May the PES Be with You
May the PES Be with You
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi
Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
A man nicknamed “Four-Finger Brown,” soon to be known as “Three-Finger Brown,” was mowing his lawn when his neighbor asked him how he got his nickname. The man stuck his finger into the lawnmower’s whirring blades and said, “I did this.” The joke plays on the tendency of people to keep making the same mistake, and it’s based on a phenomenon called “post-error slowing,” or PES, where humans pause after a mistake to re-evaluate the situation.
As with Mr. Brown, PES is not always for the best. New York University researchers have discovered that during the pause, the brain expands the amount of information it analyzes looking for the cause of the error. While useful in non-threatening situations that are not time-sensitive, it does dilute the decision-making database, thereby slowing response time. Snipers in Iraq and Afghanistan tell of long-range shots that hit an enemy combatant in a group while the others just stand there transfixed trying to figure out what has happened – after the second target hits the deck, those left dive for cover.
Of course, if PES was the only reaction to error available, we as a species would not have survived the life/death situations that require immediate and accurate responses, such as the startle reaction and the flight/fight response.
Thus, for a speedy reaction under stress, we use a different strategy; the brain filters out all but the most actionable intelligence in a Tiger/Run type loop needed for immediate resolution of the problem. On the other hand, when the brain makes a mistake during routine, non-life threating problem solving, we use a second strategy, where the brain slams on the brakes and opens the floodgates, assuming that something has been overlooked during the first round of problem-solving.
Since golf is not (or should not be) a life/death situation, most problem solving occurs under PES, which might explain how most golfers get on the bogey train and can’t get off. A Golf Digest study showed the biggest difference between amateurs and pros was that pros miss only one shot in a row, whereas the average amateur misses shots in long strings; i.e., pros PES better than most golfers.
The key to both kinds of response patterns is practice/rehearsal. If used correctly, the pause time is the basis that separates expert from average. When training is done correctly, PES becomes the sine qua non of a champion. Great players like Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam and Bobby Jones have said that they became great only after they learned to self-correct during competition.
Because they are adept at using PES, champions are the most dangerous after they falter. You think you’ve got them, and then they notch up their game and beat you. One miss shows you’re human; two or more in a row shows you’re a loser! I often tell my students, “I want you to be at your best when things are at their worst.” “When you make a blunder in the heat of competition, instead of thinking ‘here I go again,’ say to yourself, ‘this next shot is going to break their hearts.’
This photo features Annika Sorenstam one of the greatest golfers in history. I’m the host of this clinic and while we were warming up she said to me that her goal after every bad or indifferent shot was to hit a great shot so as never to hit two bad ones in a row. Also, of note is the presence of one of the best teachers in America, John Callahan of Keiser University – see arrow.
Takeaway: The ability to recover from a mistake is a trained skill. If you train correctly, using the correct pre- and post-shot routines, PES can be your strength. For more on developing these mental skills, see my book “The 30-Second Golf Swing.”
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
