Intention.

[Ssshank]

In all other sports, there's no conscious effort in controlling specific body parts to produce the desired result.

After focusing on a pivot driven swing with passive arms for the last few years I decided to go back to a throwing motion of the right arm and the difference in striking was startling.

Do you think we internalise too much instead of focusing on what matters? Which is an action towards the target with no conscious control over the movement of our body, just seeing and doing.

 

[fundy]

In all other sports, there's no conscious effort in controlling specific body parts to produce the desired result.

After focusing on a pivot driven swing with passive arms for the last few years I decided to go back to a throwing motion of the right arm and the difference in striking was startling.

Do you think we internalise too much instead of focusing on what matters? Which is an action towards the target with no conscious control over the movement of our body, just seeing and doing.

Plenty of that sort of effort in cricket (and i expect other sports), golfs not totally alone at all

 

[jmf1488]

I find when I don't think I play my best golf.

I am also one of those people who think too much about the swing. Mechanics maniacs I heard someone refer to our type as.

I try my best now to replicate a feel on my practise swings then just chase that feel in the shot. Works for me.

 

[Orikoru]

As I've said a few times on here, one of the main reasons I've never had lessons is that I hate the idea of over-thinking my swing and making it too mechanical. I've always tried to keep the swing as simple as possible really, and focus more on where I want to send the ball rather than how I'm doing it. I feel I can keep golf more enjoyable that way, and I'd enjoy it far less if I had a sack-full of swing thoughts. My 'sort of' swing thoughts are to keep my posture (stick bum out basically), and don't lift my head and shoulders up before I've hit the ball. Short back swing and just send it. ?

 

[Imurg]

I know nothing about my swing.
Long may it stay that way

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Plenty of that sort of effort in cricket (and i expect other sports), golfs not totally alone at all

Cricket, hockey, tennis in fact most stick and ball sports. The precision required in golf is greater but the concepts are the same.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Jack Nicklaus said that he tried to uncock his wrists from the very top of the swing. As long as everything else moves rapidly down at the same time that's fine. Jim Hardy & Chris O'Connel, Matt Kuchar's coach, also advocate this, they call it "RIT" , right inside throw. Sounds more or less what you are doing.

 

[IanM]

I was introduced to Bob Taylor when I was a young cricketer... I asked him about how he managed to react so quickly when stood up to the stumps.... he replied that there is no time to react, you have to make sure you do the things to be in the right position, that gives the best chance of a good outcome. Good coaching got me to understand them and practice them. (within the limits of my own ability! ) I think back to some games where I didn't even see the ball go into the gloves, I just felt it. It became semi conscious......eventually. But between deliveries, I always stood up with my hands in the positions I needed.

Golf works the same for me... when I have a lesson, it is mainly ensuring I correct some fundamentals that we all divert from over time... we are all different and have different learning style and ways of absorbing information.... but, that gets in me the right places to increase the chances of good stuff happening!!

With respect to the original post, I wouldn't agree.. what do you think Beckham was doing for all those hours on the training field working on his free kicks? Head over ball, optimum run up, where on the foot do I need to hit it.... or maybe he just shut his eyes on match day and swung his foot?

 

[Maninblack4612]

I think it depends on how natural you swing is. Mine isn't, & if I didn't try to control how the club went back I'd have a super shallow, hideous swing which would make hitting medium & long irons almost impossible. I find one swing thought for the backswing & one for the downswing is the most I can cope with. I have a long pause at the top, sometimes I fit another thought in there, what to have for lunch or the meaning of life, for example.

 

[Ssshank]

I was introduced to Bob Taylor when I was a young cricketer... I asked him about how he managed to react so quickly when stood up to the stumps.... he replied that there is no time to react, you have to make sure you do the things to be in the right position, that gives the best chance of a good outcome. Good coaching got me to understand them and practice them. (within the limits of my own ability! ) I think back to some games where I didn't even see the ball go into the gloves, I just felt it. It became semi conscious......eventually. But between deliveries, I always stood up with my hands in the positions I needed.

Golf works the same for me... when I have a lesson, it is mainly ensuring I correct some fundamentals that we all divert from over time... we are all different and have different learning style and ways of absorbing information.... but, that gets in me the right places to increase the chances of good stuff happening!!

With respect to the original post, I wouldn't agree.. what do you think Beckham was doing for all those hours on the training field working on his free kicks? Head over ball, optimum run up, where on the foot do I need to hit it.... or maybe he just shut his eyes on match day and swung his foot?

In regards to Beckham, I doubt he'd practice keeping his back to the target while shifting his weight and allowing the right knee to move over the ball before releasing his foot through into the top right-hand corner.

It is more likely due to hours of practice; visualising and doing. Where there is no thought just reacting and improving on his previous attempts.

Drills are helpful but conscious manipulation has no place in competitive sport.

Fundamentals can be improved and this is important and can be controlled but the swing itself has to be a product of your intention which is the target, not the ball or an isolated movement.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I was introduced to Bob Taylor when I was a young cricketer... I asked him about how he managed to react so quickly when stood up to the stumps.... he replied that there is no time to react, you have to make sure you do the things to be in the right position, that gives the best chance of a good outcome. Good coaching got me to understand them and practice them. (within the limits of my own ability! ) I think back to some games where I didn't even see the ball go into the gloves, I just felt it. It became semi conscious......eventually. But between deliveries, I always stood up with my hands in the positions I needed.

It annoys me intensely when commentators criticise a keeper who stands up and doesn't catch a thick edge. The concept that they can react and move their hands to catch a nick is utter nonsense and anyone who has kept wicket will know this. That former pro's don't know this is flat out annoying and poor. In terms of your point, no keeper can ever see a legside take when stood up. It is all by feel, practice, technique.

Taylor was a wonderful keeper, a class act.

 

[Orikoru]

It annoys me intensely when commentators criticise a keeper who stands up and doesn't catch a thick edge. The concept that they can react and move their hands to catch a nick is utter nonsense and anyone who has kept wicket will know this. That former pro's don't know this is flat out annoying and poor. In terms of your point, no keeper can ever see a legside take when stood up. It is all by feel, practice, technique.

Taylor was a wonderful keeper, a class act.

But they have massive gloves on to help them catch for Christ's sake, it's not rocket surgery.

 

[Imurg]

But they have massive gloves on to help them catch for Christ's sake, it's not rocket surgery.

How about Brain Science?

 

[fundy]

But they have massive gloves on to help them catch for Christ's sake, it's not rocket surgery.

says a man whos never kept wicket, let alone stood up to someone bowling 75mph+

 

[Lord Tyrion]

But they have massive gloves on to help them catch for Christ's sake, it's not rocket surgery.

They aren't like baseball mitts. The webbing between thumb and forefinger assists with diving catches but not really when stood up. The rest of the glove makes your hands bigger but they are not buckets. Any deviation takes the ball away from the sweet spot between your hands and against the thumb line. The ball just bounces off there.

Fundy has it right, you would need to have done it. It's a big like non golfers asking why the game is hard. The ball doesn't move before you hit it, no one is trying to tackle you etc

 

[Orikoru]

Two bites, not bad. As you were.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Like others my best golf comes from playing with a free mind and letting the swing simply happen and trust the work done in practice or warm up

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Two bites, not bad. As you were.

Too easy, I'm ashamed

 

[Jigger]

search for any sport on youtube followed by the word technique and I doubt You’ll have no returns.

 

[Ssshank]

A good way of conceptualising this.

If you get into a golf posture, ball in right hand and throw the ball on top of the ball placed in your usual set up position on the ground you'll look like most amateurs: weight hanging back, breakdown of the wrists and lead arm post-impact and with minimal rotation.

If you throw side underarm out towards the target you'll see a full extension and a clearing of the body.

Would make sense as to why many of the greats were quote as saying they hit with their right hand.

They aren't artificially creating the conditions of impact but their body is responding to their intent such as when you skip a stone across the pond.