Golf Coaching – Using Kinaesthetics

When I first came to golf and took my first lessons, my golf teacher was very visual and because this was the way he received information this was the way he taught me by constantly ‘showing’ me how to stand a certain way, hold my club a certain way and so on. He expected me to mirror and copy but the problem with being so Kinaesthetic is unless I understand how the movement should ‘feel’ not how it should ‘look’ meant I was just not ‘getting it’. Fortunately, I quickly understood what was going on and I had to ask him to get his hands on my waist and get me to ‘feel’ what should be going on.

Obviously, a male coach teaching a female client will need permission if you decide that you need a bit of manhandling to get the message across!

The point I am trying to make is sometimes you will have been told something a million times (slight exaggeration) and still just not get it; especially where golf is concerned.

It is your responsibility if you are going to achieve the success you seek in any area of life including golf. So next time you are having some instruction, if you do not understand what is being said, maybe it is because you need to be shown (visual) rather than told (audio) or even understand where you should be feeling (kinaesthetic) the movement i.e. which muscles should be working.

It is all about communicating – both externally and internally.

When a new skill is being taught to you, speak up and help the Coach understand how you need to be instructed. The Coach is there to help and will be only too glad to explain in a way that will help you to move on; if he or she isn’t happy to accommodate then change your coach!
To help you understand a little bit here is an explanation of each type. Remember you will have a little of all of these within you but you are more likely to relate to them in an order that suits how you receive information the best.

Visual

Typically, people who are in a visual mode stand or sit with their heads up and/or their bodies erect with their eyes up, and will be breathing from the top of their lungs. They often sit forward in their chair or on the edge of their chair.

They tend to be more organised, neat, well groomed and orderly. More deliberate, more appearance oriented and sometimes quieter and are usually goood spellers. Visual people memorise by seeing pictures and are less likely to be distracted by noise. Often they have trouble remembering verbal instruction and would rather read than be read to. A visual person will be interested in how someone looks at them and will respond to being taken places and bought things. They tend to use words like ‘see you later’, ‘I want to look at it’, ‘Show me’, ‘Focus’, ‘Watch it, be clear, foggy, picture that, notice and it appears that…’

Hearing (Auditory)

Someone who is auditory will move their eyes sideways and also down to the right. They breathe from the middle of their chest. They typically talk to themselves and are easily distracted by noise. They often move their lips when they are mentally saying words. They can repeat things back to you easily. They may find maths and writing more difficult and spoken language easier. They like music and learn by listening. They memorise by steps, procedures and sequences. An auditory person is often interested in being told how they’re doing, and responds to a certain set of words and phrases like: ‘listen, talk to, said, speak, sounds like, hear, good to talk to you’.

Feeling (Kinaesthetic)

People who are pre-disposed to being Kinaesthetic will typically breathe from the bottom of their lungs so you’ll see their stomach go in and out as they breathe. Their posture is often more slumped over and they often move and talk very slooooooowly. They will typically access their feelings and emotions to ‘get a feel’ for what they are doing. They respond to physical rewards and touching. They also stand close to people and touch them. They are often physically orientated people (athletes). They may move a lot and they memorise by ‘doing’, or walking through something. They use words like: ‘feelings, get in touch, hold, grasp and handle’.

Conclusion

If you are really interested in reading more about this then I have a questionnaire to help with this. Just email me if you would like to know more.

REMEMBER: You need to take responsibility for improving your skills whilst playing golf but equally it is important to find someone you feel taps into how you receive information the best. Hopefully now you have a better idea of what to look for in yourself so you can help your learning process to be more successful.