The Best Way To Learn Golf Is Science Based and Easier

This article falls into that category of "I am not anti technology.  I am just pro science."  This was written some time back but thought it might be worth re-posting.

Some parts of this article come from another article titled Mirror Neurons and Athletes: Learning by Watching.

Mirror neurons are a white-hot topic in neuroscience right now, and have been put forward as potentially being integral to our ability to learn skills via imitation.

Athletes do this sort of thing all the time–they become experts at watching the actions of others and then assimilating those movements, strategies and skills into their own competitive arsenals.

Related article on Kinetics:

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that respond equally when we perform an action and when we witness someone else perform the same action. They were first discovered in the early 1990s
One of the things that sets human beings apart is our ability to learn from each other.  I can watch you do something, remember it, and then use that technique or skill later for my own benefit.  We take this as trivial, but the ease with which we watch, process and recreate others’ actions has profound consequences, and not just for athletes.  Athletes do this sort of thing all the time–they become experts at watching the actions of others and then assimilating those movements, strategies and skills into their own competitive arsenals.

What we’re observing here are “mirror neurons”, neurons that are activated both when you do something, as well as when you watch something, so they effectively act as a mirror for the observed action.  Mirror neurons are a white-hot topic in neuroscience right now, and have been put forward as potentially being integral to our ability to learn skills via imitation, use language as a communicative tool, and sense what others are thinking and feeling (“theory of mind”).  But exactly how mirror neurons work, and what skills or abilities they are involved with, are still a matter of active debate.  But the evidence is building, and mirror neurons have recently been directly observed in the lab. This study at UCLA not only observed mirror neurons, but also found a subset of brain cells that appeared to actually inhibit activity, possibly to stop the subjects from actually carrying out the task that they were watching, and that their mirror neurons were imitating:

For those who want more information on this wonderfully simple concept, then read on……………..

I will say up front that those that are heavily invested in the latest technology will scream about this, but it is science and it’s time is coming.

Modern technology can help you improve, but it will be difficult and take a long time.  This science indicates there is a way to get better quickly with a lot less effort.

The science of Human Kinetics has known for years that humans learn by doing, correcting, and doing again.  They have also known and stated that too much instruction inhibits the ability to learn.

To put it simply, you don’t need the latest in technology to provide extensive data, video analysis and an understanding of bio-mechanics to learn to dance of ride a bike.  This information only makes it more difficult than it should be.  It actually gets in the way of how people actually learn.

Mirror Neurons

The latest scientific evidence involves a term “mirror neurons” which was first discovered about 10 years ago.  It deals with our ability to mimic what we see.  It has been used in other sports for years, but is just now finding its way into golf.

For years learning to play golf was simple.  All of the great players of the past such as Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, etc. learned by watching good players.

In the more modern era, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and Arnold Palmer all developed their very individualistic swings without the help of technology.  Tiger Woods watched his father and other good players as a child, and didn’t get into technology until after he left Butch Harmon.  Now we have Jordan Spieth’s coach talking about it.

With the advent of high speed photography, everything started to change and instructors started focusing on analyzing and teaching positions rather than swinging the club effectively as a whole.
The more technology has developed with the advent of launch monitors and 3-D imaging the more focused we have become on angles, planes, positions and numbers.  Consequently golf has become more and more difficult for the average person to learn.

We finally have a tool to make it easy, but it require changing the way most instructors teach which will not be easy, but it offers an opportunity to help us grow the game rapidly.  The reason most cited for quitting golf or not taking it up is that it is so difficult to learn.

Maybe not much longer.

That's all from the Golf Cave for today.