THE
CHANGING FACE
OF GOLF INSTRUCTION
By Dr. Gerald Walford, Professor
USGTF Level III Member, Pippa Passes, KY
PART IV in a Six-Part Series

Teaching often means that the teacher has to adjust to the student.

VARIABLES THAT AFFECT LEARNING

Motor learning has given us learning variables. Modern teaching requires that you use as many of these variables as possible. The skill learning process is influenced by the following variables. There are two categories of variables – internal (within the body) and external (outside the body).

Internal Leaning Variables: Memory, Attention, Motivation
External Learning Variables: Feedback, Practice, Transfer

INTERNAL INFORMATION VARIABLES

Memory
All experiences go to short term sensory store where it is held for a second to decide if it is worth storing or to be let go (forgotten). If the information is processed it is stored in short term memory. Here the information can be lost in 60 seconds unless it is rehearsed and passed into long term memory. When passed into long term memory it can be recalled when needed.   

For golf we want our long term memory available when needed so we can remember how to play the shot at hand. Past successful experiences are used to prepare for the present situation. How we play sand shots, uneven lies, etc. are all governed by our memory of past experiences, good or bad.  

Emotions play a part in our memory. Traumatic experiences create an indelible picture in the mind, usually not forgotten. Bad shots create traumatic experiences. If we get too emotional over a bad shot, we create a strong negative picture or image in our mind. This negative picture can creep into our mind for future shots.

When we create a good shot our emotions are subdued because we expected the shot to be a good shot. This reaction may not create the indelible impression on the mind, so it may be lost in memory. Many psychologists are now teaching their students to get emotional over good shots to create that indelible picture in the mind. The mind stores this image in memory for future use when needed.  

The stronger the emotion, the stronger the image in the mind. When we get very emotional over a shot into the water then the next time we face the water or a similar shot we may get a strong negative reaction to the present shot. We may now have a loss of confidence. When we hit a good shot, we often do not get emotional and we pass it off as expected. Since we pass it off as nothing, the shot does not make the indelible impression on the mind. Psychologists now recommend getting emotional over the good shots to build good strong successful experiences in the memory. This does not mean going through an elaborate display of happiness. Just let it settle in the mind strongly. Enjoy it.

Attention
Concentration, focus and attention are relatively the same thing. It is the ability to focus on the relevant cues and eliminate the irrelevant cues. This sounds easy but under pressure, and the greater the pressure, the more the mind goes through attention shifts to various cues. Problems occur when the mind shifts from relevant cues to irrelevant cues. This is a continuing problem with golfers when they are over the ball. Their mind is shifting from cue to cue – good and bad cues. The mind is moving into a scatterbrain approach for the shot. We all know the devastating results this can cause.  

Modern teaching does not encourage the student to stand over the ball too long before striking the ball. Too long a delay and there is more time for the mind to shift focus. Good golfers do not stand over the ball too long because their mind is set, they know what to do and they do it. They do not let the mind wander.   

Easter Brook’s Cue Utilization Theory states that as arousal or anxiety increases, attention narrows. When our attention narrows we may miss some relevant cues. This can happen when under pressure. The golfer forgets a relevant cue like the wind and its direction.

Motivation
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink – old saying but it applies to golf students. As the great teacher Percy Boomer has stated, “There comes a time when the student must accept responsibility for his/her learning.”   There is intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is when the student is internally motivated with personal goals, fun, enjoyment and satisfaction. Extrinsic motivation is through the use of rewards, trophies, money, prizes, etc. Unfortunately, there is plenty of research that shows rewards often result in short term motivation. Internal motivation is the strongest style.  

EXTERNAL LEARNING VARIABLES  

Feedback

Learning cannot take place without feedback. The two styles of feedback are intrinsic feedback where the student gets feedback from their internal senses like eyesight (visual), sound (auditory), feel (kinesthetic), touch, smell etc. External feedback comes from instruction by the coach or teammates, video, etc. Each of these styles have the following types of feedback.  

Terminal information feedback is provided after the response has been completed. This is the most common type and must be given soon after the response. Too late and then feedback is of little value.  

Feed-forward feedback is given before the response. Care must be taken with this as the performer may fall into too much information overload. We all know this is detrimental.  

Concurrent information feedback is information given during the movement. This is often a weak form of feedback as the student’s mind has been set for the execution of the skill and cannot change the pattern.   The key to the use of feedback is timing and accuracy.  

Practice
Practice is the most effective way to improve performance. Naturally the practice must be correct. Practice and feedback go together. Mental practice is also important in helping the learning process.

Transfer
This is where we transfer another skill, or part of a skill, to the skill we are trying to perform. Golf teachers often do this with concepts like tossing a ball underhand to get the feel of the body movement for the weight shift. Some use the baseball swing for the golf swing. There are many transfers but be careful in teaching a transfer of one skill to another. A bad skill transferred to the new learning skill will not work. For example, a bad baseball swing cannot be expected to transfer to make a good golf swing.

Understanding the variables that effect learning only enhances the teaching professional’s concept of what we are trying to accomplish.

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