Science Says
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
When it’s time to figure out which shot to hit and how to hit it, you might think it logical that an expert golfer’s brain has more electrical activity than a high handicap brain. But according to Dr. Claudio Del Percio of Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, it’s the opposite – the expert brain is very calm electrically while the non-expert brain is hyper with electrical currents darting all over the place.
Apparently, once they understand the problem, experts go more directly to the solution than average golfers because they have built up and saved an extensive database of similar past problems/solutions. Expert golfers have already ‘been there and done that’ so many times that not much ‘electrical’ activity is necessary to solve the next-shot problem. But non-experts haven’t already ‘been there and done that’ enough, so they have to sift through more alternatives, a process that keeps multiple neural currents competing for the best solution. If every swing presents a new problem, the chances that your brain becomes exhausted vastly increase the chances of a mistake.
So, what does this science tell us in general about improving our golf?
1] It tells you that a quiet golf brain is necessary to be a consistently good golfer.
2] To do this, you need an experienced golf brain.
3] So it’s up to you to practice in order to implant the correct general swing program.
4] Then you must play as much as possible to build up your problems/solutions database.
Just tell your teacher when you take Tuesdays off for a round of golf.
What golfer would not benefit from listening to these three great golfers – Fred Funk, Anika Sorenstam, and Tiger Woods?
