ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a resource for skill and learning in golf by summarizing and reviewing the scientific literature available in the sport. Much research has been carried out since Fitts and Posner first developed their theory of motor skill acquisition in 1967, which proposed cognitive, associative and autonomous stages of learning. A substantial portion of the research included in the chapter has origins in motor learning displayed in other non-golf contexts. One such common theme is the call from multiple authors to externally validate results discovered in laboratory environments by determining the extent to which they transfer to player behaviour in competition. Partnership models whereby university researchers are actively embedded within sporting organizations are gaining popularity in other sports and may allow for the divide between research and practice to be reduced. The take-home message from the literature reviewed in the chapter is that the instruction and learning of golf can be greatly enhanced by the use of technology.
