Maximizing Movement Efficiency
Insights from Dr. Rob Gray's "Learning to Optimize Movement"
Key Takeaways
Skill acquisition is not just repeating solutions, but finding them repeatedly. Blocked practice should be varied and golfers should practice in representative environments.
The relationship between the athlete and their environment is crucial in becoming an elite mover. Attention should be directed wisely to improve performance.
Utilizing environmental challenges and pre-fatiguing the golfer can enhance movement efficiency.
The traditional approach of teaching “fundamental movements” is flawed as technique control can't be isolated from the performance environment.
I recently read Learning to Optimize Movement by Dr. Rob Gray. This book is packed with numerous concepts that are of great relevance to both golf coaches and golfers.
Below are five impactful ideas presented in the book.
Skill Acquisition
Being skilled is not just about repeating solutions, it's about repeatedly finding them. - Source
In golf, the desire to solve the same problem repeatedly can hinder a player's growth. When hitting the ball on the range and not being satisfied with the result, it's tempting to keep trying the same solution until it seems "fixed."
However, relying solely on repetition of the same shot to the same target fails to foster skill development. By contrast, experimenting with various shot types and lies towards the same target promotes a continuous process of discovering innovative solutions.
Blocked practice is not the devil - constant practice is! There is nothing wrong with working on the same skill over and over. The problem comes when we practice them, in the same way, every time. That is, we don't vary things like the size of the fairway, the position of the ball in the stance…from execution to execution. - Source
The issue with blocked practice isn't the act of repeating a skill, but the lack of variety in how it's practiced.
skill acquisition is not mindlessly repeating solutions; it is the mindful search for solutions, repeated over and again - Source
The true mark of an expert golfer is their ability to find functional solutions to the endless problems that are encountered on the golf course.
Dexterity - the ability to find a movement solution that works under different conditions - Source
Below is an excellent illustration of the difference between beginner and elite golfers.
…a beginner golfer may be able to hit a ball from a flat lie, while an advanced golfer (with high levels of dexterity) will be able to successfully execute a swing from a variety of lies. This means they have found a suitable motor solution to a variety of external situations. A golfer who shows greater dexterity is able to adapt to the changes in constraints such as different surfaces, slopes, fatigue or wind direction, and/or the current status of the competition more effectively - Source
Elite Movers
Becoming an elite mover is all about establishing, maintaining, and growing the relationship between the athlete and their environment - Source
Becoming an elite mover requires a strong connection between the athlete and their surroundings.
However, this connection is often broken by the common practice of golfers using non-representative environments, such as driving ranges and indoor hitting bays, for their training.
[Skill is] The three-dimensional ability to perceive opportunities and threats as they unfold, decide how to respond, and then execute with technical precision. - Source
The golfer's relationship with the environment plays a crucial role in their skill development. However, limited progress can be achieved in isolated training settings. To reach their full potential, golfers must challenge themselves in environments that mimic real-life competition situations, by practicing on actual golf courses."
Attention
In my interview with Dr. Peter Haberl he emphasized the significance of attention in performance, stating that attention is the currency of performance.
Along the same lines, Dr. Gray discusses how our attention is a valuable resource that shouldn’t be underestimated.
You have been given this incredible resource that you need to use wisely. It can make or break performance. When you put it in the "wrong place" it can take you from being elite to average in a heartbeat. A simple shift in attention to the "right place" can produce multiple benefits including improved action selection, better learning from experience, and better self-organization of movement - Source
Where we direct our attention affects how we execute a movement. During competition, it's crucial to avoid an internal focus of attention, as this interferes with automatic processes of well-developed skills such as the golf swing.
Movement Efficiency
An insightful idea highlighted in the book is the crucial role of creating training environments that promote movement efficiency by fatiguing the athlete.
We can pre-fatigue an athlete by making them run laps, lift weights or do some other S&C exercise before they work on their skill…While we tend to think of fatigue as a negative in training, if used correctly it can provide a powerful stimulus for growth and a driving force to make more efficient movements - Source
Similarly, Dr. Gray proposes utilizing environmental challenges, such as practicing in inclement weather, as a means to enhance movement efficiency and aid in skill acquisition.
We can take advantage of environmental constraints that influence energy expenditure. Instead of avoiding practice on hot and cold days, we could view these as opportunities to place higher demands on movement efficiency as the athlete's body will have to cope with both movement control and thermoregulation - Source
“Fundamentals”
Traditionally, golfers are taught "fundamental movements" in a controlled environment prior to hitting the golf course. Dr. Gray challenges this approach, pointing out that it assumes technique control is separable and subservient to decision-making, which is incorrect.
Instead, he suggests an emergent decision-making view where technique can't be isolated and practiced apart from the performance environment.
Emergent decision-making refers to a complex and dynamic process arising from the interaction of various factors.
If we accept the idea that decision-making is emergent, there are some important practical implications for coaching.
First, it contradicts the view many coaches express that athletes must learn the "basic techniques" or "fundamentals" first before they are faced with decision-making situations in practice.
Or stated another way, if an athlete can't dribble around a cone, they won't be able to dribble around an opponent. In the emergent decision-making view, this idea is flawed because it assumes that the control of the action (the so-called technique) is separable and subservient to the process of making decisions. - Source
Adopting an emergent decision-making view in golf coaching would allow golfers to build upon their skills in real-world performance environments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dr. Rob Gray provides a wealth of valuable information on topics related to skill acquisition and the athlete-environment relationship. There are many other important concepts and ideas that were not covered in this brief summary, making it well worth the read for anyone looking to optimize their movement and reach a high level of proficiency in golf (or any other sport).