Understanding Golf Skill Learning

Dr. Bob Christina, Professor EmeritusAssistant Men’s Golf Coach

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

The Pinehurst Golf AcademyPrecision Golf Schoolrchristina@uncg.edu

“Teaching Without Knowing How Students Learn is Like Practicing

Medicine Without Knowing How the Body

Functions”

2

What is Golf Skill Learning?

The process of finding solutions to movement

problems Finger Sequence Skill

3

What Happens as a Result of Learning a Golf Skill?

•Movements reliably change•Shot outcomes reliably change•A new solution (motor program) is developed and stored in memory•Neural networks and biochemical substances reliably change

4

Computer Program and Motor Program Analogy

C0MPUTER PROGRAM (Sequence of Instructions)

CPU, CIRCUITRY

OUTPUT

5

MOTOR PROGRAM(Sequence of Instructions)

CENTRAL NERVOUS andMUSCULAR SYSTEM

GOLF SKILL MOVEMENTS

How Does the Motor Program for a Golf Skill

Come About?

• From the interaction of a student repeatedly performing the skill in one or more learning environments

6

Process of Learning a Motor Program

7

How Do You Know if Golf Skill Learning Has

Occurred?•It is inferred from reliable movement and shot outcome changes that are the result of physical practice

8

“Can Learning Be Taking Place in the Absence of Observable Changes in Golf Skill Movements or

Shot Performance?”

9

Does Learning Always Lead to Correct Technique and

Improvement?

• No---Practice of incorrect golf skill movements can be learned just as well as practice of correct movements

10

Golf Skill Learning is a Continuous Process

11

But Students Appear to LearnGolf Skills in Three Distinct

Phases

Students Return to the Early PhaseWhen Learning Major Swing

Changes

12

Learning Desirable Swing Changes Requires

Physical practice (with relevant feedback) to

• develop a new or modified motor program and

• change neural networks and biochemical substances

13

The Amount of Physical Practice Needed Depends on Factors Such as

• The student’s motivation to learn the swing changes

• The influence of the old swing on learning the new swing

• The capabilities of the student to learn the swing change movements

14

The Amount of Physical Practice Depends on Factors Such as

• How effectively the swing changes are taught

• How effectively the swing change movements are practiced

• How complex the swing change movements are to learn

15

How Complex the Swing Changes Are to Learn

• Depends on how complicated it is for the brain to develop a motor program capable of controlling the lower levels of the central nervous system (CNS) so that the swing change movements can be performed

16

Finger Sequence Skill

You Know What I Want You to Do, But You Just Can’t Do It!

Why Not?

“Could it be that Your Brain Doesn’t Yet Know How to

Control the Lower Levels of Your CNS so that Your Fingers

Can Perform the Skill?”

18

Executive Role

• Overall responsibility• Motor program

Subordinate Role• Carry out the details of the

motor program

Golf Skill Movement

20

Executive Role• Overall responsibility• Motor program

Executive Role• Overall responsibility• Motor program

Subordinate Role• Carry out the details of

the motor program

Golf Skill

Movement

Motor Neuron Pools at Segment Levels of the Spinal Cord

21

Motor Unit

22

Why Can’t You Do the Finger Sequence Skill?

• Your brain hasn’t learned to control the lower levels of your CNS so that the Finger Sequence Skill can be performed

23

How Does the Brain Learn to Control the Lower Levels of the

CNS?One hypothesis holds that:“Learning is largely the progressive

inhibition of unwanted motor neurons until the desired movements are achieved”

24

How Does the Brain Learn to Control the Lower Levels of the CNS?

One hypothesis holds that:“Learning is largely the progressive

inhibition of unwanted motor neurons while activating the wanted motoneurons until the desired movements are achieved”

25

Unwanted Motor Neurons are Selectively Inhibited

Early Learning

Too many motor neurons fire (wanted

and unwanted)

Golf swing with movement errors

Later Learning

Wanted motor neurons fire;

unwanted inhibited

Golf swing with no movement errors

26

WHAT THE BRAIN LEARNS • IS THE INHIBITION PATTERN TO SETS

OF UNWANTED MOTONEURONS AND THE “ACTIVATION PATTERN” TO THE SETS OF MOTONEURONS THAT GENERATE THE DESIRED MOVEMENTS

• THESE PATTERNS ARE CENTRAL TO THE MOTOR PROGRAM

CONTINUED PRACTICE TO IMPROVE A GOLF SKILL

“IS SIMPLY A PROGRESSIVELY MORE SUCCESSFUL REPRESSION OF UNWANTED MOTONEURONS WHILE THE WANTED MOTONEURONS ARE ACTIVATED”

A STUDENT’S GOLF SKILL LEVEL

“REFLECTS THE LEVEL OF INHIBITION LEARNED UP TO THAT TIME”

29

PERFORMANCE OF A WELL-LEARNED GOLF SKILL

“IS PREDETERMINED BY SETS OF MOTONEURONS THAT ARE PERMITTED TO FIRE”

IN SUMMARY

“GOLF SKILL LEARNING LARGELY INVOLVES THE PROCESS OF PROGRESSIVELY INHIBITING UNWANTED MOTOR UNITS UNTIL ONLY DESIRED MOTOR UNITS ARE ALLOWED TO FIRE”

Learning StylesBelief:• Learning is more effective if a

student is taught in the way(s) he or she likes to learn

Evidence:• Research evidence supporting

this belief is weak, at best

32

2009 STATEMENT ABOUT LEARNING STYLES

“ . . . at present, there is no adequate evidence base to justify incorporating learning-styles assessments into general educational practices.” Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer & Bjork (2009). Learning styles: A review of concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest

33

Learning Styles• Are the various ways students

prefer to learn new golf skills if they were in charge of the teaching

• Students can learn in different ways, but prefer to learn in a certain way or ways

34

Learning Styles

• Can flex and adapt to different contexts, and change as each student learns and develops

• The way a student prefers to learn may not be the best way to promote the most effective learning

35

Concluding Recommendations• Discover each student’s learning

style or balance of styles• Adapt your teaching in relation to

the student’s style(s) when it --is important to make the student

feel comfortable --is the best way to promote the

most effective learning

36

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

37