Almost all golfers want to shoot lower scores and improve their game irrespective of age or handicap. Whether it is professional golfer looking to take his game to the next level, a child learning the game for the first time, every golfer would like to shave a stroke or two off their scores.
The frustration at all levels lies during the ugly period just after a lesson where the hands and body seem uncoordinated and the ball develops a mind of its own. The player is usually baffled wondering what changed from when it all seemed so promising when the teaching pro was watching to on the course where nothing seems to work. Most players in this case drop the new ideas and go back to what was familiar, thereby loosing time, money and golf balls in the bargain.
Having spent countless hours on the range over the past 17 years, I can offer a few tips that can make the swing changes easier to make and ultimately incorporate.
1. Create a reference drill: Any small change will make a huge impact to every aspect of the swing so consistency of repetition is important. I’d suggest having an external reference. For example, if you have been advised to improve alignment then using alignment sticks every time you practice will hasten the process of incorporating the new feeling of standing square.
2. Keep it slow/keep it short: The body takes the longest to understand the change and the only way to do so without losing confidence is to take small swings or make short putts. That is the best way to repeat the move correctly while maintaining performance.
3. Take practice swings: We get very result focused and less task focused once we have a ball in front of us. A good idea is to take a few rehersal swings thinking about the change before you step in to hit the ball. This helps compartmentalize what we are trying to accomplish and makes the transition from range to the course much easier.
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