June 18, 2024 – The publication of the book “Golf and Neuropsychology”, a work of the golf coach Francesc Alcaraz, has just been announced, and is now on sale on Amazon. “In the near future, peak performance will be achieved through a conscious and structured development of athletes’ cognitive abilities,” says the golf performance coach.

The book “Golf and Neuropsychology” presents an innovative approach suggesting that linear and repetitive training should give way to methods that integrate cognitive and motor development from an early age. By doing so, it aims not only to improve technical skills but also to foster deeper and more adaptive learning, enabling players to successfully face various conditions on the golf course.

St. Leon-Rot, Germany – Benjamin Schlichting, currently serving as the Head Coach of the Junior Development Program at SLR Academy for U16/U18 boys, as well as assistant coach of the 1st Bundesliga men’s team and the German national U18 team, has emphasized the relevance of cognitive capacity development in young golf players.

Meeting at the German Boys & Girls 2023

At the 2023 German Boys & Girls event, Benjamin met Francesc Alcaraz, a passionate coach with an innovative perspective on the development of cognitive functions in the sport of golf. During their conversation, Francesc explained how cognitive abilities and the brain’s executive functions interact with the capacity to play successfully on the golf course. 

Holistic Player Development

Committed to the holistic development of his athletes, Benjamin was impressed with Francesc’s vision on the impact of cognitive functions on shot planning, visualization, and coordination. This new perspective led Benjamin to invite Francesc to work with the players in his program.

Assessment and Results

Francesc evaluated the players, identifying specific weaknesses in their executive functions. He provided an effective training routine that resulted in significant improvements in shot planning, visualization, and autonomy in individual practice. These improvements led to victories in World Amateur Golf Ranking competitions, nominations to the German national team, and a win in the German U18 Championship, both individually and as a team. This victory adds to his coaching achievements, including Ali Berk Berker’s win at the Spanish U18 Championship in Zaudín, Seville, also in 2023. 

Impact and Future of Cognitive Training

Benjamin highlights in the preface of the book the importance of this collaboration and its positive impact on the players of St. Leon-Rot. He acknowledges that Francesc’s methodology, based on cognitive development, can revolutionize golf training. Promoting a paradigm shift in golf teaching towards a more holistic and contextualized approach can facilitate the neurodevelopment and neurostimulation of players, thus enhancing their performance and enjoyment of the game.

In the book “Golf and Neuropsychology”, readers will learn why Benjamin Schlichting deeply appreciates Francesc Alcaraz’s contribution to the development of players at St. Leon-Rot and the pathway for more coaches to adopt this methodology. This paradigm shift in golf training could transform the teaching and practice of the sport, providing a solid foundation for the growth and success of future champions.

This work adds to the books by the same author; Let your kid play! Golf and Calculation exercises for golf players and caddies, the latter currently used by some national teams to improve the mental calculation abilities of their players in the context of golf.

Now available on Amazon: Golf and Neuropsychology.