EFFECTS OF VIDEO MODELING ON SKILL ACQUISITION IN LEARNING THE GOLF SWING Joshua L. Smith Department of Exercise Sciences Master of Science The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of video modeling on skill acquisition in learning the golf swing. One-hundred-eight college students participated in this study. All participants were pre-tested via videotaping to determine initial skill level. The pre-test videotaping was analyzed using DartTrainer software. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three groups (1) control (2) single-view or (3) multi-view. Participants in the control group viewed a compact disc (CD) with a putting demonstration repeated 40 times. The participants in the single-view group viewed a CD with a front view only demonstration repeated 40 times of the golf swing with a driver. Participants in the multi-view group viewed a CD with a multi-view (front, back, left, and right) demonstration of the golf swing using a driver. The demonstration was performed by a golf professional and each view was repeated 10 times for a total of 40 repetitions. After five weeks of CD viewing, practice, and class instruction, participants were videotaped to determine the level of improvement. Factorial ANOVA (3 groups x 2 trials) indicated significant within group pretest to posttest differences (F (1, 105) = 295.93, p<0.001). Between group differences were also noted (F, (2,105) = 18.33, p<0.001). Post hoc analysis indicated significantly fewer posttest deviations in the MV group than in the control group (p<0.001). The single-view group also had fewer posttest deviations than did the control group (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the multi-view and single-view groups. The current study suggests that video modeling provided on a CD, which a learner can access on their own, may significantly increase skill acquisition rate and performance in learning the golf swing.
