Coach Noah Talks

Noah Sachs, Ed.D., CMPC, PGA, CSCS
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Noah Sachs explores topics related to coaching and elite sports performance. Through interviews, books, and personal experiences, Noah shares ideas and discusses concepts that can help coaches and athletes perform at the highest level. noahsachs.substack.com

  1. 20/05/2024

    Psychophysiology w/ Dr. Andrew Cooke

    Timestamp * 1:06 - Academic and Professional Journey: Dr. Cooke discusses his background in sports science, performance psychology, and psychophysiology, including his current roles and research interests​​. * 2:13 - Defining Psychophysiology: Dr. Cooke explains psychophysiology as the study of interactions between psychological and physiological processes, using tools like brainwave and cardiac activity measurements​​. * 3:02 - Mechanisms Underpinning Performance: Dr. Cooke provides an example of how psychological feelings of pressure can manifest physiologically and impact performance​​. * 4:08 - Causes of Performance Breakdown: Dr. Cooke outlines pathways such as overthinking, loss of attentional control, and appraisals, and how they affect performance​​. * 6:00 - Attentional Pathways and Ironic Processes: Dr. Cooke discusses attentional pathways and the impact of fixating on specific threats during performance​​. * 8:01 - Research on Pressure and Performance: Dr. Cooke introduces his study on isolated pressure conditions and their different psychophysiological and behavioral responses​​. * 9:00 - Study on Isolated Pressure Conditions: Dr. Cooke details a study with novice golfers testing various isolated pressure conditions and measuring their psychophysiological responses​​. * 13:20 - Key Findings on Pressure Conditions: Dr. Cooke shares that traditional pressure conditions generally improved performance, while demand-based pressures had adverse effects​​. * 16:30 - Impact on High-Level Athletes: Dr. Cooke discusses how these findings might translate to higher-level golfers and the need to magnify pressure conditions for experts​​. * 18:42 - Neurofeedback Training: Dr. Cooke explains neurofeedback as a technique to help individuals self-regulate brain activity and improve performance​​. * 23:02 - Neurofeedback Study on Conscious Motor Control: Dr. Cooke describes a study on neurofeedback training to decrease conscious motor control and its implications for performance​​. * 31:16 - State and Future of Neurofeedback: Dr. Cooke discusses the potential and challenges of neurofeedback in high-performance sports and the importance of individualized approaches​​. * 34:32 - Unilateral Hand Contractions: Dr. Cooke explains unilateral hand contractions as a technique to influence brain hemisphere dominance and improve performance​​. * 37:42 - Golf Putting Study on Hand Contractions: Dr. Cooke discusses a study on pre-performance unilateral hand contractions and their subtle impact on performance​​. * 41:42 - Practical Implications for Golfers: Dr. Cooke emphasizes self-awareness and individualized strategies for athletes and coaches, suggesting various psychological techniques​​. * 44:10 - Balancing Technical and Psychological Training: Dr. Cooke advises focusing on technical aspects alongside psychological strategies for both novice and expert golfers​​. * 47:04 - Reflecting on Performance: Dr. Cooke highlights the importance of reflecting on performance to identify patterns and tailor strategies​​. * 48:01 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts: Dr. Cooke reiterates the importance of self-awareness and tailored psychological strategies, expressing excitement for future research​​. Resources Book Recommendation #1: Skill Acquisition in Sport Book Recommendation #2: Handbook of Sport Psychology Book Recommendation #3: Methods in Social Neuroscience Book Recommendation #4: Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice Paper #1: Some pressures are more equal than others: Effects of isolated pressure on performance Paper #2: Electroencephalographic neurofeedback training can decrease conscious motor control and increase single and dual-task psychomotor performance Paper #3: The effects of pre-performance unilateral hand contraction protocols on cognitive verbal processes during a golf putting task Dr. Andrew Cooke’s Google Scholar Page - Link Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP) - Link Bangor University School of Psychology and Sport Science - Link Bangor University Performance Psychology Online Course - Link About Dr. Andrew Cooke Dr. Andrew Cooke is a lecturer conducting research in Psychophysiology, Sport Psychology, and Skill Acquisition. He is particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms that underpin human performance and psychophysiological interventions to enhance performance (e.g., brain training). He works with a number of high-profile organizations in sport, business, and health. Dr. Cooke is a member of the Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP) and leads the Psychophysiology of Performance Laboratory (POP-Lab). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    56 min

  2. 06/05/2024

    Heart Rate Variability w/ Dr. Marco Altini

    Timestamp * 1:00 - Background and Sports Journey: Dr. Altini shares his academic journey in computer science, engineering, and data science, alongside his personal transition into endurance sports​​. * 3:31 - Defining HRV and How It Differs from Heart Rate: Understanding HRV as the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats, which reflects the autonomic nervous system's response to stress​​. * 8:10 - Clarifying Common HRV Myths: Dr. Altini dispels misconceptions such as the importance of absolute HRV values and the notion that higher HRV is always better​​. * 11:40 - Making the Case for HRV: Despite limitations, HRV provides unique insights into the body's stress response, which can inform training and lifestyle adjustments​​. * 14:10 - HRV in Free-Living Analysis: Large-scale research reveals that HRV is a more sensitive marker of stress than resting heart rate, and different stressors elicit varying physiological responses​​. * 18:45 - Validating Smartphone-Based HRV Measurement: Dr. Altini discusses how the HRV4Training app, using smartphone cameras, was proven to be as accurate as chest straps and ECGs​​. * 21:55 - Practical HRV Monitoring with HRV4Training: The app helps athletes accurately measure HRV, providing actionable insights based solely on physiological data while allowing users to add context manually​​. * 26:10 - Unique Features of HRV4Training: The app's focus on raw physiological data offers a clear distinction from competitors, who often combine behavioral data to produce composite scores​​. * 32:50 - HRV in Night vs. Morning Measurements: Dr. Altini elaborates on the differences between night and morning measurements and how HRV trends vary due to circadian rhythms and sleep stages​​. * 38:40 - HRV and Sleep Tracking Limitations: Despite advancements, wearable devices often lack accuracy in estimating sleep stages, emphasizing the importance of skepticism​​. * 43:30 - Spot Check vs. Continuous Monitoring: Dr. Altini warns against overinterpreting continuous HRV monitoring due to potential misinterpretation of data, recommending periodic spot checks instead​​. * 46:00 - HRV-Guided Training: Dr. Altini explains how to implement HRV-guided training by adjusting intensity based on daily HRV measurements relative to one's normal range​​. * 51:00 - HRV for Individual Athletes and Golfers: Coaches and individual athletes can use HRV trends over multiple tournaments and travel periods to identify patterns and refine performance strategies​​. * 55:20 - Advice for Golfers Considering HRV Monitoring: Golfers can use HRV to manage travel stress, tournament phases, and performance consistency by identifying patterns in their physiological responses​​. * 58:00 - Current Projects and Future Directions: Dr. Altini aims to improve communication around HRV while working on refining personalized feedback loops to optimize health and performance​​. * 1:03:00 - Book Recommendations and Influences: Dr. Altini recommends Suggestible You by Erik Vance, highlighting its insights into the placebo effect and psychological influences on performance​ Resources Book Recommendation #1: Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal Book Chapter: How Data Can Capture Recovery: The Case for Heart Rate Variability Paper #1: What Is behind Changes in Resting Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability? A Large-Scale Analysis of Longitudinal Measurements Acquired in Free-Living Paper #2: Comparison of Heart-Rate-Variability Recording With Smartphone Photoplethysmography, Polar H7 Chest Strap, and Electrocardiography Paper #3: State of the science and recommendations for using wearable technology in sleep and circadian research HRV4Training: https://www.hrv4training.com/ Personal Substack: marcoaltini.substack.com HRV4Training Substack: hrv4training.substack.com Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/altini_marco About Dr. Marco Altini Dr. Marco Altini is a scientist and developer specializing in health technology and performance, holding a Ph.D. cum laude in Data Science, an MSc cum laude in Computer Science Engineering, and an MSc cum laude in Human Movement Sciences with a focus on High-Performance Coaching. As the founder of HRV4Training, he created a pioneering mobile platform trusted by over 150,000 users, including Olympic medalists and professional teams, to monitor heart rate variability (HRV) and manage training stress. Dr. Altini also serves as a Data Science Advisor at Oura, Guest Lecturer at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Editor of the Wearable Department at IEEE Pervasive Computing Magazine. With over 10 years of experience modeling physiological data and more than 50 publications at the intersection of technology, health, and performance, he is passionate about empowering athletes and health enthusiasts to make data-informed decisions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    1h 3m

  3. 25/03/2024

    Resilience & Pressure Training w/ Dr. Jolan Kegelaers

    Timestamp * 0:35 - From the Court to Academia: Dr. Kegelaers shares his journey from basketball to sports psychology. * 2:10 - Defining Resilience in High Performance: A closer look at what resilience means for athletes and performers. * 3:00 - Resilience: A Dynamic Process: Exploring the shift in understanding resilience from a fixed trait to a dynamic process. * 4:15 - Resilience vs. Grit and Toughness: Distinguishing resilience from similar concepts * 8:15 - The Research Challenge: Discussing the limitations of current research methods in studying resilience. * 11:10 - From Theory to Practice: How insights from resilience research can inform coaching and training strategies. * 13:20 - Building Resilient Athletes: Practical approaches and the role of the environment in developing resilience. * 19:20 - Three Pillars of Resilience in Golf: Delving into robust, rebound, and reintegration resilience and their applications in golf. * 25:40 - Mastering Pressure Training: An in-depth look at pressure training and its benefits for athletes. * 32:45 - Crafting Effective Pressure Training: Key considerations for designing pressure training sessions that are both effective and safe. * 42:50 - The Future of Pressure Training: Exploring the potential of virtual reality and other technologies in training under pressure. * 43:55 - Book Recommendations: Dr. Kegelaers shares impactful books that have influenced his work. * 45:10 - Current Projects: Insight into Dr. Kegelaers’ current projects on mental health in sports and esports. Resources Book Recommendation #1: Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes - But Some Do Paper #1: Are we really studying resilience in sport? A critical review of adopted methodologies Book Chapter: Developing Resilience For Golf Performance Paper #2: Pressure Makes Diamonds?: A Narrative Review on the Application of Pressure Training in High-Performance Sports About Dr. Jolan Kegelaers This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    47 min

  4. 26/02/2024

    Elite Golf Performance w/ Michael Neff, PGA

    Timestamp 1:17 - Michael Neff's journey from aspiring dentist to PGA professional and GEARS founder. 3:42 - Development of GEARS and its significance in combining club fitting with instruction, and the technology behind GEARS 14:17 - Challenges and Achievements with GEARS technology, its scalability, and the impact on golf instruction and fitting 19:22 - Comparison with Other Technologies like markerless motion capture and the accuracy of GEARS in capturing detailed club and body data 27:12 - The Importance of Accurate Data in golf instruction and how GEARS addresses this need 38:57 - Specific Metrics that Differentiate Elite Golfers from non-elite golfers, based on GEARS data analysis 44:52 - Case study: Enhancing Ricky Fowler's performance through GEARS adjustments. 1:09:07 - Advice for Players and Coaches: Emphasizing the importance of understanding club and swing interaction, and being open to technology and data for improvement 1:19:47 - How Michael Neff's perspective on swing models and golf instruction has evolved over time Resources GEARS Website - Link About Michael Neff Michael Neff is a PGA Professional and the founder of GEARS, a golf motion analysis and body tracking system. His contributions to the sport were recognized when he was awarded the 2021 Pacific Northwest PGA Teacher of the Year. Having worked with numerous PGA Tour players, Michael Neff has cemented his reputation as a leading figure in golf instruction and technology, continually pushing the boundaries to enhance the way golf is played and taught. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    1h 27m

  5. 12/02/2024

    Neurofeedback & Motor Learning w/ Kiersten Janjigian

    Timestamp 1:26 — Professional Background 2:55 — Paper #1 Discussion - Neurofeedback Training 21:31 — Paper #2 Discussion - Neural Efficiency 27:44 — Pressure Training 39:43 — Trends and Limitations of Neurofeedback 43:42 — Paper #3 Discussion - Neurofeedback Training 47:13 — Paper #4 Discussion - Cognitive Workload & Neural Efficiency 49:25 — Recommendations For Coaches and Players 51:26 — What’s Something You’ve Changed Your Mind About Over Your Career? 53:56 — Book Recommendations 55:05 — Current Projects Resources Book Recommendation #1: Harry Potter Book Recommendation #2: Human Performance Book Recommendation #3: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Book Recommendation #4: Projections: A Story of Human Emotions Book Recommendation #5: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art Paper #1: Effect of a single session of sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback training on the putting performance of professional golfers Paper #2: The Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience of Superior Athletic Performance Paper #3: The Effect of Left Temporal EEG Neurofeedback Training on Cerebral Cortical Activity and Precision Cognitive-Motor Performance Paper #4: Effect of cognitive workload on momentum and neural efficiency in a golf putting task About Kiersten Janjigian Kiersten is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and professor of Sport Psychology at George Washington University. While she works with both high-performance clients and students, she is also completing her doctorate at the University of Maryland College Park pursuing a degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in Cognitive Motor Neuroscience. Her research primarily focuses on the psychophysiological investigation of applied sport psychology, along with the study of diagnosis and treatment of sport-related concussion. She seeks to explore the neural correlates of mental imagery and other psychological skills training tools to implement in neurofeedback and hopes to create a unique neuroelectric assessment of stress en route to enhanced athletic performance.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    57 min

  6. 01/01/2024

    Elite Golf Performance w/ Craig Dixon

    Optimize Your Practice Environment Elite players all want to be able to achieve their best. But often they don't have an environment that's conducive to allowing them to be successful. Document Your Pre-Round Routine Players don't document their pre-round routine enough. You want to refine the “recipe” to a point where it becomes perfect for you. Why Do You Go To The Range? Are you going to the range to get better or to feel better? If you truly want to get better, you generally will need to measure. Planning Is Key To Optimizing Practice It's amazing what happens when your measure of success is predetermined before you go out and practice. Timestamp 1:12 — Professional Background 3:29 — What is Strokes Gained? 15:09 — What is Circles? 26:30 — Tournament Preparation 36:34 — Dispersion Patterns & Tournament Preparation 40:51 — The ‘Rule of Thirds’ During Practice 45:27 — Most Common Mistakes Golfers Make During Practice and Preparation 1:05:22 — Discussion Documents & The Importance of Reflection 1:13:09 — What Craig Does With Players During In-Person Leading Up To Tournaments 1:15:51 — Most Common Mistakes Aspiring Professionals & Mini-Tour Players Make 1:18:46 — What’s Something You’ve Changed Your Mind About Over Your Career? 1:21:18 — Book Recommendations 1:22:17 — Current Projects Resources Circles - Link Book Recommendation #1: Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice Book Recommendation #2: Letters from a Stoic Book Recommendation #3: How to Win Friends & Influence People About Craig Dixon Craig Dixon is a visionary in the realm of golf performance optimization and data analysis. As a PGA member and a specialist in high-performance analytics, Craig has established himself as a trusted authority in the world of golf. With an unrivaled understanding of big data and its implications for athletic excellence, he has become a sought-after consultant for some of the most esteemed organizations and athletes in golf. Craig's expertise extends across a vast array of domains, encompassing the PGA Tour, LPGA, LIV Golf, DP World Tour, JLPGA, Olympic athletes, national and NCAA teams, PGA Associations, and even the world's top-ranked players. His wealth of experience working with such esteemed entities has solidified his position as one of the leading figure in his field. At the core of Craig's practice lies his passion for performance optimization. Through meticulous analysis and comprehensive evaluation of players' on-course performance, he dedicates himself to deriving invaluable insights that unlock the true potential of each athlete. His mission is to guide players on their journey toward achieving their goals, all while minimizing the time and effort required. By leveraging the power of cutting-edge technology and sophisticated data analytics (Circles), Craig illuminates the path to peak performance, helping players design training regimens tailored to their unique strengths and weaknesses. With his guidance, athletes can optimize their preparation, ensuring they are primed to deliver their best performances when it matters most. In a world where excellence is defined by fractions of a stroke or the smallest of margins, Craig Dixon stands as a beacon of knowledge and expertise. His unrivaled ability to identify areas for improvement, strategize training approaches, and streamline the path to success has made him an indispensable asset to golfers worldwide. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    1h 25m

  7. 20/12/2023

    Motor Learning & Performance w/ Dr. Brad McKay

    Timestamp 0:42 — Professional Background 2:55 — Paper #1 Discussion - Internal vs. External Focus 20:19 — Paper #2 Discussion - Self-Controller Practice 32:57 — Paper #3 Discussion - Learner Feedback 51:19 — General advice to Golfers and Coaches 53:46 — What’s Something You’ve Changed Your Mind About Over Your Career? 1:01:33 — Book Recommendations 1:05:24 — Current Projects Resources Book Recommendation #1: Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder Paper #1: Reporting bias not external focus: A robust Bayesian meta-analysis of the attentional focus literature Paper #2: The combination of reporting bias and underpowered study designs has substantially exaggerated the motor learning benefits of self-controlled practice and enhanced expectancies: a meta-analysis Paper #3: Meta-analysis of the reduced feedback frequency effect on motor learning and performance About Dr. Brad McKay Google Scholar: Link Brad McKay is the Senior Strategist – Training Design for the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club. He collaborates with coaches, analysts, and sport scientists to enhance the development and performance of Brewers players. His academic background began with an Honour’s degree in Psychology from St. Thomas University in his hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He then completed his Master of Science degree in Kinesiology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, supervised by Dr. Gabriele Wulf. His doctorate was earned in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, supervised by Dr. Diane Ste-Marie. Prior to joining the Brewers, Brad was a Postdoctoral Fellow at McMaster University, working in Dr. Michael Carter’s Metascience, Action, and Cognition laboratory. His research focuses on the metascience of motor learning and performance, in particular understanding the evidential basis underpinning the field’s most import phenomena, as well as the systemic issues that undermine the accumulation of knowledge. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    1h 8m

  8. 04/12/2023

    Practice Design & Skill Acquisition w/ Dr. Nicola Hodges

    Timestamp 1:24 — Professional Background 4:11 — Challenge Point Framework 7:16 — Difference Between Performance and Learning 9:23 — Three Zones of Learning 16:05 — Skill Transfer 29:05 — Three Different Types of Practice 35:07 — Commonly Overlooked Aspect of Deliberate Practice 40:03 — 5 Common Myths of Coaching 47:58 — 5 Keys to Facilitate Optimal Skill Learning 50:41 — Recommendations For Golfers/Coaches 53:46 — What’s Something You’ve Changed Your Mind About Over Your Career? 56:07 — Book Recommendations 57:27 — Current Projects Resources Book Recommendation #1: Thinking, Fast and Slow Paper #1: An extended challenge-based framework for practice design in sports coaching Paper #2: Effective practice and instruction: A skill acquisition framework for excellence About Dr. Nicola Hodges Google Scholar: Link Dr Nicola Hodges runs the Motor Skills Lab in Kinesiology at UBC, in Vancouver Canada, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. It is here she studies anything to do with practice and the processes underpinning motor skill performance and learning. She conducts laboratory experiments with new learners to determine how and why various practice variables (such as instruction, demonstrations, feedback, order of practice) impact motor learning, as well as studying skilled performance and the developmental activities that are best predictors of expertise. She has a particular interest in processes involved in action observation; including the anticipation of action outcomes in sport-related contexts, how people learn from watching others, and how people “share” practice and impact skill acquisition processes when practising together. She has co-authored the popular book (now in its third edition), Skill acquisition in Sport: Research, Theory and Practice (Routledge) and she has close to 150 published journal articles and chapters on topics related to the study of motor learning and motor control more broadly. She has received funding for her research from the three major government funding agencies in Canada and is very grateful for continued support. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit noahsachs.substack.com

    1h 2m
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About

Noah Sachs explores topics related to coaching and elite sports performance. Through interviews, books, and personal experiences, Noah shares ideas and discusses concepts that can help coaches and athletes perform at the highest level. noahsachs.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Noah Sachs, Ed.D., CMPC, PGA, CSCS
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Noah Sachs
  • Show Website
    Coach Noah Talks