'Knowing' the shot...

[AndrewG]

I'm currently in a slump with my driving, and, being the scientific type with a particular interest in brains, and the way they work - I got to thinking. What follows might potentially be nonsense, but seems to make sense to me.

After yet another snap hook, I realised on the course that I've literally forgotten what a good drive feels like. This gives me no more than a random chance of hitting a good drive because all I have to work with is the mechanics of getting my body to repeat the swing to get the clubhead in the right place at contact. This - as we all know - is the worst way to approach a shot. The idea that we are told constantly, is that we should almost switch off that part of the brain which controls motor movement, and let our brain take care of it. If we have that 'goal condition' of the ideal swing for the shot to be played, and get that ready in our minds eye, it is far easier to let go, and let the brain take care of the multitude of actions the golf swing requires. This is what visualisation helps to achieve I think.

We've all felt what doing that means for the shot. If you say, "I was in the zone", or "I didn't even feel the club hit the ball", or just "that felts great". Its likely your motor movements closely matched the pre-condition you had ready in your subconcious. Effectively, you switched off, and let your brain/body do the work. So there was no extraneous information left over, unlike a poor shot, where maybe during the swing, you become self-aware of the position of the clubhead, or your plane or descent - which I think, is your brain making you aware of the deviation from what it thinks it should be doing. This more than likely results in a poor shot.

For me, the problem is far worse, I don't have that 'goal condition' available any more, and so have nothing to try and imprint on my subconcious before a drive, and have nothing other than the motor movement I do 'on-the-fly'...

So now, I have to rebuild that goal condition with a lesson or two, to try and groove the driver swing, and to get to a position where I have something there to allow my subconcious to refer to when I begin my next setup routine.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

You might want to lay off the caffeine for a few days!

I think you are way over thinking. I just step up and hit.

 

[jimjc]

IMO the "beginning of the process to get back on track" is to visualize every shot before you hit it..."Pick your target" and in your mind see the trajectory, curve of the ball the landing and roll..... then hit the ball and when the shots start to "catch up to the visualization" you will be back on track...IMO there`s no other way...

The snap hooks are generally produced by way overpowering the shaft by swinging way to hard go back to 75% and visualize... Just a thought....Jim

 

[AndrewG]

IMO the "beginning of the process to get back on track" is to visualize every shot before you hit it..."Pick your target" and in your mind see the trajectory, curve of the ball the landing and roll..... then hit the ball and when the shots start to "catch up to the visualization" you will be back on track...IMO there`s no other way...

The snap hooks are generally produced by way overpowering the shaft by swinging way to hard go back to 75% and visualize... Just a thought....Jim

Yep - it turns out my old swing problem has come back, not keeping the right knee flex. So I overturn the hips to the right, leading to overswing at the top, and then use my arms to get the club back to impact and usually hoof it well left. That, combined with a way too strong right hand keeping the face closed from the start...

Seems to be the only problem I have, so I'm hoping I'll get that 'good shot feeling' back again very soon

 

[jimjc]

You know this may sound dumb to you but every time I fall into trying to kill the ball I do one drill...I call it 1,2,3...on 1 I give a minute move/press toward the target...on 2 I`am at the top of the swing...and on 3 I`m at impact....It brings tempo back into the swing and I get away from muscling it...I do it with practice swings and then hit balls with it ...You must say 1...2...3 everytime...Just a thought...Jim

 

[TRyan]

You know this may sound dumb to you but every time I fall into trying to kill the ball I do one drill...I call it 1,2,3...on 1 I give a minute move/press toward the target...on 2 I`am at the top of the swing...and on 3 I`m at impact....It brings tempo back into the swing and I get away from muscling it...I do it with practice swings and then hit balls with it ...You must say 1...2...3 everytime...Just a thought...Jim

Jim thats a great tip.. my first few shots at the range every time I go are exactly like that.

 

[jimjc]

That`s good..I`ve been doing that forever...Heck I even do it while playing a round if I start to get a lot of tension built up...and sometimes I will hit a whole large bucket of balls with it...it takes some dedication though because it really slows you down [ in your mind] but that's what your`re looking for... "to make everything take longer"...that disconnects me from "getting things over with quickly and swinging to hard"

Another drill I use successfully and to practice a seamless swing without any thought is ...Get into your set up and move your swings starting point out in front of the ball... so the clubhead is about 2 feet in front of it...Use that as a starting point for the swing and just swing to the top and through...it also helps tempo and helps to make one smooth swing....and take all the thinking out of the move..

All this "stuff" just to keep everything together...what the heck it`s worth it...Good Luck...Jim

 

[jimjc]

Sorry another duplication

 

[jnug]

I think visualization is very important as well. I also think that whatever you use pre-shot to get feeling good about the swing you are about to make must be repeated over and over again. I am coming back from an injury and I have actually found my driver and woods but I am struggling with my irons. I have always been a better iron player so this is something of an experience for me.

I do find though that if I get over the ball and have not found that groove that I look for in my pre-shot I am doomed. I can convince myself till hell freezes over that "that felt close enough". Close enough is just not good enough. If I get where I need to be pre-shot I will hit the ball well. If I don't it is a wasted swing. I would do as well to throw the darned ball out there.

In my case if I cannot get feeling my shoulder turn right and getting my arms out of the swing I won't get my hip turn right and I won't get to the top in the position that I need to be in. At that point since I am out of position at the top I just have no possible way to hit the ball right. On the other hand if I get to the top in the correct position, the downswing becomes for me a natural extension of what came before it and as long as I allow the my arms to fall first and then accelerate as I turn my hips and shoulders I am fine.

The similarity for me to your situation is that post injury I have found that pre-shot grove for my driver and am struggling with it for my irons.

 

[Lefty78]

You might want to lay off the caffeine for a few days!

I think you are way over thinking. I just step up and hit.

Get yourself on video it will show you where your plane is getting messed up. Get your club on plane then follow the above advice, quit the thinking, just step up and hit it.