I started golfing at the age of 50. I did all the things that are recommended to improve my "game." I took group lessons, got private lessons, read books, articles, watched YouTube videos, and on and on. I bought numerous golf gadgets that were guaranteed to improve one or more aspects of my "game." None worked. Surprising in a way, because of lot of them seemed to make sense.
I made a note of my first "real" golf scores at the beginning. My first two rounds, played at two different courses, resulted in scores of 124 both times. During the past 22 years I have learned a lot about golf. I know what club and what shot to employ in every situation. I seldom make a mistake that is the result of an incorrect shot selection. After three years I became a "bogey golfer," which is to say that I normally score 18 shots over par. I've had some excellent rounds and some horrific scores (none as bad as the 124's), but as Popeye used to say, I am what I am - a Bogey Golfer.
There are two related, supervening reasons why I never get any better, despite regular practice and play, and constant attention to my efforts. The first is the phenomenon of "muscle memory." Muscle memory is the phenomenon that occurs when a complex action is repeated so often that it eventually is executed without thinking about it. Relating it to golf, when a golfer develops a swing and commits it to muscle memory, the golfer never has to think about WHAT HE IS DOING again. The swing is automatic. What the golfer thinks about is how to modify the SWING for a specific shot. For example, there are times when the best result will occur if the ball has a slight fade, so the swing is modified to achieve that fade. He is NOT thinking about the swing itself, only the tailoring of that swing to the needs of the specific shot. If a golfer is thinking about the swing while he is swinging the club, the chances of a successful shot are very slim. There are simply too many things to remember. Hands do this, shoulders do that, hips do the other thing, feet do something else, and so on. You can't possibly remember all of those "swing thoughts" while you are swinging the club.
The unfortunate fact is that once you are out of your teens, you lose the capability to develop muscle memory. It simply doesn't happen for adults. You can repeat a motion a million times, and it never becomes automatic. But without an "automatic," repeatable, unthinking swing, it is impossible to correct a flaw. The golf instructor will watch your swing, diagnose any problem(s) with it, but that correction is only good for that one swing. Next time, regardless of the Pro's hint, the basic swing might be completely different, and that correction is meaningless.
I hate to say it, but the only solution is to adopt one of the rote techniques that have so reduced the number of variables that you only need one or at most two swing thoughts, then hope for the best. I'm talking about "Natural Golf," the "single-plane swing," "stack & tilt," and similar techniques.
I give up. But I'll still golf.
I made a note of my first "real" golf scores at the beginning. My first two rounds, played at two different courses, resulted in scores of 124 both times. During the past 22 years I have learned a lot about golf. I know what club and what shot to employ in every situation. I seldom make a mistake that is the result of an incorrect shot selection. After three years I became a "bogey golfer," which is to say that I normally score 18 shots over par. I've had some excellent rounds and some horrific scores (none as bad as the 124's), but as Popeye used to say, I am what I am - a Bogey Golfer.
There are two related, supervening reasons why I never get any better, despite regular practice and play, and constant attention to my efforts. The first is the phenomenon of "muscle memory." Muscle memory is the phenomenon that occurs when a complex action is repeated so often that it eventually is executed without thinking about it. Relating it to golf, when a golfer develops a swing and commits it to muscle memory, the golfer never has to think about WHAT HE IS DOING again. The swing is automatic. What the golfer thinks about is how to modify the SWING for a specific shot. For example, there are times when the best result will occur if the ball has a slight fade, so the swing is modified to achieve that fade. He is NOT thinking about the swing itself, only the tailoring of that swing to the needs of the specific shot. If a golfer is thinking about the swing while he is swinging the club, the chances of a successful shot are very slim. There are simply too many things to remember. Hands do this, shoulders do that, hips do the other thing, feet do something else, and so on. You can't possibly remember all of those "swing thoughts" while you are swinging the club.
The unfortunate fact is that once you are out of your teens, you lose the capability to develop muscle memory. It simply doesn't happen for adults. You can repeat a motion a million times, and it never becomes automatic. But without an "automatic," repeatable, unthinking swing, it is impossible to correct a flaw. The golf instructor will watch your swing, diagnose any problem(s) with it, but that correction is only good for that one swing. Next time, regardless of the Pro's hint, the basic swing might be completely different, and that correction is meaningless.
I hate to say it, but the only solution is to adopt one of the rote techniques that have so reduced the number of variables that you only need one or at most two swing thoughts, then hope for the best. I'm talking about "Natural Golf," the "single-plane swing," "stack & tilt," and similar techniques.
I give up. But I'll still golf.
