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Newsletter - Issue 9 Date 02/08/07
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Golf Tip - Brain Training
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If anyone has a golf question that they would like answered, 
please email your question to: teachingpro@bataviacc.com and 
I'll do my best to answer it in an upcoming newsletter. 

BRAIN TRAINING

We all are aware of the importance of preparing physically for 
golf, but not too much mention is made to mental preparation. 
This week’s tip deals with a revolutionary way to prepare for 
golf from the comfort of your easy chair.

On a plane to Tennessee last week to see my grandchildren, 
my wife was catching up on some old issues of Time magazine, 
and one article caught my eye. It was the January 29th issue - 
the Mind & Body special, and the fascinating article dealt with 
how the brain re-wires itself.

Briefly stated, this discovery showed that mental training had 
the power to change the physical structure of the brain. Scientists 
tested two groups of piano players, one group that actually 
tickled the ivories and one that only imagined doing so. They 
glimpsed a revolutionary idea about the brain: the ability of mere 
thought to alter the physical structure and function of our brain. 
“Mental practice resulted in a reorganization of the brain similar 
to the reorganization that took place in the brains of those who 
physically practiced.” Pascual-Leone wrote.  If his results hold 
true for other forms of movement (and there’s no reason to think 
they don't) then mentally practicing a golf swing could lead to 
mastery with less physical practice. 

On a personal note, I think there’s really something to this. It 
offers an explanation for the improvements in my own game, even 
though I'm well past my prime at age 60. Since I decided to get 
into teaching golf a couple of years ago, I've immersed myself in 
golf and teaching related literature and DVD’s, and I think about 
the swing all the time. I've been playing less, and thinking more,
and improving. It gives credibility to the theory of mastery with 
less physical practice, coupled with quality brain stimulation.  

PLEASE don’t get me wrong - don’t stop practicing, but do add some 
mental stimulation to it. .

I have one DVD in my collection that fits right into the subject of the 
brain development phenomenon, it’s called Neuromuscular Training 
For Golf, with Al Geiberger. It’s part of the Sybervision Classic Golf 
Collection. When I first bought it several years ago, I looked at it a lot; 
now I look at it once a week during the winter, and also the night 
before an important golf tournament. (For tournament preparation, I 
also stroke 600 putts in my basement on my Accelerator mat the night 
before; it absolutely gives you total confidence on putts from 7 feet 
and in.) 

I think it now goes for $69 new; I paid more when I bought it a couple of 
years ago, which probably means that it’s the same DVD. I highly 
recommend it. 

You could probably track one down on ebay or Amazon.com and 
find a better price if you are interested. 

Here’s a link to the Al Geiberger DVD site:
http://www.sybervision.com/Golf/indexg.htm

I did a google search for cybernetics and golf and came across some 
other interesting information, such as a program called 
grapho-cybernetics that claims by writing certain graphic exercises 
you prepare yourself for golf. I have no opinion on it’s claims because 
I haven't tried it, but if any of my readers have, please let me know. 
Here’s a link to the program:
http://www.karohs.com/Golf-Getting_Control_Of_Your-Game.html 

Enjoy, Tom