Paul, if there was an award for most insightful comment, you would win it!
I am going through EXACTLY the same process with Aimee (my youtube golf instructor) and THAT is the hardest thing to get people to realise – ONE listen or viewing of a video is merely scratching the surface. Totaly “getting it” is the next step, then implementing it correctly is a longer term initiative.
That is why I am undertaking this golf experiment – to feel like a complete beginner and then re-watch the beginner videos and pick up little comments that I had missed; it is an amazing experince.
I had exactly the same experience with Bikram (HOT) Yoga – you only hear what you are ready to hear and as my practice developed I heard things for the first time that had actually been said 100’s of times in the past.
GOLF UPDATE:
It is now 2 weeks since I bought my left handed clubs. Albeit inconsistent, my ball striking is gradually improving and it is all feeling far more comfortable and natural that I would have anticipated.
4 Degrees of Swing
To change a little bit about the swings that I mentioned earlier there are 4 parts to the swing:
1. Short Swing (Tic Toc)
2. Half Swing (L to L)
3. 3/4 Swing
4. Full Swing.
It only really hit me in the past few days that the short swing is purely activated by the movement of the body. If you take a golf stance and move your weight from left foot to right foot, back and forward, loose arms will begin to sway. Consider that PASSIVE swinging.
My short swing would now be at 90% strike consistency, i.e. on missed shot every ten. The instrument comparison would be the low C speaking with pure execution and release 9 times out of 10.
I MUST REINFORCE
that I am living this experience. There is Golf playing on the TV while I work, constant swing repetition throughout the day, time on the driving range, time on the course. I am sure I am spending more time working on (thinking about) this learning PROCESS that anyone reading. Maybe I am wrong?!?!?!?
4 AMAZING DAYS
In brief, I played 9 holes, four days in a row.
DAY 1: Connection getting better but stupidly trying to do FULL SWINGS. I hit a couple of nice shots but many balls along the ground or drivers up really high but not very far.
DAY 2: I lost 10 balls. Suddenly my driver was going further but slicing to the left. I lost 5 balls on hole, 3 from the tee off because I was enjoying watching the PROCESS and how the mind/body makes slight ajustments. #theresultdoesn’tmatter
DAY 3: A wake up call! Why I am trying to hit full swings? MADNESS. Decision made – “no more full swings on the golf course until I can hit the 1/2 swing at 90% consistency, I am between 40 and 50%”
SO, I played an entire 9 holes doing half swings (L to L). I had my first par on a short far 3. I was hitting STRAIGHTER than I ever have when not trying to hit far and I hit 3 of the longest, straightest drives I have ever hit, left or right handed. #coffeemoment Although there were still plenty of mishits, the good shots were awesome, SO EXCITED.
Thankfully after each of these good shots, my psychology says “OK, put that behind you, it may not happen again for a year…” I left the course full of enthusiasm.
DAY 4: COMPLETE CRAP! Hilarious. The worst day of the 4.
Not one drive hit, one putt sunk, nothing but a day of mis-hits… sound familiar? I must admit, keeping frustration in check is tough BUT it is important. Then I thought, wow, I bought my clubs less than two weeks ago and have hit some great shots in the last few days. Things are actually happening quite rapdily. If I EXPECTED to hit every drive cleanly and straight or hit every green or sink every putt, my expectations would be REALLY unrealistic.
STICK TO THE PROCESS – OBSERVE THE RESULT
I travelled on the weekend to gig so 3 days off but lots of mental practise (The SwingWorks Secret). I was breaking down the swing and visualising it in my mind whilst on my 5 hour flights to and from Perth.
Yesterday, I went to the driving range and simply “played” meaning, no real thought.
10 shots on each club:
3 x short swings (100% contact consistency on most clubs)
3 x half swing (50% consistency on most clubs except driver 0%)
4 by full swing (1%!!!)
Things are improving and last night at I home I discovered something important in my swing, stand by…
