This video has some great stuff in it. Watch the video and see my comments below.
Practice. No doubt you’ve been told that practice is important if you want to improve.
“You can’t learn everything you need to learn in three days … You can learn how to do it … you can learn what to do, but you can’t internalise it and make it a habit”
This is such an important quote. It’s important because it’s true. While you can read, watch DVDs, take lessons and do a bit of practice, generally it’s not going to be enough. Real improvement comes about with long-term commitment to the issue.
Real results only happen when you get outside and take the time to let learning take place. And you’ve got to do this for more than 5 minutes. When you get serious the skill will become automatic. This then leads to mastery.
I remember when I was getting my game back on track, I spent hours hitting balls into a net. I couldn’t see the ball flight so I spent considerable time “feeling” my swing. From here, my swing evolved into something that felt good to me. I transcended past swing models or specific technique – finding “my” swing was all that I needed. In time I owned this golf swing and has allowed me to play some really good golf.
Those practice sessions might have been the best I’ve ever had. Maybe the only thing better was learning to hit golf balls in a horse paddock as a junior. Those net sessions certainly got me out of a slump.
Let’s take this a step further.
Let’s say that you’ve got a fear of a lob shot (replace lob shot with any golf situation). You take some lessons from the pro and you’ve got some drills and an idea about how to correct your issue. Now what?
I think home is the best place to practice;
[green_tick_1_list width=”100%”]
- You can practice without distractions (like other people telling you what to do or the temptation to reach for the driver and smash it as far as you can)
- There’s limited fear and you’re free to explore without prying eyes.
- You can practice at anytime or more readily than having to drive to the golf course.
[content_box_green width=”75%”][headline_tahoma_small_centered color=”#000000″]Step 1.[/headline_tahoma_small_centered]
You can make some swings without a golf ball and “feel” the swing from start to finish. This is not a time to try and control every part of your lob swing. You’re simply feeling what you’re doing without judgment.
Hardly anyone teaches this step. It’s common to think and analyse but sometimes it’s a good idea to let things settle and “feel” what is happening.[/content_box_green]
[content_box_green width=”75%”][headline_tahoma_small_centered color=”#000000″]Step 2.[/headline_tahoma_small_centered]
Let’s ramp thing a little. Say your golf pro wanted you to keep the clubface open through impact, can you feel that? Are you aware of your clubface?
Make some swings and feel the clubface from start to finish. What do you notice? What can you feel?
Now is the time to wake up and start learning. So many of us are asleep and really have no idea what is happening when we swing. Remember, this is not a time to overthink, panic and analyse – you’re simply waking up and becoming aware what is going on.
This is deep practice. It’s a level way above from slap happy rapid fire that we usually do. And maybe you still haven’t hit a golf ball.
Also, these sessions don’t need to be hours long – a few minutes can be enough.[/content_box_green]
[content_box_green width=”75%”][headline_tahoma_small_centered color=”#000000″]Step 3.[/headline_tahoma_small_centered]
Let’s introduce the ball. This is why I’m such a fan of The Almost Golf ball – you can practice from home without any fear of hitting the ball through a window. They are a tremendous learning tool.
Now you want to keep feeling your swing from start to finish. The addition of the ball may be enough to throw you, so you need some discipline now to get back on track. Keep feeling the swing without adding analysis.
Let’s now say the swing feel jerky and horrible – you’ve just skulled 3 consecutive balls over the neighbours fence. (it’s at this stage you’ll be glad of these practice balls).
Firstly, don’t panic. This is not the time to try and rebuild your technique and start over. Let’s work with what you’ve got.
I want you to focus on the clubhead. When you can feel the clubhead from start to finish you’ll do fine. This time I want you to rate how good that club feels in your hands. A good feeling might get and 8 or 9 out of ten and a poor attempt will warrant a 1 or 2. Whatever your score it doesn’t really matter – it’s your rating system not mine or the guy across the street.
One thing is for sure.
You will gravitate towards the higher numbers without a lot of effort. It sorta happens naturally for reasons that are not really known. Just be happy with this and don’t waste a lot of energy trying to figure it out. It works and is the path to a better game.[/content_box_green]
[content_box_green width=”75%”][headline_tahoma_small_centered color=”#000000″]Step 4.[/headline_tahoma_small_centered]
By now you should be getting some better results. You’ll have greater awareness of your little swing or as Dave Pelz hinted, you’ll be internalysing and making the lob shot a habit.
What next?
Let’s push a little harder. Let’s say you’ve just got a new car (your pride and joy) and you want to test your new lob shot.
You could grab your Almost Balls and lob them over the car. If you get really serious you could use normal golf balls but I wouldn’t.
The extra pressure will cause many to stumble. They will try and remember how to grip and swing and then try and control the motion (so as not to hit the car). Don’t. The extra thought only gets in the way (this is what typically happens when you’re on the golf course). Let go and see if you can continue to feel the swing back and through.
If you’re really clever you may notice the thoughts that enter your mind. Notice them but don’t get distracted by them.
“you’re the worst golfer in the world and you’re about to put one of the stupid golf balls through the window of the BMW”
Feel the swing.
“Bill, the next door neighbour is watching you. You look so stupid right now”.
Feel the swing.
Are you getting this? Learning to become aware of your swing (and emotions) during the moment is what allows you to beat Pesky and all the distractions the game throws at you.
It’s the secret of the game if there is one. But you’ve got to practice it long enough for you to “get it”. You can’t magically do this stuff by reading about it. And this leads to point 5.
[/content_box_green]
[content_box_green width=”75%”][headline_tahoma_small_centered color=”#000000″]Step 5.[/headline_tahoma_small_centered]
Mastery. After a week or so of practicing like this you’ll become really good at the lob shot. You may have explored different distances and have so much awareness of this shot that there’s nothing you can’t do in your backyard (like hitting from the concrete path, over your first born, through the tree, over the house and stop it next to the clothesline).
All that’s left is to take it to the course. And now is the time where you’re going to come into your own. You really are going to be dangerous.
You’re on the 18th hole and you’ve blocked your approach shot (don’t worry, it happens) and now have to lob a ball over the bunker to a tight pin. You’ve been playing well and have given young Ted a run for his money. He’s on the green in two with a cheeky smile, thinking you can’t get it up and down.
You notice the thoughts that come into your mind.
“don’t duff it into the bunker”
“for christ sakes don’t skull it through the green”
“don’t embarrass yourself here, the entire clubhouse is watching”
But none of these thoughts from Pesky distract you. You thank him for the input and get on with it.
You make a few practice swings behind the ball. You can feel the swing in minute detail. You feel the club striking the ground and are aware of the clubface remaining open. A picture of the shot enters your mind and a little surge of confidence enters your system.
You know this shot. It’s no harder than the lob shot you’ve been practicing at home. You own it.
You walk to the ball. You can feel the wind in your face and smell the aroma from the nearby BBQ. You get set and make your swing.
Impact feels great. The ball and club make that nice clean sound and you see the ball fly high, it clears the bunker and stops a metre from the hole.
It feels good. The shot is satisfying and it’s even better than you dealt with Pesky in such a confident way. This is mastery.[/content_box_green]
If all this seems too good to be true then chances are you’re not practicing correctly. Maybe you’re not practicing at all? If you’re not prepared to train your system to cope with the pressure of the golf course and scorecard then you’ll never play your best golf.
You may have the odd good (or even great) game, but it will be more luck than good measure. When you make mastery a habit good things happen more often than not. But you’ve got to get outside and do the work because the secret really is in the doing.
If you’re keen to explore practice from home then get yourself some Almost Golf Balls. Act now and get 12 balls for the price of 10. Offer limited so don’t stuff about.
Let me know your thoughts below.
Resources: