Update - there is a new paragraph at the bottom.
One of the great problems with being a golfer is taking one's "range game" to the course successfully. I ran across a YouTube video that looked specifically at that problem.
Jonathon Taylor provides us with a different look at this vexing problem. His view is that the mind has multiple swings for each club. And when you go to the range and work on something or fix something, that becomes a new swing. The old swing does not get overwritten. Then when you go back to the course, armed with new skills, the brain looks at a familiar situation and pulls up a solution. Sadly - and I think we can say this for golf, but it makes sense in a more serious survival situation - the brain uses a old swing from its library and there you go with a duck hook which was not there at the range.
There is much to support this view of mind and swings. I think Jon is on to something. Now, let's look at his solution...
1) When you are working on a change, find something new that provides a "trigger" for it. We could call this a means to recall the new moves and that may let us cause the brain to use the new swing and not the old one. This might be a movement or position that you want to get to or a feeling when the club is in a good position. Then, when you want to use the new swing, you invoke the trigger.
One point with this that Jon didn't mention, is that when you work on something new, you want to look for the trigger. I'd suggest you write it down and maybe add some commentary about what it does and why you like it. It maybe down the road you will need to revisit this trigger.
2) The new swing has to be coupled with some success. When we return to the course, we want to remember the good swings or hits or ball flights and armed with good memories, coax the brain to go along with the new idea.
3) Finally as you approach the on course shot you want to trust the trigger and believe in it, think about it, and try to use it. Those thoughts will help the brain go and grab the new swing and not fall back on an old solution.
I think Jon is on to something with this. I've noticed that when I'm at the range and hitting it well, (ah but then I repeat myself), I sense the lack of how to remember what I was doing to hit the ball well. Looking for a trigger, finding it, cherishing it, and writing it down seems to be a path with much potential.
On course update from today. It was a good day for playing. I was in a good mood, playing with a good group and the pace of play was good. We might have had to wait for the group in front of us twice during the day. I think we played in 3:45 hours or so. I managed a 37, 39 with a couple of lost shots. I topped two drives on the front nine. I managed some remarkable up and downs -- a soft flop shot that had to land in the deep rough, to then trickle through the fringe and then wander down to a down hill pin. No problem!
Or, a drive to the right to a down hill lie in the rough. Four iron pushed, hitting a tree, then the four iron again to end up pin high from 180 yards on a two tiered green. There was some magic out there. Made most of the short putts and hit it pretty close a lot of times. It was the golfer being somewhat in control of the ball and the results. It doesn't always happen that way. A satisfying day and one that a golfer remembers late at night when reviewing the day and smiles inwardly.
Ok, on to a catalog of triggers!
I was at the range today after an hour of pickleball. The two triggers I came across are: try to bring the heel of the club into the ball - works for all clubs including chips; when putting make sure there is an exaggerated follow through. I play tomorrow, I will report back!
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