Abstract
The use of technology in sport training and competition, as in other learning and performance settings, has increased exponentially in recent years. Preliminary research regarding athletes’ attitudes and perceptions about technology has demonstrated that the use of a coach, trust in technology, and self-regulated learning abilities predict whether golfers use technology. A golfer’s perceptions of their trust in technology and self-beliefs (self-regulated learning, confidence in ability) may influence how they rely on technology and thus, perform in competition. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine if and how golfers’ perceptions of trust in technology, trust in their coach, and self-beliefs change throughout the course of a season. Golfers (mage=56.13 years) who were part of an indoor training program during the winter and played outdoors during the regular season were asked to complete monthly surveys measuring their perceived trust in technology, trust in their coach, self-regulated learning capabilities, and self-confidence over the course of 9 months. At the end of the study, golfers participated in an interview to gain further insight into their perceptions. Overall, there were no significant quantitative changes in golfers perceived trust in technology, trust in their coach, self-regulated learning or self-confidence over the course of the season, including the shift between indoor training and outdoor golf. Qualitative results suggest that technology helps supplement the feedback of the coach, and the use of technology, with the interpretive assistance of a coach, facilitated the ability to self-correct when training on their own.
