The Effects of Three Levels of Contextual Interference on Performance Outcomes and Movement Patterns in Golf Skills

Abstract

The motor learning literature is replete with studies investigating the contextual interference (CI) effect. However, CI research has focused on performance outcome measures, largely ignoring the influence varying levels of CI may have on performance production measures, particularly with tasks involving inter-limb coordination. It was the purpose of this study to explore the effects of three levels of CI on both categories of performance measures in adults who were naïve to a sport skill Participants were taught the basic movement pattern of two golf strokes the putt and pitch. Following an instructional period, subsequent practice involved 160 trials performed under low, moderate, or high CI. No significant group differences emerged from practice data. Analysis of post-test data indicated that the high CI group was generally superior on both production measures. These results add to a limited body of research that suggests CI can benefit the development of coordinated movements.