Dr Ed Coughlan: The science of golf takes us back to its roots — simplify not stupefy

Growing up in a golf-mad house, where at one point, all five kids had joined the local golf club along with our parents, it was always about swinging easy and not over-thinking it. 

Prompts of ‘keep your eye on the ball’ and ‘swing through to the target’ were probably dismissed as pointless statements of the obvious. But little did I know that such simple advice back then would form the bedrock of the work I do today.

Sport science has untangled some of the most challenging questions that face golfers of all levels. Such as, where should I focus my attention as I approach a golf shot? Where should I look when I putt, and for how long? And where is the best place to practise my golf?