How do you internalize a swing?

Trevor68

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I have always heard folks say that once you step into the course you should not think about the swing and just play. I love that statement. Unfortunately, if I attempt to do that, then we are talking about a good 6 hour round where I will be spending 50% of that time in the woods looking for my ball.
Let me begin by saying that I started playing golf when I turned 30, 6 years ago. To this day, the gold swing is a highly unnatural act for me. Nothing about it makes sense and no amount of practice makes it feel natural. I literally have to think about 4 things when I swing my club in order to hit it somehow straight. The moment I just let go and swing naturally, it becomes over the top city and we are either talking straight pulls to the left or hard slices.
I have spent countless hours practicing and I can hit it straight after doing so, but it never becomes a internalized movement that requires no thinking. Has anyone, not physically gifted, been able to internalize a swing to the point they don't think about it and make beautiful straight shots time after time? If so, please let me know how!
 
Golf is hard!!! I think we all have to work and think about things when we are playing, but after awhile your swing will come naturally, have you thought about lessons?
 
Need to swing naturally. There are a few small things you can do to help with the slice and OTT.
I was the same way. Now, even though better in some aspects, have paralysis by over-analysis when standing over the ball.
One swing you're hitting it great and then out the window for no good obvious reason.
Golf is hard.
 
I've talked to a few instructors about this. Their recommendation was to concentrate on the tempo of your swing, either by mentally counting or imagining something musical and swing to the tempo of a song. Keep your eye on the ball and don't think about club positions while doing this.
 
You need a task.

If your task is to cut grass, throw the club, cut a dandelion stem, hammer through a doorframe or any other number of metaphors, you will not be wrapped up in thinking about whether you took the club 2 degrees too far inside, whether your wrist should feel pronated or supinated at the top, or if you're moving your left knee towards the target enough or at the right time.

Here's an example. Whether you're actually OTT or not doesn't matter, the point is to understand how focus on a task can change your mechanics for the better.

 
It's golf. It isn't that important, in the big scope of things, to me. I can mentally disconnect well enough because, well, I don't care that much about the bad swings and the good swings to let them linger much longer in my mind. Just a game.
 
I have always heard folks say that once you step into the course you should not think about the swing and just play. I love that statement. Unfortunately, if I attempt to do that, then we are talking about a good 6 hour round where I will be spending 50% of that time in the woods looking for my ball.
Let me begin by saying that I started playing golf when I turned 30, 6 years ago. To this day, the gold swing is a highly unnatural act for me. Nothing about it makes sense and no amount of practice makes it feel natural. I literally have to think about 4 things when I swing my club in order to hit it somehow straight. The moment I just let go and swing naturally, it becomes over the top city and we are either talking straight pulls to the left or hard slices.
I have spent countless hours practicing and I can hit it straight after doing so, but it never becomes a internalized movement that requires no thinking. Has anyone, not physically gifted, been able to internalize a swing to the point they don't think about it and make beautiful straight shots time after time? If so, please let me know how!

The reason traditional golf instruction focused on address fundamentals (grip-posture-alignment) is because once those are learned and practiced then a player's naturally effective swing emerges, without ever having to think about it.
 
I've talked to a few instructors about this. Their recommendation was to concentrate on the tempo of your swing, either by mentally counting or imagining something musical and swing to the tempo of a song. Keep your eye on the ball and don't think about club positions while doing this.

Good effective tempo is absolutely the way that players with faulty technique are able to strike good golf shots . Trevino, Couples, Furyk, Kenny Perry etc.... are part of a long list of guys who made multi millions of dollars relying on tempo to offset their unorthodox technique.
The instructors who told you to "concentrate on the tempo of your swing" are good instructors.
 
First of all, my 'natural swing' was a push slice with my irons and a super slice out of play with my driver. For me, it has required a few things to get a reliable swing that I can trust on the course. First, find an instructor who knows what they are talking about and invest in lessons. The grip is where it starts and should be the first place an instructor starts. Be up front with where your game is and what you want to accomplish and make sure they are willing and have a plan to help you get there. Then, learn to analyze your own swing. A simple selfie stick with tripod along with your cell phone is all you need to get a good video down the line and face on. Learn how to practice and validate with video analysis of your swing. This sometimes involves 1/4 swings for and entire bucket as you try to groove in a new feel or movement. You have to keep practicing until it becomes second nature. I invested in my own garage virtual driving range (pictured) and I hit anywhere from 400 to 1,000 balls each week. Sometimes it is very slow, short swings working on contact or feel but now I can stand over a shot and just swing. My scores have dropped and I hit a new personal best my last time out. It has not been cheap as it has taken both a time commitment and a financial commitment but it is something I wanted to invest in. It might not be the answer you were looking for but I hope this helps.
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