This is a phrase often used in golf to explain the gap between what we thing we're doing versus actually what's going on. Many times students might come back for a lesson and convince the coach that the swing move that they've been trying to incorporate now exists in the swing. However when placed on the video or when the coach starts to evaluate the swing, the student can then be surprised that it's not actually what they had imagined.
This can happen even for the advanced golfer. I even find myself sometimes convinced that a swing move that I've been working on now exists, however to my surprise it can be vastly different. The reason for this is twofold: First of all we may not fully understand what the new swing move should look and feel and second we underestimate the amount of repetitions and exaggerations the new technique requires.
Sometimes it might even look different from the Driving Range to the course. This is because under pressure, our old swing patterns tend to come out. Therefore when wanting the change to take effect on the course, we need enough correct repetitions so that over time this becomes your default swing move on the course.
There's a legendary conversation that Tiger Woods had with one of his first coaches before he went on his historic run of tournament wins. He said to his coach that finally 'feel matches real'. So even for one of the best players of all time, he too struggled to change. It took an enormous amount of repetitions for him to finally feel the new swing move. Therefore don't be discouraged if you don't get the new swing move in the first number of lessons!
The two best methods to achieve the new swing move is firstly have lessons and discover exactly what it should look and feel. This may take a number of lessons to understand. Along with lessons, also do your own research on Tour Players and see them do the exact swing move the coach wants you to do. The second part is set up a tripod when you practice and check your swing every 6 to 12 swings. Keep checking until you see the new swing move. You can then start to feel the motion when over the ball. The more you do this, then eventually your swing will morph into the new movement.
I would recommend also not hitting so many balls. Hit 2-3 buckets per week but make these small buckets. Focus on camera monitoring rather than quantity of balls.
If you need any further help in improving your swing, just contact me and book in for a lesson.
