Andrew Braley, GolfTEC Owner and Coach in Nashville, TN, gives his advice on knowing when to practice and when to play.
As you take lessons, it is a common fault to always think about the swing changes you are trying to make — loosing track of the ultimate goal of playing better golf. There is a big difference between playing golf and swinging a club. If you are worried about how to swing, you are not playing golf. Swing changes should be worked out on the practice tee, not on the course.
When you are given drills to work on, they should be in cycles of five. Hit five shots thinking about the change or working the drill and then five hitting shots with only the target in mind. This sounds simple, but it takes a lot of will power to not think.
Shooting a free throw
I use the example of shooting a free throw: If you were to think about how many times you dribbled the ball, what angle your arm is at when you release, how long it took for the ball to roll off you fingers, the arch it was going to be on, and whether it was going to hit the front or the back of the rim. You would never make a free throw. Instead you focus on the basket and let it go.
At some point in learning how to shoot a free throw you had to factor all of those in. Golf is no different than any other sport. There is a time to focus on the process, but when it comes down to performing, you must be a focus on the result. You have to practice how you play, or you are just swinging a club.
From thoughts to feelings
The first swing or two when you are not “thinking” might not be the outcome you are expecting, but you have to get used to not being caught up in your thoughts. It should get better with a couple of cycles. You will find the progression of shots to improve. Swing changes should go from thoughts (which create a lot of tension) to feelings (which are more subconscious), feelings become your own swing.
The amount of time it takes to make a swing change should be shortened. An old saying in teaching goes, “It takes one year to learn to swing a club, and two years to learn to play.” If you are learning to play at the same time you are making the swing changes you are ahead of the curve. The subconscious will do 75-80% of what you want, you just have to let it happen.
Hitting balls over and over again working on a drill just reinforces that drill. The golf swing has to be a fluid motion — not one you are thinking through. I have seen some of the best ball strikers on the range, that cannot carry it to the course. Practice how you play.
Thanks to Andrew for the great insight. Questions and comments are welcome.
