Golf Brain: Tone Off/Putt In
A Legacy Post by Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research Dr. T. J. Tomasi (1940-2023)
How do you know what to do when you swing a golf club? The general answer is that you have a brain map for each specialized movement pattern for everything you’ve learned, i.e., typing, swimming, bike riding, golf, etc. Place electrodes on the surface of the brain, and you can see the electrical firing patterns that represent what’s going on. Using these patterns as a guide, Dr. Martijn Arns, Brain Resource Company, Netherlands, and his associates have developed a clever learning protocol based on a format called real-life neurofeedback training.
The researchers recorded golfer brain activity while they stroked putts of varying distances (80 putts in all) and discovered a specific electrical pattern when the golfer made putts. They then used a continuous No-Go tone, instructing the golfer not to putt until the tone stopped. The key to the training was that the tone only stopped when the golfer’s brain configured itself into the electrical pattern that promoted making putts. So the hawk-eyed researchers watched the screen where the golfer’s electrical patterns swirled until the GO pattern emerged then they switched the tone off. Using this technique, it wasn’t very long before the golfers took control by learning to intervene without the researchers — they turned off the tone by calling up the correct pattern just before they stroked the putt.
Dr. Arns summarized the findings. “This study demonstrates that the ‘zone’ or the optimal mental state for golf putting shows clearly recognizable personalized patterns. The learning effects suggest that this real-life approach to neurofeedback improves learning speed…,” he said.
But how do you condition your brain to configure the electrical activity necessary to play/stay in the zone? The answer is found in my book The 30 Second Swing, where I review the exact procedures for being able to run your brain while you play golf.
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Want more tips? If you want to take your game to the next level, contact our team at Keiser University’s College of Golf & Sport Management today. With our dedication and experience, we can elevate your game to new heights together. Give us a call today at 888-355-4465.
