Effect of Differential Training and Contextual Interference on Accuracy, Coordination and Movement Jerk in the Golf Shot

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 1. Master of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two methods – differential learning and contextual interference – on components such as accuracy, coordination, and jerk in a golf putting task. This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group and experimental groups. Fifty female were randomly assigned to five groups. After a pretest, participants entered the acquisition phase according to their group assignment and practiced the golf putting task based on their group protocol in a single session. Twenty-four hours after practice, they participated in retention and transfer tests. Results showed that during the acquisition phase, all groups demonstrated greater accuracy in delivering the golf ball to the targets compared to the pretest phase (P<0.05). In the retention test, the random and blocked differential learning groups showed higher accuracy and less jerk compared to the contextual interference and control groups. Furthermore, the differential learning groups exhibited less variability in their coordination patterns. In the transfer test, the random differential learning group performed better than all other groups in all the mentioned aspects. The differential learning group benefited from both the variations introduced in the contextual interference practice objectives and those created for the differential learning group. Therefore, it can be concluded that differential training, by providing a framework for exploratory learning, reducing dependence on repetition, and enhancing decision-making capacity in variable conditions, represents a more effective approach than contextual interference for learning the golf putting skill.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 April 2026

  • Receive Date 17 August 2024
  • Revise Date 04 February 2026
  • Accept Date 21 February 2026