Bilateral training transfer of skills

[SteveT]

The brain motor cortex is bilateral, that is, it is located on both hemispheres of the brain. When learning to swing a golf club from the dominant side, only selective motor neuron pathways are innervating muscles while others are presumably dormant.

Does training the opposite swing side aid in the execution of the dominant swing side? Does practicing a left-handed swing improve the right-handed swing... is there a transfer of capabilities?

Who regularly practices swinging on the opposite side with say a weighted training club or plain rod to either balance out the body and also trying to get a benefit swinging from their dominant side? If you do, what are the results?

 

[SteveT]

From Wikipedia:

"Golf

Some players find cross-dominance advantageous in golf, especially if a left-handed player utilizes right-handed clubs. Having more precise coordination with the left hand is believed to allow better-controlled, and stronger drives. Mac O'Grady was a touring pro who played right-handed, yet could play "scratch" (no handicap) golf left-handed. He lobbied the USGA for years to be certified as an amateur "lefty" and a pro "righty" to no avail. Although not ambidextrous, Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir are both right-handers who golf left-handed; Ben Hogan was the opposite, being a natural left-hander who played golf right-handed. This is known as cross-dominance or mixed-handedness. Katelyn Johnson is a famous ambidextrous women's golf player."

Is this the result of a successful transfer of bilateral training or just something natural?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I'm a natural left handed person who golfs righty. Why? Because my first sport was baseball and they taught me to bat righty instead of lefty and that swing transferred well to the golf swing.

Ironically my brother made me learn to switch hit in baseball. I was never a great switch hitter but i'll tell you this, i hit the ball A LOT further from the left side. This also made me want to learn hockey lefty too which i did and had an ENORMOUS slap shot left handed.

Sadly, to quote a well known golfer, my left handed golf swing "feels like an unfolding lawn chair."

 

[SteveT]

Interesting, Jim .... and I assume you started your athletic life as a youngster. Do you believe your bilateral cross-training has helped you in your many athletic endeavors?

As a golf instructor, would you prescribe bilateral training for beginners, serious rec golfers, pro golfers, and if yes or no, why? I'm wondering whether bilateral training can help adults who have a strong dominant bias to their golfswing and need improvement.

 

[Martee]

I practiced for a while. While the 'unfolding lawn chair' is a very accurate description of my full swing. My half swing is so-so. But by doing slo-mo I did learn quite a bit about my body and how uncordinated I am. Interesting learning experience for me, clearly it show how imbalanced my body is. The half swing did seem to feed back into my normal pitches, guess it has do with more of the body motion than swing mechanics per-se.

I back to one side, that is hard enough for me to learn for now.

 

[DCgolf]

The brain motor cortex is bilateral, that is, it is located on both hemispheres of the brain. When learning to swing a golf club from the dominant side, only selective motor neuron pathways are enervated while others are presumably dormant.

Does training the opposite swing side aid in the execution of the dominant swing side? Does practicing a left-handed swing improve the right-handed swing... is there a transfer of capabilities?

Who regularly practices swinging on the opposite side with say a weighted training club or plain rod to either balance out the body and also trying to get a benefit swinging from their dominant side? If you do, what are the results?

Why are certain motor neuron pathways tired or weakened?

 

[SteveT]

@Martee .... do you suspect your body imbalance may be a detriment to your golfswing? If so, consider exercising the non-dominant side by simply swinging a baseball bat horizontally, which will provide you with a simplified swing motion in a kinetic sequence that will start exercising your weak side swing muscles. Choke up on the bat for starters. It doesn't have to be a mirror image of your normal golfswing to be effective. The other way would be to pump iron and stretches, concentrating on your weak side.

Perhaps you might try this simple experiment for a week when weather in NC cancels out golf. Don't go batshit crazy swinging off-handed, just do it gently, smoothly and slowly and then progress to more aggressive swings if you feel capable. When swinging the bat, keep your rear elbow against your body on the backswing and swing on a lower level plan. You can extend the followthru but not the backswing. Also, try not to swing your golf clubs for that week too, and then tell us what happened when you try to play again.

I'm assuming you are physically capable of swinging a baseball bat and your body is not in decrepitude. I wouldn't want you to sue me under tort law because you lost your normal swing following my suggestions....

 

[SteveT]

Why are certain motor neuron pathways tired or weakened?

I don't think the motor neuron pathways are tired or weakened, they're just dormant is not called upon to fire. Your muscles can be rendered weak if you don't use them, because the muscles will waste away with disuse.

 

[DCgolf]

I don't think the motor neuron pathways are tired or weakened, they're just dormant is not called upon to fire. Your muscles can be rendered weak if you don't use them, because the muscles will waste away with disuse.

right i get that but you said certain ones are enervated?

 

[BrendanC]

Hogan was not left handed.

Most soccer players - pros included - are quite a bit better with one or other foot despite ample practice.

It is suggested in soccer that working on the weak foot improves the strong one.

 

[Martee]

@Martee .... do you suspect your body imbalance may be a detriment to your golfswing? ....

Without a doubt. There is a reason I lack rotational speed and have low club head speed. Also at the end of the summer I had an operation which after completing therapy I will begin a fitness routine to address my short coming, I hope. Then may the ball fly longer.

The Left Handing swinging I think is what finally tip the scales since I was struggling with some pains and aches for the past 2 years. Basically I got stuck on STUPID. Should have noted what I first discovered in doing the left handed swing and then took appropriate actions, might have not had to have an operation.

 

[spktho]

The brain motor cortex is bilateral, that is, it is located on both hemispheres of the brain. When learning to swing a golf club from the dominant side, only selective motor neuron pathways are enervated while others are presumably dormant.

Can you define "enervated"? I believe you are using the wrong term.

 

[SteveT]

Without a doubt. There is a reason I lack rotational speed and have low club head speed. Also at the end of the summer I had an operation which after completing therapy I will begin a fitness routine to address my short coming, I hope. Then may the ball fly longer.

The Left Handing swinging I think is what finally tip the scales since I was struggling with some pains and aches for the past 2 years. Basically I got stuck on STUPID. Should have noted what I first discovered in doing the left handed swing and then took appropriate actions, might have not had to have an operation.

Nix the 'baseball' swinging exercise from your non-dominant side. Heal yourself and play a graceful style of golf within your physical limits.

Play 'good golf'... SteveT

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Interesting, Jim .... and I assume you started your athletic life as a youngster. Do you believe your bilateral cross-training has helped you in your many athletic endeavors?

Yes, started baseball around 6 or 7 years old. I would say mostly no to your second question with the exception of hockey but it's a pretty simple motion.

As a golf instructor, would you prescribe bilateral training for beginners, serious rec golfers, pro golfers, and if yes or no, why? I'm wondering whether bilateral training can help adults who have a strong dominant bias to their golfswing and need improvement.

not qualified enough to answer the above question. i can tell you that from what i know (could be wrong) the best way to teach young kids golf is to make them WATCH and IMITATE great golfers and their swings. At those ages they learn more by watching and then repeating what they saw without the "thinking" part being involved that you develop as you mature. That also, imo, is why in general you can't get really good at golf if you start at a rather late age. You are going to "think" too much trying to get good and it just won't happen.

 

[SteveT]

@Jim Kobylinski ..... Yes, hockey is natural cross-training for golf, and I would have thought that swinging a baseball bat even horizontally would be advantageous. Btw... do you know why Sadlowski collapses his left elbow coming into impact? Could it be due to the flexing of both elbows in a slap shot? The radius of the 'normal' doesn't have to go through the left lead arm, does it?!

Children try to learn the whole 'gestalt', or the entire swing on the first try and every try because they are intellectually incapable of understanding how to consciously combine the components to the golfswing into a full swing. It just doesn't make sense to them, and it's all because their brain hemispheres haven't fused together yet... but that's a whole new science!

As for late age adults learning the golfswing, they too regress into a childish gestalt learning mode, because they don't understand the components and the proper physical execution of the golfswing. They want to 'play' golf instantly to satisfy their gratification. When they try to "think" themselves into a golfswing, they are just trying to cheat themselves out of the massive training commitment required to create a decent golfswing. I also suspect that most who play golf have no other athletic experience.

As an aside, many years ago featured on the Golf Channel, there was an older (black) golf teacher in the Chicago area who was apparently quite successful at teaching the golfswing. His requirement was that the student not attempt to swing a golf club in the first 90 days of his tutelage and strictly follow his training schedule. Do you know who that legend is?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

No, golf isn't my main profession and i am not known in chicago outside of this forum