• August 31, 2021

How to apply the information processing model for golf improvement

The information processing model involves storing information in memory, retrieving information from memory, and executing a movement in response to information (Keele). This sounds interesting and useful for golf. This article tries to apply the knowledge we know about the information processing model to improve golf.

To begin with, the human memory system consists of 3 memory stores: the sensory information store; Short term memory; and long-term memory. It is important to understand how the 3 stores work so that we can use our memories in the most effective way.

The first stage in the memory system is the Sensory Information Store, sometimes called the Sensory Record (Cox). The sensory record has the ability to hold large amounts of information, but only for very short periods of time. In fact, it is so brief that the information is only stored in the sensory register for half a second. Information briefly stored in the sensory store enters through the input of our senses: vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

The information is then transmitted to the center of the Information Processing System: short-term memory. Short-term memory is the backbone of the information processing system because it receives information from the sensory store, as well as from permanent memory. The key to short-term memory is that information is lost unless it is highly significant or is quickly rehearsed and memorized. For example, if you received a tip from your swing coach and practiced the tip only once, for example, you will likely forget it.

It is enough to conclude that if a person rehearses the information in short-term memory for 20 to 30 seconds, then he will move on to long-term memory storage. The effectiveness of a person’s short-term memory abilities is also aided by their ability to skillfully divide information, that is, the processing of combining several separate pieces into larger ones. For example, a golfer can easily remember golf swing technique by dividing the information into categories such as “setup, backswing, and downswing,” for example, making it easier to remember swing information.

Information sufficiently fragmented and rehearsed in the short term will be passed into long-term memory. Unlike sensory registration and short-term memory, the information in long-term memory is permanent. Information in long-term memory can be continuously updated along with short-term memory. For example, if a golfer rehearses a swing tip sufficiently and it works, then he will store that information permanently.

The other thing to keep in mind about long-term memory is that information is strengthened by retrieving information in short-term memory for rehearsal. Suffice to say, it is important to complete the lesson summary and monthly audit exercises that I designed below:

1) Take a ‘lesson summary’ after swing lessons.

Buy a book to use as a lesson journal. In the evening, after a swing lesson, write down the instructions your coach gave you, for example: “soften your right elbow on the backswing when splintering, allowing your right arm to rotate at the elbow.” Below this, write adjectives to describe how the new movement feels when executed correctly. For example: ‘relaxed’ or ‘soft’ would match the above statement. Lastly, write a goal to incorporate this new technique into your game. For example: my goal is for the hinge on my right arm to feel natural and to happen unconsciously in my swing in 4 weeks.

2) Take a ‘monthly audit’ of excellent golf shots

This exercise was related to strengthening long-term memory and also facilitating the memory of big changes when competing. At the end of each month, write down the top 10 shots you played during that month. Write them in the following categories:

– Approximate date:
– Course played:
– Hole played:
– Club used:
– What was the key to such a good shot: And finally,
– What adjective would you use to describe how the shot felt?

Keep them in the same journal as the lesson summaries. At the end of each year, re-read the best shots of the month and get the 10 best shots of the year.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *