Effect of Training for Trust in Putting Performance of Skilled Golfers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of trust education and training on putting performance of skilled golfers using a randomized control design and vision occlusion goggles in a controlled putting environment. Subjects were 46 skilled golfers, randomly assigned to 2 groups – training and control. Following group assignment both groups received a 90-min trust education session in order to fully understand the skill for self-report measures used throughout the study. All golfers completed baseline testing consisting of 18 putts on a GL Technologies Putting Challenge, Ultimate Edition system, outfitted with a custom putting analysis system, on one of two randomly determined difficulty levels under two alternating condition orders (visual knowledge of results (KR) vs. no visual KR) that were also randomly determined. Putting measures included outcome and self-report measures (tempo, target, and trust) following each putt, and the Flow State Scale (FSS) following completion of their putting performance. The training group then received a trust skills training program consisting of six specific practice drills designed to enhance the golfer's ability to access trust during putting performance. Five practice sessions of the trust training drills were completed and post-training measures were repeated 5–7 days later for both groups. Chi-square analyses of the self-report measures and ANOVA for the FSS measures revealed: A) golfers who trusted their stroke were more likely to make the putt; b) visual occlusion did not affect skilled golfers' ability to report whether they trusted their stroke; c) there was no difference between groups on putting performance following trust training for these skilled golfers; and d) FSS measures were not adequate predictors of whether a golfer trusts his or her putting stroke, suggesting that flow and trust in motor skill execution are different phenomena.