Video Research
By Michael Hebron
What follows are quotes from research in the International Journal of Sports Science and
Coaching, Nov. 3, 2006 issue, discussing the nature of learning, video replay and motion analysis.
1) “Given the strong agreement among motor learning experts about movement there is no such thing
as an “Optimal Movement Pattern (see 20, 21). Perhaps these programs (video and motion analysis)
should include a warning that copying other performers can ruin your skills.”
(That’s a very strong statement about the nature of learning.)
2) “Providing extrinsic feedback often does not improve performance. Studies show less extrinsic
information is better than more.”
(Typically technology creates a long list of exact details and information. But the brain does not
encode details - it works best with general, just in the ballpark concepts. Also, studies show that
following direction creates the kind of stress that slows learning.)
3) “Another issue, whether providing immediate feedback actually achieves an improved
performance? There is strong evidence that immediate video feedback during instruction has a
negative impact in the retention phase of skill learning. This should caution manufacturers from
promoting the value of immediate feedback.”
(Again, this is a counter-intuitive, but true insight. Video and other extrinsic feedback is not only less
valuable than intrinsic self-discovery, they both can fragment learning.)
More quotes- about the manufacturers of technology in International Journal of Sports Science and
Coaching, Nov. 3, 2006 issue.
4) “Despite all the development in what is called the Information Communication Technology, there
has been little consideration given by developers and manufacturers into gaining an in-depth
understanding of how athletes perceive and how they are influenced by video developers and
manufacturers”.
5) “Little is known by the developers of technology for instruction about how much, or when, or what
type of feedback is appropriate or even if it can be detrimental”.
6) “When reflecting on questions of use, the developer commented that often the features of the
software are put into use as the result of technology becoming available rather than a result of
research into what is best for the user.” This statement was a real eye-opener!
When I had the honor of receiving two National PGA Awards, 1990 Horton Smith Trophy, and
1991 PGA Teacher of the Year, I was on a journey (that I am still on two decades later) to gain more
accurate insights into acts of learning and teaching. At that time I had to go beyond the golf industry’s
education opportunities in order to receive help from leading educators and award-winning scientists
on my journey to learn more about what constitutes efficient learning and teaching. Today, I have a
deeper understanding of the nature of learning and what was clearly missing from my approach to
instruction for 20 years. Over the last ten years, I have been invited to make presentations about
learning and teaching on national television, in school districts throughout the United States, in other
countries, and was invited to contribute a chapter in a book about learning and teaching for the
University of Tennessee. PGA members can now gain information about the golf swing through PGA
education, perhaps in the future, insights into the nature of learning could also be made available.
New insights from modern science inspired me to rethink and change the information delivery
system that I used for 20 years. Studies show how the brain will best learn skills and how information
needs to be taken into consideration first. In 1990, after had I joined insights into efficient golf swings
with insights into the nature of learning, I noticed that the individuals I was working with started
learning faster and retaining information longer.
Copyright 2009 Michael Hebron, Learning Golf, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Neuro Learning for Golf and Neurogolf Learning are trademarks of Learning Golf, Inc.
