Quiet eye training facilitates competitive putting performance in elite golfers

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Motor Control
• Psychology

Background:

• Elite golfers experience performance decrements under pressure.
• Visuomotor control, specifically the quiet eye (QE) duration, is crucial for putting performance.
• Optimizing QE may enhance performance consistency in competitive golf.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief QE training intervention on elite golfers' visuomotor control and putting performance.
• To determine if QE training improves performance under pressure and in real competition.
• To investigate the relationship between QE duration and putting success.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two elite golfers were randomly assigned to a QE training or control group.
• Participants' gaze behavior was tracked using an eye tracker during putting tasks.
• Training involved video feedback, with the QE group receiving specific instructions on maintaining QE duration.

Main Results:

• QE duration significantly predicted putting performance, accounting for 43% of the variance.
• The QE-trained group maintained optimal QE under pressure, unlike the control group.
• QE-trained golfers holed more putts and showed a significant reduction in putts per round in competition.

Conclusions:

• Brief QE training is an effective intervention for optimizing visuomotor control in elite golfers.
• QE training helps golfers maintain performance under pressure by preserving QE duration.
• Incorporating QE training into pre-shot routines can enhance putting consistency and reduce anxiety-related performance errors.