Speeding up swing change

[Canary_Yellow]

I had a lesson a couple of weeks ago which resulted in a relatively significant change to my swing. Not massive in the sense a swing path change might be, but a change to club face orientation throughout the swing.

On the range, I can do what I need to do and hit it beautifully (even if I do say so myself). It might take a few swings for me to remember the new feeling, but after that, with a few blips I can do it.

However, this is primarily because I get into something of a rhythm and only have something like 30 - 60 seconds between shots.

So then taking it to the course, I'm a bit more tense and I can't get the right feeling and can't execute the new swing feeling and revert to old habits.

I know the answer is to continue to practice the change, and I will do that of course, however, what I'm after is a drill or method for improving the quality of my practice.

In particular something that disrupts my rhythm on the range in between shots to make it more aligned to being on the course. I already do the play as if I'm playing my own course thing, so not just bashing the same club over and over.

Anyone got any good tips? I realise there's no substitution for hitting a lot of balls, and I'm not looking for one, just something to supplement that and improve the quality of my practice.

 

[Capella]

If your ceiling is high enough and you have a bit of room at your home, just have a club at hand and do swings with it as often as possible, maybe even in slow mo, going through the positions and feeling you are after. If it isn't too much bother, film yourself with your smartphone while you do it and check what it looks like on camera (because feelings can be deceiving, especially if you have no ball flight to judge your movement by).

It is not as good as practice on the range, but you can do it far more often and spontaneously.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I do that in my garden, only problem is without seeing the ball flight it's very hard to know if I'm practicing the right thing so don't want to do too much in case I make something bad permanent!

 

[ger147]

I had a lesson a couple of weeks ago which resulted in a relatively significant change to my swing. Not massive in the sense a swing path change might be, but a change to club face orientation throughout the swing.

On the range, I can do what I need to do and hit it beautifully (even if I do say so myself). It might take a few swings for me to remember the new feeling, but after that, with a few blips I can do it.

However, this is primarily because I get into something of a rhythm and only have something like 30 - 60 seconds between shots.

So then taking it to the course, I'm a bit more tense and I can't get the right feeling and can't execute the new swing feeling and revert to old habits.

I know the answer is to continue to practice the change, and I will do that of course, however, what I'm after is a drill or method for improving the quality of my practice.

In particular something that disrupts my rhythm on the range in between shots to make it more aligned to being on the course. I already do the play as if I'm playing my own course thing, so not just bashing the same club over and over.

Anyone got any good tips? I realise there's no substitution for hitting a lot of balls, and I'm not looking for one, just something to supplement that and improve the quality of my practice.

Don't hit the same club all the time. Work out what clubs you would generally hit to play a round of golf round your course and hit those in order. That should be about 36 shots give or take a couple either way. And to break up your rhythm, have a few wedges also sitting and every 2nd shot should be a short pitch with a lofted wedge e.g. 30 yard pitch, flop shot, low punchy running shot etc.

So you'll be constantly chopping and chanhing clubs and also going back and forth between your new swing change vs existing set up and technique for pitching, flop shots etc.

 

[lukeysafc100]

When I'm on the range I like to visualise that I'm playing the holes of the course.
So start at hole one - hit the shot off the tee. Imagine where that shot landed in comparison to the hole and then play the next shot.

Its a good way to train your mind as well

 

[garyinderry]

I will go against the grain here and say just go to the range with say a 6 and an 8 iron.


The more times you hit the shot right, the more chance you have of hitting it well on the course.


Pros hit 100s a day.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thanks everyone.

Sounds like there isn't much that I can do other than what I'm doing already, so I'll keep plugging away!

 

[Foxholer]

...
So then taking it to the course, I'm a bit more tense and I can't get the right feeling and can't execute the new swing feeling and revert to old habits.

I know the answer is to continue to practice the change, and I will do that of course, however, what I'm after is a drill or method for improving the quality of my practice.
...

Methinks you have it backwards! You should be looking for some sort of trigger that makes you on-course swing work like your 'grooved' new swing!

When I changed my swing to any significant extent (and there were several such iterations), I practiced until it was grooved, then played a few holes hoping that it hung in the same (new) style. If it didn't - and there was no conscious effort to make it do so - then I'd go back to the practice regime afterwards (to hopefully get it sorted again!), then try again the following time (day).

So it's really just a case of 'sticking at it and let the changes happen rather than trying to force them!

 

[Capella]

A pro I went on a golf trip with (and who was a pro player before she became a teaching pro) gave me the tip to take a lot of time with each ball. She said she never pours out the basket of balls, but instead leaves it a bit behind the mat beside her golf bag, so that every time between shots she has to step away from the mat to get a new ball. The further away you keep the balls the better (though it starts to get ridiculous at some point). She says she takes at least an hour to hit 50 balls.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Methinks you have it backwards! You should be looking for some sort of trigger that makes you on-course swing work like your 'grooved' new swing!

When I changed my swing to any significant extent (and there were several such iterations), I practiced until it was grooved, then played a few holes hoping that it hung in the same (new) style. If it didn't - and there was no conscious effort to make it do so - then I'd go back to the practice regime afterwards (to hopefully get it sorted again!), then try again the following time (day).

So it's really just a case of 'sticking at it and let the changes happen rather than trying to force them!

I think that's what I'm doing already, but haven't got to the point of my new swing being grooved and therefore when I am on the course and I am target oriented rather than swing oriented, I am slipping away from the new swing.

More grooving required, which sounds like it is a matter of hitting more balls! I'm fine with that though, I'm not scared of a bit of graft at the driving range!

 

[Orikoru]

A pro I went on a golf trip with (and who was a pro player before she became a teaching pro) gave me the tip to take a lot of time with each ball. She said she never pours out the basket of balls, but instead leaves it a bit behind the mat beside her golf bag, so that every time between shots she has to step away from the mat to get a new ball. The further away you keep the balls the better (though it starts to get ridiculous at some point). She says she takes at least an hour to hit 50 balls.

That's not great for the old back though.

 

[Capella]

That's not great for the old back though.

I don't know. I think it might be better for the back (and any other bodypart involved) to do differnt forms of movement intermittendly and with little breaks in between than to just bang ball after ball after ball. But I might be wrong. If you can't painlesly bend over to pick up a ball, you probably shouldn't swing a golfclub either?

 

[the_coach]

I had a lesson a couple of weeks ago which resulted in a relatively significant change to my swing. Not massive in the sense a swing path change might be, but a change to club face orientation throughout the swing.

On the range, I can do what I need to do and hit it beautifully (even if I do say so myself). It might take a few swings for me to remember the new feeling, but after that, with a few blips I can do it.
However, this is primarily because I get into something of a rhythm and only have something like 30 - 60 seconds between shots.

So then taking it to the course, I'm a bit more tense and I can't get the right feeling and can't execute the new swing feeling and revert to old habits.

I know the answer is to continue to practice the change, and I will do that of course, however, what I'm after is a drill or method for improving the quality of my practice.
In particular something that disrupts my rhythm on the range in between shots to make it more aligned to being on the course. I already do the play as if I'm playing my own course thing, so not just bashing the same club over and over.
Anyone got any good tips? I realise there's no substitution for hitting a lot of balls, and I'm not looking for one, just something to supplement that and improve the quality of my practice.

any range bay practice it's never useful just to pour the balls into auto feeder or empty bucket into tray & just drag & hit
all that's happing then is just machine gun hitting which is not a solid ways to practice

in play you stand behind ball to pick definite target line then walk to side & set-up club face alignment - grip hold - body alignments - posture
if looking to cement swing change so it 'sticks' out on course for sure need to echo all this in any range bay practice - less balls struck but more realistic ‘to play’ practice time
for sure ‘warm up’ but after say 6 balls with one club - then practice proper don't hit the same club twice in row don't pick the same target twice in row

don't always set-up in line with the mat - so one leftfield on diagonal - one 'with' the mat - one rightfield on diagonal
keep the basket at the back so you gotta walk away from the mat & take a few steps to get the next ball

also how are you monitoring the fact that you really are putting the new thoughts new technique into a swing?

if just by shot results alone - am betting that with the 'old swing technique' once some rhythm had been found you could hit some balls pretty decent to target anyways - it's not always a ways easy for folks to rely only on just 'feeling' that they are doing the changes needed - often times during practice sessions the swing morphs back more to what it was before

only ways to know for sure is to video at least the start of practice (once warmed up) on the iPad or cell & review the video - then you got some constructive input into the practice - then video a few swings from the end of the session you got stuff to compare to see what actually has been achieved plus it means with that you got a definite agenda for the next session

you don’t say exactly what the change/s is/are just that it involves club face orientation (often times that will mean a change in path & attack angle as tends to be all connected)

as an example
say someone has been rolling the hands over at the start of takeaway so also opening up the club face that also means the club goes back under plane and on an inside path (which then often times affects transition & downswing path attack angle & swing direction as well as club face orientation)

so for someone doing this would be real useful to put an alignment stick just in front of the trail foot that’s parallel to the target line - then during a number of swings it will be pretty apparent that the club at takeback is nowhere near parallel to that stick and is pointing well inside back over the heel line with the butt end of the club pointing to the overside of the ball/target line

plus if also recorded on first playback would see that unwanted ‘hand/wrist’ action with the hands moving away from the body as soon as they move

so making practice echo the psr on course plus utilizing ‘tools’ like alignment sticks and recording is for sure real key in changing things in the most efficient ways both in terms of getting the new technique down quicker but also in a ways that it ‘sticks’ a whole bunch better when back out on the course

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've found (the hard way) that I can be great at the range and never take it to the range so this summer I'm playing more on the course and keeping my range/practice ground work to a minimum and looking at the short game

 

[Canary_Yellow]

any range bay practice it's never useful just to pour the balls into auto feeder or empty bucket into tray & just drag & hit
all that's happing then is just machine gun hitting which is not a solid ways to practice

in play you stand behind ball to pick definite target line then walk to side & set-up club face alignment - grip hold - body alignments - posture
if looking to cement swing change so it 'sticks' out on course for sure need to echo all this in any range bay practice - less balls struck but more realistic ‘to play’ practice time
for sure ‘warm up’ but after say 6 balls with one club - then practice proper don't hit the same club twice in row don't pick the same target twice in row

don't always set-up in line with the mat - so one leftfield on diagonal - one 'with' the mat - one rightfield on diagonal
keep the basket at the back so you gotta walk away from the mat & take a few steps to get the next ball

also how are you monitoring the fact that you really are putting the new thoughts new technique into a swing?

if just by shot results alone - am betting that with the 'old swing technique' once some rhythm had been found you could hit some balls pretty decent to target anyways - it's not always a ways easy for folks to rely only on just 'feeling' that they are doing the changes needed - often times during practice sessions the swing morphs back more to what it was before

only ways to know for sure is to video at least the start of practice (once warmed up) on the iPad or cell & review the video - then you got some constructive input into the practice - then video a few swings from the end of the session you got stuff to compare to see what actually has been achieved plus it means with that you got a definite agenda for the next session

you don’t say exactly what the change/s is/are just that it involves club face orientation (often times that will mean a change in path & attack angle as tends to be all connected)

as an example
say someone has been rolling the hands over at the start of takeaway so also opening up the club face that also means the club goes back under plane and on an inside path (which then often times affects transition & downswing path attack angle & swing direction as well as club face orientation)

so for someone doing this would be real useful to put an alignment stick just in front of the trail foot that’s parallel to the target line - then during a number of swings it will be pretty apparent that the club at takeback is nowhere near parallel to that stick and is pointing well inside back over the heel line with the butt end of the club pointing to the overside of the ball/target line

plus if also recorded on first playback would see that unwanted ‘hand/wrist’ action with the hands moving away from the body as soon as they move

so making practice echo the psr on course plus utilizing ‘tools’ like alignment sticks and recording is for sure real key in changing things in the most efficient ways both in terms of getting the new technique down quicker but also in a ways that it ‘sticks’ a whole bunch better when back out on the course

Brilliant - thank you. Very good advice.

Yes I've been opening the club face and then attacking from the inside but not squaring the face so it starts right and goes further right.

I don't think I'd been getting under plane, but that's because I was pushing my hands away from me on the backswing and then getting steep. Don't know if that explanation is any good!

I revert to opening up the face when under the pressure of not slicing it on the course, which, you guessed it, causes a slice.

More range time, but quality range time, for me.