated measures ANCOVA tested for significant differences in CHV and X-factor measures between EF and C groups. No significant main effects (time or group) or interactions were found during training period or retention tests for either CHV or X-factor. Future studies should determine if the cue used in the current study was appropriate for eliciting an improvement in performance, or if different components of the swing needs to be emphasized for greater performance improvements