Dynamic Brain Activation and Connectivity in Elite Golfers During Distinct Golf Swing Phases: An fMRI Study

TL;DR

This study uses fMRI to show how elite golfers' brains activate and connect differently during specific golf swing phases compared to non-experts.

Contribution

The study reveals dynamic brain activation and connectivity patterns in elite golfers during distinct swing phases, linking them to predictive-coding models of motor skill.

Findings

Elite golfers showed stronger activation in right insula and posterior cingulate cortex during pre-hitting phases.

During hitting phases, elite golfers exhibited enhanced activation in right cerebellum and bilateral postcentral cortex.

Functional connectivity between right postcentral gyrus and left precuneus showed group × phase interaction.

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Skilled motor performance depends on the action–observation networks (AONs), which supports the internal simulation of perceived movements. While expertise effects are well-documented in sports, neuroimaging evidence in golf is scarce, particularly on temporal dynamics across swing phases. This study examines how golf expertise modulates AON activation and functional connectivity during temporally distinct swing phases (pre-hitting vs. hitting) and assesses implications for predictive-coding models of motor skill. Methods: Fifty-seven participants (elite golfers: n = 28; controls: n = 29) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning while viewing golf swing videos segmented into pre-hitting and hitting phases. Data analysis employed generalized linear models (GLMs) with two-sample t-tests for group comparisons and generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) to assess functional connectivity using GLM-identified activation clusters as seeds. Results: (1) Compared to controls, elite golfers showed stronger activation in right insula and posterior cingulate cortex during pre-hitting, and in right cerebellum and bilateral postcentral cortex during hitting phases. The hitting > pre-hitting contrast revealed enhanced bilateral postcentral gyrus activation in golfers. (2) gPPI analysis demonstrated significant group × phase interaction in functional connectivity between right postcentral gyrus and left precuneus. Conclusions: Elite golf expertise dynamically retunes AON across swing phases, shifting from anticipatory interoceptive processing to impact-centered sensorimotor–parietal circuitry. These findings refine predictive-coding models of motor skill and identify the postcentral–precuneus loop as a potential target for neurofeedback interventions aimed at optimizing golf performance.

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