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Purpose: To study whether novices can use sonification to enhance golf putting performance and swing movements. Method: Forty participants first performed a series of 2 m and 4 m putts, where swing velocities associated with successful trials were used to calculate their mean velocity profile (MVP). Participants were then divided into four groups with different auditory conditions: static pink noise unrelated to movement, auditory guidance based on personalized MVP, and two sonification strategies that mapped the real-time error between observed and MVP swings to modulate either the stereo display or roughness of the auditory guidance signal. Participants then performed a series of 2 m and 4 m putts with the auditory condition designated to their group. Results: In general our results showed significant correlations between swing movement variability and putting performance for all sonification groups. More specifically, in comparison to the group exposed to static pink noise, participants who were presented auditory guidance significantly reduced the deviation from their average swing movement. In addition, participants exposed to error-based sonification with stereo display modulation significantly lowered their variability in timing swing movements. These results provide further evidence of the benefits of sonification for novices performing complex motor skill tasks. Conclusions: More importantly, our findings suggest participants were able to better use online error-based sonification rather than auditory guidance to reduce variability in the execution and timing of their movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Golf coaches may recommend "blind" putting drills in which golfers close their eyes to improve their feel. Research on specificity of learning suggests, however, that adding or removing a source of sensory information after practicing under differing circumstances can cause performance decrements. Specificity of learning is also dependent upon specific task requirements. The purpose of this study was to examine whether golf putting, requiring body positioning and aiming an implement, would benefit from blind training. Method: Novice golfers (n = 24) in Vision Training (VT) & No-Vision Training (NVT) groups completed 108 trials of a 10-ft putt. After a 24-hr delay, both groups completed sighted- and blind-putting tests. Results: Acquisition results revealed Group × Block interactions in RE (p = .025) and y-VE (p = .032). Post hoc procedures revealed significant differences between the groups on Block 2 (p = .017), with the NVT group producing longer mean RE. During testing, RE and x-VE results revealed Group × Test interactions (p = .027 & .041), such that performance of the VT group suffered when transferred to blind putting, while performance of the NVT group did not differ when transferred. Conclusion: NVT did not confer any advantage for subsequent performance with vision. Moreover, results were not consistent with the specificity of learning hypothesis and suggest that putting does not rely on complete sensory integration to support subsequent performance. Presumably, task requirements related to body positioning provided adequate sensory cues for successful performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the golf instructional literature, the putting stroke is typically given higher priority than green reading and aiming. The main purpose of this study was to assess the importance of the putting stroke for direction consistency in golf putting. Kinematic stroke parameters were recorded from 71 elite golf players (mean handicap = 1.8, s = 4.2) on 1301 putts from about 4 m. Of the different factors deciding stroke direction consistency, face angle was found to be the most important (80%), followed by putter path (17%) and impact point (3%). This suggests that improvements in consistency of putter path and impact point will have very little effect on overall putting direction consistency and should not be prioritized in the training of elite players. In addition, mean stroke direction variability for an elite player (European Tour) was found to be 0.39°, which is good enough to hole about 95% of all 4-m putts. In practice, however, top professionals in tournaments only hole about 17% of 4-m putts. We conclude that the putting stroke of elite golfers has a relatively minor influence on direction consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate the reliability of an apparatus for testing golf putters with respect to distance and direction deviation at different impact points on the clubface. An apparatus was constructed based on the pendulum principle that allowed putter golf clubs to swing at different speeds. The mean speed of the club head before ball impact, and of the ball after impact, was calculated from time measurements with photocells. A pin profile rig was used to determine the directional deviation of the golf ball. Three different putters were used in the study, two that are commercially available (toe-heel weighted and mallet types) and one specially made (wing-type) putter. The points of impact were the sweet spot (as indicated by the manufacturer's aim line), and 1, 2 and 3 cm to the left and right of the sweet spot. Calculation of club head speed before impact, and of ball speed after impact (proportional to distance), showed errors ⩽ 0.5% of interval duration. The variability in ball impacts was tested by measuring time and direction deviations during 50 impacts on the same ball. The mean duration (± s ) after ball impact in the test interval (1.16 m long) was 206 (0.8) ms and the standard deviation in the perpendicular spreading of the balls in relation to the direction of the test interval was 0.005 m. A test - retest of one putter on two consecutive days after remounting of the putter on the test apparatus showed less than 1% difference in distance deviation. We conclude that the test apparatus enables a precise recording of distance and direction deviation in golf putters as well as comparisons between different putters. The apparatus and set-up can be used in the laboratory as well as outdoors on the putting green. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]