By Dr. Matthew M. Rosman, GSEE
Director of Biomechanics and Sports Science, The Golfing Machine, LLC

Recently, an article was published in Newsday (11/20/2013 edition) entitled, Report: Pilots losing flying skills to automation (sourced to Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal). The following is an excerpt from that article:


The referral to this excerpt is by no means intended to convey any negative impressions regarding airline pilots.  Airline pilots are exemplary professionals who provide an invaluable service to the public with great expertise, care, consideration, dedication, and a high level of proficiency. Rather, the article reference excerpt above provides an opportunity to examine the evolving relationship between human beings and technology as we trek through the modern age.  

By Dr. Matthew M. Rosman, GSEE
Director of Biomechanics and Sports Science, The Golfing Machine, LLC

The effectiveness of the displayed pose choreography sequence the golfer utilizes in expressing a Stroke Pattern ultimately reveals the quality of the level of performance proficiency relative to all pre-determined golf Ball Behavior Response (Display) goals.  This is because the biomechanical system of the golfer must ultimately “make a motion” so that all Line of Compression goals may be achieved.  

When the biomechanical system performs a Stroke Pattern, one of its key functions is to harness and channel energy to be directed through the golf club into the golf ball to:

By Dr. Matthew M. Rosman, GSEE
Director of Biomechanics and Sports Science, The Golfing Machine, LLC

How do we know if an observed golfer’s stroke execution display is exhibiting talent, or skill, or both talent and skill?  Does it matter?  Do elite professionals playing on the various worldwide Tours demonstrate talent, or skill, or both talent and skill while in competition? Is talent a resource that can be “instructed” to students?
   
These are just some of the questions that educators can ponder when approaching the challenge of providing instruction to a diversified population base of aspiring golfers.  Some of these aspiring golfers may endeavor to associate what they observe when watching Tour Professionals in action or read in periodicals as being directly transferable for incorporation into the development of their individual golf Stroke Pattern goals.  “This is how the Pros do it”, is often a phrase that is echoed by a percentage of this aspiring student golfer population.  While these terms (talent and skill) do have a relationship and some commonalities, it is the facets of differences between these terms that provide useful insight for study and exploration.

By Dr. Matthew M. Rosman, GSEE
Director of Biomechanics and Sports Science, The Golfing Machine, LLC

A recent study published in The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences (January 28, 2013- First Published Online**), provides some very important findings that we can utilize quite proficiently in our work with golfers in designing the most effective, as well as personalized, biomechanical alignment relationships, for the TGM 8-3 Adjusted Address Position (referred to in the BIA™ System as GBP™/Golf Baseline Position).

The results of the study (Spinal Posture in the Sagittal Plane Is Associated With Future Dependence in Activities of Daily Living: A Community-Based Cohort Study of Older Adults in Japan**) was reported in a press release by The Gerontological Society of America* on April 8, 2013.  In the announcement entitled: Posture Provides Clue for Future Disability, the results of the study were reported: