Analysis of the use of virtual reality tools in golf

Abstract

Assistance in the development and implementation of modern educational and methodological complexes, including digital ones, is one of the tasks for achieving the goals of the development of supplementary education [3]. Virtual reality is a highly developed form of computer modelling that allows the user to immerse themselves in an artificial world and directly interact with it using special sensory devices that link their movements with audiovisual effects. At the same time, the user's visual, auditory, tactile, and motor sensations are replaced by computer‑generated simulations of those sensations [5]. The purpose of this work is to analyse the use of virtual reality in a supplementary golf education programme. The study was conducted on the basis of the Municipal Autonomous Institution of Supplementary Education "Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren named after N.K. Krupskaya" in Chelyabinsk. During the academic year, students aged 8 to 17 years took part in a series of golf training sessions using a VR headset. Schoolchildren of varying levels of physical fitness were divided into two age groups: 8–12 and 13–17 years, 18 participants in each. The task of completing the playing field was carried out through the game Dream Golf VR. After a series of games, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning their experience in the virtual environment. The subjective experience of the game was assessed on a five‑point Likert scale. Each athlete answered five questions. Numerical data were processed using descriptive statistics. An assessment was made of the perception of the digital space by older and younger schoolchildren. A comparative analysis of respondents showed that there are significant differences between the groups for each question. However, overall, the feedback was characterised by a low‑to‑average degree of similarity of sensorimotor perception when performing a minimal game action – a golf swing. Based on the results, problems and prospects for the use of immersive technologies in the field of golf sports training were identified.