Burner
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Then we (sure as I am sitting here typing this) must be a whole lot dumber!
I really don't think so.
Are We Really Smarter Today?
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Then we (sure as I am sitting here typing this) must be a whole lot dumber!
I really don't think so.
What?
More information doesn't mean we can process it better.
1. People are just as bad (or good) in critical thinking as before.
2. People are just as bad about escaping their biases, even Nobel prize winning Kahneman.
3. People are no better at dealing with their emotional inner problems, perhaps worse on average, though some better because as a society we frown less on those getting help nowadays. But blindness continues for many.
I will agree that with more information, smart people are able to get to the core of issues sometimes on a better and more fundamentally sound (or "true") basis, but I do not think that makes people "smarter" just for the wise, "better informed"...following somebody's who post-processed the data. This is true in economics and golf.
More information doesn't mean we can process it better.
1. People are just as bad (or good) in critical thinking as before.
2. People are just as bad about escaping their biases, even Nobel prize winning Kahneman.
3. People are no better at dealing with their emotional inner problems, perhaps worse on average, though some better because as a society we frown less on those getting help nowadays. But blindness continues for many.
I will agree that with more information, smart people are able to get to the core of issues sometimes on a better and more fundamentally sound (or "true") basis, but I do not think that makes people "smarter" just for the wise, "better informed"...following somebody's who post-processed the data. This is true in economics and golf.
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Billy McKinney
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It's undeniable that as the boomers age and we get less physically fit as a society, our 'physical literacy' is getting worse. Look at film with masses of people from the 60's and you won't see the same shapes of physiques we see today (especially in the South)..how can we teachers expect to get dysfunctional bodies to move functionally? Info alone won't do it.
Burner
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Without the information, or recourse to it, being smart was a whole heap harder.
1. There was no measure in "pre-access to information" days, so how do you reach this conclusion.
2. Without any available alternative (pre-access to information days) biases, as you call them, were simply uninformed opinions. Now, at worst, they are mis-informed or mis-understood opinions.
3. Que?
Of course, access to information, isn't a guarantee for gaining, or the enhancement, of smartness. But, seeking access to it is smartness in itself; and that is why we are all here.
We are smart.
hp12c
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We are smarter, we know more about technique, impact, etc. we know the truth about a lot of things that were formerly conjecture. But ultimately this scientific approach is finite. Where infinite possibilities exist are the areas of communication and providing learning opportunities that can lead to self discovery. "How to" teaching is a limited model that leads to short term learning, (usually an hour) and puts little to no responsibility on the student to think for themselves. Like remembering the times table but not understanding multiplication. Thats why, by the time they get to the parking lot, they forget everything. We told them the answers, and they regurgitated the information, like cramming for a test, and now they know nothing. mike Hebron is the golf leader in this research and I recommend his work highly. It's like digging the information out of the dirt but with guidance.
aaron_lohan
New
Not a whole lot dumber, we are just unable to filter all of the information and pick out the most important things and simplify them to a basic understandable instruction.
Well thats a good point it just has nothing to do with mine! What i said is: they don't know how to take lesson and we don't know how to give them. It's not about them teaching themselves, which was your misinterpretation, it's about US teaching them to teach themselves. BIG difference my friend. Read Mike Hebron
I am not strictly speaking about "golf intelligence" as you might surmise. If your comments are more in that realm, forgive me.
1. You can do your own research but the trend is decreased critical thinking skills among the population, at least from what I can read and see. If you disagree, fine, but obviously there we part.
2.Biases that I referred to are more complex than we likely have time here to speak of. One example in golf might be that of a golfer not wanting to give up a faulty swing versus attempting to grasp new knowledge and perhaps play worse for a bit (or for whatever reasons as he sees...and experiences "loss aversion").
3. Again, just in a golf situation, how many people see themselves as "bad golfers" and can't take on new and effective swings because they don't deserve them? Or in cases from #2 above, do not want a challenge of "change" whereby they show themselves (or to the world) they are incapable of performing as their ideal requries?
Hope this helps.
1. You can do your own research but the trend is decreased critical thinking skills among the population, at least from what I can read and see. If you disagree, fine, but obviously there we part.
2.Biases that I referred to are more complex than we likely have time here to speak of. One example in golf might be that of a golfer not wanting to give up a faulty swing versus attempting to grasp new knowledge and perhaps play worse for a bit (or for whatever reasons as he sees...and experiences "loss aversion").
3. Again, just in a golf situation, how many people see themselves as "bad golfers" and can't take on new and effective swings because they don't deserve them? Or in cases from #2 above, do not want a challenge of "change" whereby they show themselves (or to the world) they are incapable of performing as their ideal requries?
Hope this helps.
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tilthatday
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The question posed by the OP was whether we were smarter today (about the golf swing) than we were 50 years ago. The answer, almost certainly, is yes.
Which begs the question of whether knowing more about the swing makes you a better teacher or a better player.
Which begs the question of whether knowing more about the swing makes you a better teacher or a better player.
Lindsey Newman
New
I can resoundingly say YES it has helped me in every way. I gave so many unimportant portions of my technique way to much of my attention. Knowing what really matters has been huge for me. Most of my important knowledge upgrades (btw) have come from Brian and Kevin's deep dive with Trackman.
tilthatday
New
The new info is certainly helpful in many ways but imho it is still the teacher with his instincts and ability to communicate who makes the difference/.
I took my first lesson from Brian back in the 80's. I was over 40, left handed, played very little and had never broken 110 or come close to it. In short order, relatively speaking, I was playing to a very respectable level, posting decent scores and even doing ok in local pro-ams, club tournaments, etc. Ultimately I boke 100, 90, and my mecca, 80.
My point? BM back then had no camera, no computer, no flight monitor, no nothing. But he gave a hell of a lesson.
I still take lessons from Brian occasionally and he still helps. He's a very nice guy. But it will be hard for him to improve on what he's already done and to this day I think back to some of the stuff we talked about then.
My point #2. The instructor makes the science work, not the other way around. I'll take a guy who knows what he's doing any day over a guy who has all the latest "stuff". I remember City Park.
I took my first lesson from Brian back in the 80's. I was over 40, left handed, played very little and had never broken 110 or come close to it. In short order, relatively speaking, I was playing to a very respectable level, posting decent scores and even doing ok in local pro-ams, club tournaments, etc. Ultimately I boke 100, 90, and my mecca, 80.
My point? BM back then had no camera, no computer, no flight monitor, no nothing. But he gave a hell of a lesson.
I still take lessons from Brian occasionally and he still helps. He's a very nice guy. But it will be hard for him to improve on what he's already done and to this day I think back to some of the stuff we talked about then.
My point #2. The instructor makes the science work, not the other way around. I'll take a guy who knows what he's doing any day over a guy who has all the latest "stuff". I remember City Park.
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