Insights Into Indirect Preparation
Learning to play golf goes way beyond developing your golf swing (which is less than 10% of the
game). Learning to play golf is about learning the skills of seeing options; making your own choices,
using your own reasoning and deduction skill, taking risks, self-control, persistence, being creative,
using imagination, learning to self-discover, self evaluation, and emotional stability. These, and
other skills that are enhanced when learning golf, are indirectly transferred to other learning
environments including schools, businesses, other sports, etc. Yes, golf is indeed a thinking man’s
game that can stimulate mind in the direction of sense-making higher order thinking.
Some deeply significant research has shown that individuals from all age groups (child to adult) can
indirectly enhance their ability to learn while they are in school, attending seminars, doing
workshops, or in any other organized learning environment, through what they experience and
interact with beyond formal education settings.
The kind of intelligence and higher order thinking that is at the heart of the nature of learning, is the
same kind of intelligence used when playing games, especially when playing golf. Respected
instructor Chuck Hogan said, “it’s unfortunate that the intelligence of play is often overlooked and
undervalued.” Efficient approaches for learning anything join the nature of play and learning skills
with core subject matter information.
Sound studies from cognitive science have revealed how an individual’s ability to learn and retain
information and skills can indeed be indirectly improved in many unexpected ways. For example we
intend to show that when learning to play golf, or improve ones golfing abilities a wide range of
thinking-learning self-discovery skills are being put to use that are indirectly transferred to every
other learning opportunity one may encounter. This process is referred to as indirect preparations,
through parallel processing.
Golf is a game, and like all games we play there are some obvious benefits including; spending time
outdoors, having fun, exercising the body in a leisure time activity while enjoying the company of
others, but there are also some counterintuitive benefits from learning and playing golf.
Playing sports, golf in particular, can be the kind of indirect preparation that has a positive
educational influence on enhancing learning potential. The constructive nature and activities that
are at the core of learning and playing golf indirectly produce the kind of mind-brain development
that enhances self-learning skills. Of all games, golf seems to have the most value added
components (self skills) when it comes to supporting and enhancing one’s ability to learn through
self-discovery. To quote respected instructor Susan Berdoy Meyers, “Golfers learn to initiate and
create on their own movements through self discovery.”
Golf has always been more of thinking man’s game than a physical sport. It’s a game played by
individuals who are making decisions without the support of teammates, or a coach who is calling set
plays. Golf is played under conditions that are always changing. Every golf course and every golf
hole is unique -- no two are the same. Golfers learn to make their own choices, see their options,
and use their own reasoning and deduction skills before every swing. Golfers develop flexible
knowledge and portable skills.
Each time a golfer swings their golf club they are challenged by the peculiar and unique
circumstances the golf course and environment present at the moment of the particular swing.
Before a golfer swings they have attempted to evaluate and make sense of the shot they are about
to play. After this evaluation takes place, a golfer now goes through their options for creating
successful outcomes, deciding which of their 14 clubs they will use. As golfers become more
experiences they also make a choice of what type of ball flight they want to create (high, low left to
right, right to left, straight, etc.).
Ideally golfers have learned to be prepared. Hopefully, they are prepared to be spontaneous,
improvisational, and creative (not consistent) with the following.
Reasoning powers Conquering inhibitions
Deduction skills Focusing
Self-control Restrain of impulses
Memory Cooperation
Observation abilities Discouragement
Social Development Endurance
Respect for Rules Development of will
Work ethic Emotional stability
Risk taking Imagination
Goal setting Creativity
Determination Anticipation
Self-development Self-evaluation
Self-discovery Decision-making
Predicting Summarizing
Clarifying Questioning
See patterns See connections
The less than obvious benefit of learning and playing golf is that every mental skill a golfer engages
during these acts can be transferred to every other learning opportunity they encounter in other
walks of life. Mankind is a creative, problem-solving, being that is learning all the time through
indirect preparation and parallel processing that are grounded through our past experiences.
Indirect preparation comes from relating previous related and seemingly unrelated activities to what
is transpiring in the now. One example is; the unconscious transfer of the physical and mental skills
used when learning and playing golf to other learning environments. These skills include reasoning,
decision making, self control, self discovery, body motions, self assessment, self development, and
self learning to name a few.
Many valuable lessons are being encoded that can be used beyond golf environments when
individuals are going through the trial and feedback (never failure) of becoming familiar with the
design of a golf club and optimum approaches for using it. Real or developmental learning occurs
through indirect preparation because biologically it is not possible to learn in the now directly from
our experiences. Interactions in the present are being simultaneously cross-referenced or
paralleled with past experiences that form indirect preparation for guiding efficient acts of learning in
the now.
When performing, or learning a particular activity, or taking in new information. One of the stages of
learning is called “parallel possessing”. What is going on in the now is cross-referenced with the
patterns, sequences, and classifications from what we have already experienced. It is too often
overlooked that the sport of golf has both physical and mental components.
Copyright Michael Hebron, 2009, Learning Golf, Inc. All rights reserved
Learning to play golf goes way beyond developing your golf swing (which is less than 10% of the
game). Learning to play golf is about learning the skills of seeing options; making your own choices,
using your own reasoning and deduction skill, taking risks, self-control, persistence, being creative,
using imagination, learning to self-discover, self evaluation, and emotional stability. These, and
other skills that are enhanced when learning golf, are indirectly transferred to other learning
environments including schools, businesses, other sports, etc. Yes, golf is indeed a thinking man’s
game that can stimulate mind in the direction of sense-making higher order thinking.
Some deeply significant research has shown that individuals from all age groups (child to adult) can
indirectly enhance their ability to learn while they are in school, attending seminars, doing
workshops, or in any other organized learning environment, through what they experience and
interact with beyond formal education settings.
The kind of intelligence and higher order thinking that is at the heart of the nature of learning, is the
same kind of intelligence used when playing games, especially when playing golf. Respected
instructor Chuck Hogan said, “it’s unfortunate that the intelligence of play is often overlooked and
undervalued.” Efficient approaches for learning anything join the nature of play and learning skills
with core subject matter information.
Sound studies from cognitive science have revealed how an individual’s ability to learn and retain
information and skills can indeed be indirectly improved in many unexpected ways. For example we
intend to show that when learning to play golf, or improve ones golfing abilities a wide range of
thinking-learning self-discovery skills are being put to use that are indirectly transferred to every
other learning opportunity one may encounter. This process is referred to as indirect preparations,
through parallel processing.
Golf is a game, and like all games we play there are some obvious benefits including; spending time
outdoors, having fun, exercising the body in a leisure time activity while enjoying the company of
others, but there are also some counterintuitive benefits from learning and playing golf.
Playing sports, golf in particular, can be the kind of indirect preparation that has a positive
educational influence on enhancing learning potential. The constructive nature and activities that
are at the core of learning and playing golf indirectly produce the kind of mind-brain development
that enhances self-learning skills. Of all games, golf seems to have the most value added
components (self skills) when it comes to supporting and enhancing one’s ability to learn through
self-discovery. To quote respected instructor Susan Berdoy Meyers, “Golfers learn to initiate and
create on their own movements through self discovery.”
Golf has always been more of thinking man’s game than a physical sport. It’s a game played by
individuals who are making decisions without the support of teammates, or a coach who is calling set
plays. Golf is played under conditions that are always changing. Every golf course and every golf
hole is unique -- no two are the same. Golfers learn to make their own choices, see their options,
and use their own reasoning and deduction skills before every swing. Golfers develop flexible
knowledge and portable skills.
Each time a golfer swings their golf club they are challenged by the peculiar and unique
circumstances the golf course and environment present at the moment of the particular swing.
Before a golfer swings they have attempted to evaluate and make sense of the shot they are about
to play. After this evaluation takes place, a golfer now goes through their options for creating
successful outcomes, deciding which of their 14 clubs they will use. As golfers become more
experiences they also make a choice of what type of ball flight they want to create (high, low left to
right, right to left, straight, etc.).
Ideally golfers have learned to be prepared. Hopefully, they are prepared to be spontaneous,
improvisational, and creative (not consistent) with the following.
Reasoning powers Conquering inhibitions
Deduction skills Focusing
Self-control Restrain of impulses
Memory Cooperation
Observation abilities Discouragement
Social Development Endurance
Respect for Rules Development of will
Work ethic Emotional stability
Risk taking Imagination
Goal setting Creativity
Determination Anticipation
Self-development Self-evaluation
Self-discovery Decision-making
Predicting Summarizing
Clarifying Questioning
See patterns See connections
The less than obvious benefit of learning and playing golf is that every mental skill a golfer engages
during these acts can be transferred to every other learning opportunity they encounter in other
walks of life. Mankind is a creative, problem-solving, being that is learning all the time through
indirect preparation and parallel processing that are grounded through our past experiences.
Indirect preparation comes from relating previous related and seemingly unrelated activities to what
is transpiring in the now. One example is; the unconscious transfer of the physical and mental skills
used when learning and playing golf to other learning environments. These skills include reasoning,
decision making, self control, self discovery, body motions, self assessment, self development, and
self learning to name a few.
Many valuable lessons are being encoded that can be used beyond golf environments when
individuals are going through the trial and feedback (never failure) of becoming familiar with the
design of a golf club and optimum approaches for using it. Real or developmental learning occurs
through indirect preparation because biologically it is not possible to learn in the now directly from
our experiences. Interactions in the present are being simultaneously cross-referenced or
paralleled with past experiences that form indirect preparation for guiding efficient acts of learning in
the now.
When performing, or learning a particular activity, or taking in new information. One of the stages of
learning is called “parallel possessing”. What is going on in the now is cross-referenced with the
patterns, sequences, and classifications from what we have already experienced. It is too often
overlooked that the sport of golf has both physical and mental components.
Copyright Michael Hebron, 2009, Learning Golf, Inc. All rights reserved
