ingraining swing changes
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Brian Manzella
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How long?
The experts use to say that you need 60 reps a day for 28 days to create a new habit.
Well, I have taught more than most of those experts at this stage of my career, and I am here to tell you...they are (sorta) right!
If....
You made ONLY good reps.
and...
You did it in some of your NORMAL levels of stress.
So...in english—or Manzella-eeze, here are my 10 things to do, to ingrain a new movement, position, alignment, or feel:
The experts use to say that you need 60 reps a day for 28 days to create a new habit.
Well, I have taught more than most of those experts at this stage of my career, and I am here to tell you...they are (sorta) right!
If....
You made ONLY good reps.
and...
You did it in some of your NORMAL levels of stress.
So...in english—or Manzella-eeze, here are my 10 things to do, to ingrain a new movement, position, alignment, or feel:
1. Hit AS MANY practice balls as you can... while you take your time to get all the details as close to correct as you can. And leave when you are doing it correct.
2. In a quiet place, THINK about the changes and PICTURE yourself doing it, and try to "FEEL" yourself doing it.
3. Video yourself or someone else "doing it" and watch it over and over, and have a club and mirror nearby to check and recheck what you THINK you are learning by watching. Stills work almost as well.
4. Independent of #4, spend lot of time looking at the "new thing" in a mirror, and by using your shadow.
5. When hitting balls, "do it" at as many different SPEEDS as you can.
6. Get off the range and PLAY golf as much as you can. Really good players PLAY and PRACTICE everyday. If you can't get to the course, PLAY the course on the range. I used to "play" Pebble everyday.
7. Compete! And when you do—if you can—play "up," play AT your level of comfort, and play "down."
8. Evaluate your practice sessions. Write notes on what you did, felt, and experienced, tried, etc. You WILL need those notes one day.
9. Play around with the "new thing" when you are working on it. Do the opposite, or any amount of variations of it, to learn the differences. If you can steer a car left or right, straight is MUCH easier.
10. Commit. But, by all means, don't commit for more than it SHOULD take. If you CAN'T "get it," what you are trying to get, is NOT the right thing for YOU.
2. In a quiet place, THINK about the changes and PICTURE yourself doing it, and try to "FEEL" yourself doing it.
3. Video yourself or someone else "doing it" and watch it over and over, and have a club and mirror nearby to check and recheck what you THINK you are learning by watching. Stills work almost as well.
4. Independent of #4, spend lot of time looking at the "new thing" in a mirror, and by using your shadow.
5. When hitting balls, "do it" at as many different SPEEDS as you can.
6. Get off the range and PLAY golf as much as you can. Really good players PLAY and PRACTICE everyday. If you can't get to the course, PLAY the course on the range. I used to "play" Pebble everyday.
7. Compete! And when you do—if you can—play "up," play AT your level of comfort, and play "down."
8. Evaluate your practice sessions. Write notes on what you did, felt, and experienced, tried, etc. You WILL need those notes one day.
9. Play around with the "new thing" when you are working on it. Do the opposite, or any amount of variations of it, to learn the differences. If you can steer a car left or right, straight is MUCH easier.
10. Commit. But, by all means, don't commit for more than it SHOULD take. If you CAN'T "get it," what you are trying to get, is NOT the right thing for YOU.
curtisj76
New
I'll second the writing down and taking a video. That way you have 2 different ways to get back to it after you "lose" it. Just this spring I wasn't feeling it and I reviewed some notes from last fall. Helped get me back sooner. Was hitting the ball great yesterday, maybe the best ever and wrote notes. Just little things not much. For instance:
Single ball position
Hands slightly forward
1 piece takeaway
up the wall
swing easy
less effort=great results
I also RAN and got my video recorder so I could capture "the moment".
PS I'm not advising to swing like this, just an example of what I wrote down.
Single ball position
Hands slightly forward
1 piece takeaway
up the wall
swing easy
less effort=great results
I also RAN and got my video recorder so I could capture "the moment".
PS I'm not advising to swing like this, just an example of what I wrote down.
birdie_man
New
How long have you been doing this?
How long should it take?....i.e. common faults maybe?
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Maybe the best and certainly the most clear, concise roadmap for improvement I've read..... bravo.
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