A virtual coaching environment for improving golf swing technique

As a proficient golf swing is a key element of success in golf, many golfers make significant effort improving their stroke mechanics. In order to help enhance golfing performance, it is important to identify the performance determining factors within the full golf swing. In addition, explicit instructions on specific features in stroke technique requiring alterations must be imparted to the player in an unambiguous and intuitive manner. However, these two objectives are difficult to achieve due to the subjective nature of traditional coaching techniques and the predominantly implicit knowledge players have of their movements. In this work, we have developed a set of visualisation and analysis tools for use in a virtual golf coaching environment. In this virtual coaching studio, the analysis tools allow for specific areas require improvement in a player's 3D stroke dynamics to be isolated. An interactive 3D virtual coaching environment then allows detailed and unambiguous coaching information to be visually imparted back to the player via the use of two virtual human avatars; the first mimics the movements performed by the player; the second takes the role of a virtual coach, performing ideal stroke movement dynamics. The potential of the coaching tool is highlighted in its use by sports science researchers in the evaluation of competing approaches for calculating the X-Factor, a significant performance determining factor for hitting distance in a golf swing

How do coaches operationalise long-term technical training in elite golf?

Long-term training is a common approach within the applied setting for components of physiology and strength and conditioning, for example. However, less is known about the reality of training across similar timescales from a technical perspective. Taking the highly technical sport of golf, current research rarely considers coaching technique beyond a single session or with the aim to understand the reality for, or challenges faced by, coaches working at the elite level. Accordingly, this qualitative study explored the goals, structure, and methods of coaches’ long-term technical work with players at macro-, meso-, and microlevels. Findings revealed that (a) coaches attempted to undertake technical refinement with players but without a clear systematic process, (b) there is little coherence and consistency across the levels of work, (c) the process and timescales of technical work are considered unpredictable and uncertain, and (d) long-term planning is seen as subservient to meeting players’ immediate performance needs. These results highlight the complexity of long-term technical work at the elite level and the need for coaches to develop both a sound and clear rationale through a more comprehensive case conceptualisation process, as well as a greater alignment to the scientific literature, to advance future practice

Coach informed biomechanical analysis of the golf swing

Coach informed biomechanical analysis of the golf swin

Next generation cricket bowling machine

Cricket is a traditional team sport played in over 100 countries around the world. Unlike many mainstream sports, cricket has seen little research and development within the equipment used to play the game. Ball launching machines have been used as a training aid in a number of sports including cricket, however, as with the playing equipment used, these too have seen little development. Current cricket bowling machines enable players to train at a high intensity producing repeatable deliveries for batsmen to hone their skills. A need has been established by the coaching staff of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for a cricket training system that provides batsmen with a match realistic environment in which to train. Existing cricket bowling machines do not offer batsmen pre-release visual information that they would receive in a match situation and the most popular models release moulded, dimpled balls that do not replicate the performance of cricket balls.... cont'd

Anxiety and sport : time to ask what rather than why

Approaches to the study of anxiety in sport have tended to rely on the use of questionnaires to assess levels of competitive anxiety. The development of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (Martens et aI., 1982) has according to Jones (1995) led to considerable research investigating the relationship between anxiety and sport performance.Study 1 reported here utilised the CSAI-2 with an additional directional scale to examine individual differences and competitive state anxiety in sport. Results revealed that there were no significant differences (p<.05) between three achievement levels of competitive swimmers (n=89) for intensity scores, however, significant differences were found for cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety directional scores across levels. Further, unexpected correlations between CSAI-2 intensity and directional scores for several items, highlighted the importance of considering individual differences in the interpretation of anxiety symptoms.Study 2 was based on Davidson and Schwartz's (1976) Matching Hypothesis which claims that interventions, to be effective, must be matched to the individual's dominant mode of experiencing anxiety. Female high level skaters (n=15) were assigned to a control group (n=5), a cognitive anxiety group or a somatic anxiety group based on interview data, CSAI-2 scores, coach reports, and performance at a simulated competitive event. Results revealed that there was no support for the Matching Hypothesis, and that greater attention should be devoted to using methods that allow for a more individualised approach to understanding anxiety in sport.A diary-based methodology incorporating Watson and Tellegen' s (1985) concept of mood, was employed in study 3 with high level Netballers (n=8) and Super League Rugby League Referees (n=8), to examine the relationships between anxiety, mood and sport and other life events for a 4 week period. Results suggested that this methodology can be used to allow data to be analysed ideographically and from an inter-individual basis as well, and helps to place sport anxiety into a broader context in relation to other mood states and life events.Finally, study 4 further developed the use of the diary based methodology by investigating the relationship between mood, anxiety and performance in International Student Rugby players (n=Il). Whilst no clear relationship was found between anxiety, mood states and match performance scores, several interesting findings revealed that much more could be achieved by re-directing focus at what anxiety means to an individual both before and after sport performance.The findings from the diary-based studies are discussed in terms of the need to address the meaning of anxiety in sport, in part, by drawing on the approach taken within existential-phenomenological psychology