Cognitive, Neurophysiological, and Behavioral Adaptations in Golf Putting Motor Learning: A Holistic Approach

Research indicates that the development of cognitive structures significantly influences motor learning. However, this perspective overlooks the broader nature of motor learning, which encompasses not only cognitive changes but also neurophysiological and behavioral factors. This study aims to simultaneously examine the intricate motor learning process through cognitive, neurophysiological, and behavioral lenses to achieve a more comprehensive understanding.

Thirty participants were randomly assigned to either a practice group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15) and tested at pre-, post-, and retention tests. The practice group underwent an acquisition phase involving three practice days (3 × 100 trials of a golf putting task), while the control group did not participate.

A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to group the basic action concepts into a coherent hierarchical structure, represented as a dendrogram. This dendrogram illustrated the relationships between basic action concepts. Analysis of mean group dendrograms revealed a significant increase in the organization of the cognitive structure within the practice group. EEG results indicated that the practice group's low and high alpha power increased significantly in frontal, central, and parietal areas (p < .05). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the practice group's motor performance errors decreased significantly (p < .05), while no changes were observed in the control group.

Our findings suggest that motor learning involves simultaneous cognitive, neurophysiological, and behavioral adaptations. It appears that the motor learning process involves gradually constructing these structures over time, providing an extensive understanding of the motor learning process.