FALL
2007 HONORS COURSES
HONR 258O Kinesiological Bases
of Skilled Performance: Golf
Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Dr. Seppo Iso-Ahola, Department of Kinesiology
Learning a motor skill may seem like child's play, but
as this course will explore, the learning and performance of motor skills
is a complex human endeavor. How is it that the human nervous system
with billions of neurons, a musculoskeletal system of more than 200
bones, 100 moveable joints and over a thousand muscles is able to marshal
itself to swing a long stick with a very small striking surface (i.e.
a golf club) to contact a small ball and send it 200 yards? Why is it
that humans even attempt such a feat? After all, as Bill Cosby once
said, "You had the golf ball; why did you hit it away and then
go chasing it down the fairway?" Questions such as these are examples
of those that are asked by kinesiologists who study motor skill learning
and performance.
The course is in a lecture/discussion/lab format. In
the laboratory, students will experience their own learning of a motor
skill (i.e., golf). Principles and issues introduced in lecture will
be explored and studied in lab. The lecture/discussion portion of the
class will explore sociological, physiological, and biomechanical perspectives.
Emphasis in the course is on the general principles underlying the learning
and performance of all motor skills. In addition, golf as a sport in
American society will be examined. At the moment, golf's popularity
is at an all time high. Why? What is the role of sport, and golf in
particular, in American society?
Students will be required to read scientific articles,
participate in class discussion, write critiques of selected articles,
and maintain a journal of their own experiences in learning golf. Due
to the multidisciplinary content of the course, readings will come from
a variety of sources. These will range from a book on the Zen of golf
to a biomechanical analysis of the "perfect swing." There
will be a $25.00 charge for the equipment needed during the course.
