Our courses are exclusively available to golf coaches and sports psychologists. They are designed for professionals who work directly with players and wish to deepen their understanding of cognitive performance, decision-making, and applied neuropsychology within a competitive golf context.
On-line Level I Grow Certificate
We would love to welcome you to the On-line Level I Course on Golf and Neuropsychology of Executive Functions and Cognitive Abilities.
To access the course, you will need to download the EdPuzzle App in your cell-phone, register, and enter the course code we will provide to you by email.
While the official course content is contained in the videos available in the app which you can follow on your cell-phone or iPad, we will be attaching a PDF document of every module to facilitate your study.
The result of the multiple-choice questions included within the videos will account for 50% of the final grade, and the open-ended question at the end of the last video will account for the remaining 50%. To pass the course, you must achieve at least 60%.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive the Level I Grow Certificate.
Content
1. Complex Systems Theory and Golf
This module explores the relationship between golf and complex systems theory, providing insights into player development and performance. It covers key concepts such as systems, self-organization, and resilience, and their applications in golf training and competition. The material emphasizes the importance of individualized training approaches and understanding players’ backgrounds for effective coaching.
2. The Governance of the System – Our brain
This module explores the governance of our system, focusing on executive functions and cognitive abilities. It covers the organization of the nervous system, neurodevelopment stages, and the role of executive functions in decision-making and behavior regulation. The module also discusses the history, definition, and development of executive functions throughout an individual’s lifespan, with particular emphasis on their importance in sports like golf.
3. Executive Functions and Cognitive Abilities I
This module explores the complex world of executive functions and cognitive abilities, their assessment, and potential damage. It delves into the importance of these functions in human behavior, the challenges in evaluating them, and the various factors that can lead to their impairment. The module also discusses different assessment approaches, including performance-based and rating measures, and provides insights into the main disorders affecting cognitive abilities across different age groups.
4. Executive Functions and Cognitive Abilities II
This comprehensive module explores the application of neuropsychology in sports training and competition, focusing on attention and memory. It delves into various types of attention, including orienting, focused, sustained, selective, alternating, and divided attention. The module also covers different aspects of memory, such as immediate, short-term, working, and long-term memory. Throughout the videos and documents, examples from golf are used to illustrate key concepts and their practical applications in sports performance.
5. Executive Functions and Cognitive Abilities III
This module explores the critical cognitive skills essential for golf performance, including coordination, perception, reasoning, and mental calculation. It delves into how these abilities contribute to a golfer’s success, discussing their importance in various aspects of the game such as shot execution, decision-making, and strategic planning. The module emphasizes the need for targeted training of these skills, particularly for junior golfers aiming for professional careers, and highlights how developing these abilities can significantly enhance overall game performance and adaptability on the course.
6. Brain Plasticity and Learning
This module explores the concept of brain plasticity and its connection to a model of learning phases in sports, particularly golf. It discusses how the brain’s ability to change and adapt throughout life impacts skill acquisition, performance enhancement, and recovery from injuries. The module covers the three phases of learning perceptual-motor habits, the importance of contextual training, and the distinctions between linear and dynamic training approaches. It also touches on neuropsychological assessment tests and their role in understanding and improving athletic performance.
7. Neuropsychological Evaluation test I
This module explores various neuropsychological assessment tests and their potential applications in improving golf performance. It discusses the importance of evaluating cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and executive functions in players. The module outlines several standardised tests and proposes adaptations for use in golf practice, emphasising the need for a comprehensive approach that considers both laboratory-based assessments and sport-specific evaluations. The information presented aims to provide golf instructors and players with valuable insights into cognitive assessment and training techniques to enhance overall performance on the course.
8. Neuropsychological Evaluation test II
This module explores various cognitive tests and assessments relevant to golf performance, focusing on memory, coordination, perception, and executive functions. It covers long-term memory tests, neurological coordination assessments, visual perception evaluations, and tests for cognitive flexibility and problem-solving. The module also emphasizes the importance of holistic player assessment and maintaining comprehensive records of player development.
9. Alcaraz Test Battery I and II
This module explores the Alcaraz Test Battery. Designed for evaluating high-performance golf players, this comprehensive battery includes on-course tests, cognitive evaluations, mental calculation exercises, psychomotor assessments, andmasterclasses. The battery aims to assess and improve various cognitive abilities and executive functions crucial for golf performance.
10. Cognitive stimulation exercises
This module explores a series of cognitive improvement exercises designed to enhance golf performance.
These exercises, some of which are already used by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation’s high-performance program,
aim to develop various cognitive skills crucial for golf success. The module outlines ten different games and
exercises, each targeting specific cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and hand-eye
coordination. These exercises are adaptable to different skill levels and can be integrated into regular golf
practice routines to improve overall performance on the course.
In-Person Level II Grow Certificate
This certificate will only be available to those who have obtained the Level I Grow Certificate.
The course will consist of a three-day consecutive campus for a maximum of four participants, held in the golf course where the students of the course usually work as Golf Coaches. For this reason, the trainer will travel on-site.
The purpose of the course will be to provide a detailed understanding, through practical application by golf coaches of the Alcaraz Battery of tests and the content of master classes on rational thinking, risk analysis, decision-making processes, statistics collection based on the decision-making process, and the practical application of complex systems theory in golf and game strategy.