The research, carried out in St Andrews, Scotland and in the US, suggests that serious analysis of golf shots could disrupt a player's game. The analysis pertains to the previous shot.
Researchers looked at 80 golfers who were given shots to practise until they got it right. Those who discussed their putting between strokes took twice as long to improve. Participants were a mix of skilled and novice golfers.
Lead researcher, Professor Michael Anderson, said the effect was particularly noticeable among skilled golfers, who were reduced to the level of novices if they spent just five minutes discussing what they did. Novices, on the other hand, were either unaffected or perhaps even helped, by verbally describing their shots.
Anderson thinks that 'overthinking' probably doesn't affect novices as much because they haven't developed enough skills to forget in the first place. He also believes that top professionals would be less affected because they are already very focused.
The researchers think the loss of performance was due to an effect called verbal overshadowing, which makes the brain focus more on language centres rather than on brain systems that support the skills in question.
The study, which also involved the University of Michigan, marks the first time researchers have claimed to demonstrate that verbal overshadowing can adversely affect motor skills.
