Duration of mentally simulated movement before and after a golf shot

This report examined the temporal consistency of preshot routines and the temporal similarity and variability between simulated movements before and after a shot. 12 male amateur golfers ages 32 to 69 years (M=53.4, SD=10.5) were assigned into two groups according to their handicaps: skilled (M=4.0 handicap, SD=3.1) and less-skilled (M=16.0 handicap, SD=6.5). They performed their shots mentally from their preshot routines to the points when the balls came to rest, then performed the same shots physically and again recalled the shots mentally. For each of four par-three holes, participants' performances were filmed, and the durations of mental and actual shots were timed. Analysis showed that the skilled golfers had more consistent preshot routines in actual movement, and they also had longer durations for the ball flight phase than the less-skilled golfers in simulated movement. The present findings support the importance of consistent preshot routines for high performance in golf, however, the duration of simulated movements was underestimated both before and after the shots. This also suggests that skilled golfers attend to performance goals both before and after shots to execute their shots under proceduralized control and to correct their movements for their next shot.