You’re excited, you just watched some swing video or just had a golf lesson and had one or more “aha moments.”  You’re itching to get to the range or course to “try it out…” 

Sound like your mindset?  Should you go directly from the awareness/learning stage to the performance stage?  NO!  Motor skill research has found that elements must be installed in small “bite-sized” phases, from slow motion to regular motion, from home to the range to the golf course.  Jumping over steps, attempting to install too fast leads to frustration and poor performance, and with your new excitement dwindled, and you go “back to the next video.” (THAT one will be the one!) 

When should you judge whether something “works or not?”  Do you “drop” a new insight after one bad shot? Two? Bad front nine? Disappointing full round? A few rounds, etc?  What’s your timetable until you “move on” to the next tip, pointer or video?  Many clients claim that they don’t have time for the install phases listed below; too impatient.  My response might be, “You don’t have the time?  You’ve been complaining about a lesser performance for 30 years, seems like you’ve been pretty patient to me!”   

One of the many things I love about golf is that it’s a solo responsibility; no teammates, no on-course coaches.  ALL decisions are yours.  I’m just the messenger of the research.  Ignore them and suffer some consequences, go through them and reach your personal potential FASTER than if you jump from “0-100 mph.” 

NOTE:  Though this piece deals with the full-swing, this procedure should be followed for all areas of development. 

NOTE:  This piece describes building your backswing BODY COIL as one example.  

PHASES

• At home, get into golf posture and cross your arms over your chest and “coil” to the end of the backswing. Use NO mirror, NO arms, NO club, NO ball, NO practice range, NO golf course, NO consequences. 
• At home, add a face-on mirror. NO arms, NO club, NO ball, NO practice range, NO golf course, NO consequences.  Coil to the top of the backswing.
• At home, add your arms and imaginary grip on the club. NO club, NO ball, NO practice range, NO golf course, NO consequences.  Coil to the top of the backswing.
• At home, remove the mirror. NO ball, NO club, NO ball, NO practice range, NO golf course, NO consequences.  Coil to the top of the backswing.
• At home, add the club. NO ball, NO practice range, NO golf course, NO consequences.  Coil to the top of the backswing. 
• Go to the practice range. Use a club and ball, NO golf course, NO consequences.  Coil to the top of the backswing.
• Go to the golf course for “social/unimportant rounds.” NO consequences.
• Go to the golf course for that important round. Consequences finally matter!

SPEEDS

EVERY phase above should be installed gradually with lots of repetitions at speeds from a “1” (super-duper slow motion), then 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (full speed).      

VIEWPOINTS

EACH of the PHASES and SPEEDS above, should be done from the face-on view AND the down-the-line view separately, using a mirror and/or video camera to match feel and real.   

“No way Greg, I’m not going through all that – TOO SLOW for me, I want results now!”  Remembering that I am just the messenger of motor skill research and learning theory.  These are my words but not my research.  Being a solo game you can do whatever you want, but you’ve also learned there are long-term performance consequences of skipping education classes, seminars at work, not reading your career training manuals, etc.  You can skip over to any phase (or phases) you wish, but if your reason is you don’t have the patience… Hmm, not sure about that one.  Installing using the phases above may take a few weeks and it may be “installed” for life… faster than 30 years?

Your frustration isn’t because you “just can’t do it”, it’s because you haven’t installed it properly.

PHASES, SPEEDS, VIEWPOINTS.