Sensorimotor Rhythm Neurofeedback Enhances Golf Putting Performance
Click name to view affiliation
Search for other papers by Ming-Yang Cheng in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Chung-Ju Huang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Yu-Kai Chang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Dirk Koester in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Thomas Schack in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Tsung-Min Hung in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) activity has been related to automaticity during skilled action execution. However, few studies have bridged the causal link between SMR activity and sports performance. This study investigated the effect of SMR neurofeedback training (SMR NFT) on golf putting performance. We hypothesized that preelite golfers would exhibit enhanced putting performance after SMR NFT. Sixteen preelite golfers were recruited and randomly assigned into either an SMR or a control group. Participants were asked to perform putting while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded, both before and after intervention. Our results showed that the SMR group performed more accurately when putting and exhibited greater SMR power than the control group after 8 intervention sessions. This study concludes that SMR NFT is effective for increasing SMR during action preparation and for enhancing golf putting performance. Moreover, greater SMR activity might be an EEG signature of improved attention processing, which induces superior putting performance.
Ming-Yang Cheng is with Center of Excellence “Cognitive Interaction Technology” (CITEC), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. Chung-Ju Huang is with the Graduate Institute of Sport Pedagogy, University of Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China. Yu-Kai Chang is with the Graduate Institute of Athletics and Coaching Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan County, Taiwan, Republic of China. Dirk Koester is with the Center of Excellence “Cognitive Interaction Technology” (CITEC), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. Thomas Schack is with the Center of Excellence “Cognitive Interaction Technology” (CITEC), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. Tsung-Min Hung is with the Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China.
© 2023 Human Kinetics