Can listening to Classical music help you golf game?

[ks8829]

My son's golf coach suggested the boys listen to classical music before a golf match to improve their swing tempo and sure enough they played their best overall score in school history! anybody else hear about this?

[Dub]

I find myself cranking up the tunes on the way to the course.

My main interest is in the drums and base guitar notes.....the rythm of the song.

The funkier the better as far as I'm concerned. I'll throw in a Dave Mathews Band disc and crank it on the way there. Sometimes I'll even enjoy some tunes by our local legend, James Brown....."The Nighttrain" gets me pumped up and ready to swing a club.

On the way home, there's nothing better than Stevie Ray Vaughn.

I haven't tried classical music yet but could understand the timing and relevance to the golf swing.

[RC]

Classical or Baroque music is the music I listen to by choice. Lately, to and from the golf course, my CD player is playing Bach's BWV 1006a, the famous violin six piece composition, but in this case performed on a classical guitar. If I need to be filled with amazement, Mozart or something like Puccini's operas will do the trick. Before dissing these give youtube a chance and listen to these two selections... then decide if you like them.

John Williams playing Bach BWV 1006a
Emma Kelly - Mozart: Laudate Dominum

I dare you. Listen to these and then comment. Music like this makes your golf score bearable.

[Stacey_E]

Classical is such a broad term. It is usually used interchangably for any style featuring a certain instrumentation. Baroque, Romantic, and Modern styles played with certain orchestration often falls under the "classical" heading. I only mention that because I think it is important to find that right mood for pre-round music. Of course if classical made you want to claw your eyes out, it probably wouldn't put you in a good mood. If Green Day or The White Stripes relaxes you, I'd say go for.

As a former semi-pro musician, I know for a fact music can elicit emotions in most listeners. Sometimes the emotion that comes out is anger, especially if you are listening to something that you think really, really sucks. While I've learned over the years to find something in every style that I can appreciate, some styles are better suited to get me in the golfing mood.

For me personally, I have a CD of old school Dub and Reggae music that I listen to a lot on the way to the course. The "riddims" are just so layed back and the lyrics are so playful that the longer I listen the more relaxed I get. Some other favorites of mine are Don Williams, Willie Nelson (slower songs), and ANYTHING in 3/4 time.

Some of my favorite bands are the Rolling Stones, Jane's Addiction and James Brown. But I'd never listen to them on the way to the course. I can't help but get pumped up when I listen to these artists. By the time I get to the course I'm ready to do the mashed potatoe and not swing a club.

[GaijinGolfer]

Sounds like the coach is trying to force a little culture onto those boys...
I think its a bunch of nonsense, Id say the validity of that is about the same as plumb bobbing helping you read the green and the notion that rusty wedges give you more spin.
If it works though, who am I to judge?

[denver_nuggs_15]

My son's golf coach suggested the boys listen to classical music before a golf match to improve their swing tempo and sure enough they played their best overall score in school history! anybody else hear about this?

I've never heard of this. Before our basketball and volleyball games, we listened to music (mostly rap) and I think it was worthless. I'd much rather concentrate on what I'm going to be doing. "Getting my head in the game" is a phrase for it I guess. If music, regardless of the type, helps then why not?

I would say that the score was more of a coincidence than anything else. I'm a little superstitious, so I say continue anyway.

[Zeph]

I love music, listen to it all day, except when I play golf. I play some rock/metal to get pumped up in my car, but forget about it at once when I get on the course/range.

But I can see how classical music can contribute to a better swing rather than metal or rock. Maybe music can help making you think less and just swing the club. There is no doubt it's easy to overthink a lot in this game.

[Stacey_E]

Sounds like the coach is trying to force a little culture onto those boys...

Actually there have been a lot of valid studies in controlled environments that proved listening to classical musical prior to standardized testing improved the students' performances. I believe it was due to music stimulating the right side of the brain. Classical music in this setting was basically used to "prime the pump" on the portions of the brain needed for better performance in these tests. It is important in a lot of these test to be able to reason and use logic. Standardized testing is not as focused on rote rehersal and memorization. As best I remember those are more left brain tasks.

If those studies are to be believed, then it only makes sense that the same music, stimulating the same parts of the brain, could lead to better course management. Being able to use logic and reasoning to navigate a course would be very beneficial indeed. I think we all know what can happen when we use sheer emotion in choosing our shots. Just a thought FWIW.

[imtomtomim]

well, I think it's definitely useful. Just having a more clear, relaxed, tempo to set your mind to, keeping you calm on the course and something that you can use to refocus your mind is an extremely good technique

[RC]

I take it no one tried the two selections recommended above, or if you did you did not find them a reason to comment. Not everyone likes various forms of music, but you might find these two "interesting." I would enjoy reading your reactions.

[kafka01]

I take it no one tried the two selections recommended above, or if you did you did not find them a reason to comment. Not everyone likes various forms of music, but you might find these two "interesting." I would enjoy reading your reactions.

I´m always on the lookout for classical pieces that fit my ear. The first one did, the second not so much, even i like vocal classical music (You ever listened to Queen of the night sung by Diane Damrau? Really really good)

I heard of this tip before, but i think it doesnt matter if its classical or modern music as long its in the correct tempo that it helps you swing more smooth, so you should pick music that fits.It shouldnt be too aggressiv nor lethargic. In an older thread on this board i think, there was a discussion about using a "tacting device" (metronom?) where you can choose the beats per second, for practice. As i did this, i found out that i pretty much had a set swing rythm under normal conditions. So my guess is, if i would practice more intense with it, it should help me stabilize this rythm under pressure situations.

[RC]

The tempo point is quite good in my opinion... I need to avoid hearing really fast, jumpy music on my way to the golf course.

[nevets88]

If you look in any classical music store, you'll find many pieces with wacked out tempos, especially if they were written in the 20th century. That, might probably mess up your golf swing. Or you might come out of your car thinking, "What the hell was that I just listened to?" You'll walk around like a zombie for the next 5 hours.

Of course, you could find that the minimalist period pieces, think Philip Glass, which are super repetitive (100 consecutive bars of the same frakking notes, heck one of the pieces in Einstein on the Beach involves counting out loud), might be of some help.

I think coach probably had something like the Brandenburg Concertos in mind.

Just to refresh everyone's memories, the Mozart Effect, piping classical music into to womb to make your baby smarter, was seriously debunked. There is no Mozart Effect.

[clubmaker15]

I have never heard of this, but may give it a shot. I'll see how it affects my thoughts. I listen to rock, rap, all kinds when I practice with my iPod on. I listen to it for blocking other noise out, such as loud drivers or people talking.

What kind of classical music does most people like, I would love to hear any thoughts?

I have an important season coming up and would love to have any kind of an advantage.

[aedoue]

RC, at the moment, I don't have sound on my PC. I heard Parkening play most of the pieces on his Bach album, and it is one of my favorites.

I used to dance a lot of Argentine tango, and have occasionally taken Di Sarli''s Bahia Blanca to the range with me. Argentine tango is classically influenced, and, among the masters, Di Sarli is the silky smooth one. I have been surprised at how it has smoothed out my swing after a hairy day at the office.

[lumpuckeroo]

Did anyone see the Haney Project on TGC last night? Hank had a swing help that you attached to the end of you club, it made an audioable sound as you swung that was transmitted to you via headphones. Barkley's swing was so out of rythm that Hank would swing the club with the attachment and Barkley wore the headphones. I was impressed at how well it helped Barkley with his swing, so if you could find music, any music, that had the rythm that matched your swing it could be a help.

I read, years ago, that Tom Watson kept in his head a song from Sound of Music that matched his swing, and would play it if his timing got off.

[RC]

If I could backswing to Strauss' Blue Danube, I would probably swing better. My backswing is closers to "Long tall Sally" by Little Richard.