Gimmicky Drills Everywhere - Who Does Enough Reps of These to Ingrain a New Motor Skill?

[Hugh Jars]

Everywhere you look on social media there a gimmicky, "quick fix" drills to sort out flaws in a golf swing. From using coat hangers, to hitting a ball like a hockey player, to one leg in front of the other, to placing balls in between arms, to using pool noodles and using training aids to correct grip and wrist cock.

People don't understand the number of repetitions that are required to ingrain a new motor skill. And the more complex the skill, the more repetitions required and the more detailed the progression must be. And with no clear progression to an actual full swing the effect of the drill is further nullified. So flaws remain uncorrected. And players look for more drills. And the social media golf 'experts' dream up new gimmicks.

Id hazard a guess that 99% of amateur golfers don't have the mental reliance to perform enough reps of a drill or an understanding of how to correctly progress a drill to a full swing for these drills to be of any use.

Not one of the golf 'experts' on social media talk about progression. No one talks about the number of reps required to stick a new motor skill. Its just catchy gimmicks giving false hope. Id say an overwhelming majority of golf coaching pros have no qualifications in sports science (motor control, physiology, biomechanics, psychology) to understand this, so how can they convey this message effectively? They cant. I can't take any advice seriously from any golf coach who has no background in sports science. Yet they charge for lessons as though they are doctors.

Discuss.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Hugh Jars

[Vinsk]

15 minutes ago, Hugh Jars said:

Id hazard a guess that 99% of amateur golfers don't have the mental reliance to perform enough reps of a drill or an understanding of how to correctly progress a drill to a full swing for these drills to be of any use.

Well I suppose this is part of what a good instructor would explain. As far as the mental reliance that really isn’t the instructor’s fault. I have a hard time performing a movement slowly. I mean, I can do it slowly but the transition to any speed is very difficult for me. Of course this is a very varied from one person to the next I’m sure. I for example am very untalented when it comes to the golf swing. I have zero sense of feel. I can stand in a mirror and perform the position I’m trying to do. I can do the move then look in the mirror and I’ve done it. Then put a ball down and the feeling is lost into oblivion. But I don’t agree one has to have a sports science background to be a good instructor. It may help with some types of people but everyone. 

[Piz]

Drills are a part of the process.  None of us were born with the ability to tie our shoes.  The ability yes but it was only through repetition that we were able to put it behind us and move on to something else.  Is every drill appropriate for every person?  Of course not.  That doesn't mean that drills are bullshit.  If holding a newspaper under your arm helps you to understand fly-casting...what's the harm?  And why should anyone else care?

[Patch]

My thought is the newbie golfer needs the instructor to show the newbie what has to happen in the golf swing to make the ball fly in a playable manner. 

Once shown, in a series of instructions, it's up to the newbie to train their own motor skills to achieve what has been shown by the instructor. Some students will develope those golf motor skills faster, and in a more complete manner. 

In other words, instructors can talk about the mental aspects and show the physical aspects of the swing, but it is up to the student to develope those swing aspects to fit their own talent level.  

[Hugh Jars]

3 hours ago, Piz said:

Drills are a part of the process.  None of us were born with the ability to tie our shoes.  The ability yes but it was only through repetition that we were able to put it behind us and move on to something else.  Is every drill appropriate for every person?  Of course not.  That doesn't mean that drills are bullshit.  If holding a newspaper under your arm helps you to understand fly-casting...what's the harm?  And why should anyone else care?

Drills are bullshit if theyre not practiced repetitively and progressed

[Groucho Valentine]

Well this guy is just a ray of sunshine isnt he? 

[Vinsk]

6 hours ago, Hugh Jars said:

Drills are bullshit if theyre not practiced repetitively and progressed

I don’t think anybody is saying otherwise. But this aspect of drills is not the instructor's responsibility. It’s the student’s. Maybe you have but I haven’t seen an instructor say ‘do this drill once and your problems will be solved.’ What I have seen is gimmick clubs that claim to cure a problem instantly. Which is bs.

[DeadMan]

I mean, it is a surprise that people don't know how to practice correctly?

I personally really like doing drills that get me more specific and shorter. The key part is translating that feel from the drill to the full swing. That can be difficult. Depends on the drill, though. If I'm hitting the ball too close to the heel, I have a drill that will center my contact in 2-3 swings. Other drills I will be doing for literally months before I see results in my swing.

[criley4way]

8 hours ago, Patch said:

My thought is the newbie golfer needs the instructor to show the newbie what has to happen in the golf swing to make the ball fly in a playable manner. 

Once shown, in a series of instructions, it's up to the newbie to train their own motor skills to achieve what has been shown by the instructor. Some students will develope those golf motor skills faster, and in a more complete manner. 

In other words, instructors can talk about the mental aspects and show the physical aspects of the swing, but it is up to the student to develope those swing aspects to fit their own talent level.  

This can be a struggle. When I take a lesson I have a 5 min summary. What is the issue I am working on, what are the drills, how do I set them up, what is the feedback to know I am doing it correctly

[billchao]

7 hours ago, Hugh Jars said:

Drills are bullshit if theyre not practiced repetitively and progressed

That's on the golfer. If they aren't practicing properly, it's not the instructor's fault, and it doesn't make the drill bullshit.

[Vinsk]

Let’s get some input from an accomplished instructor @iacas.

[nevets88]

I’m not sure if you meant they don’t talk about progression in the actual clip but I can think of instructors who do talk about proper practice in a number of videos in their video library. I can think of one instructor that in his clips, specifically points out use video to verify you’re actually changing the picture. 

[iacas]

On 5/3/2019 at 10:45 AM, Vinsk said:

Let’s get some input from an accomplished instructor @iacas.

I don't have much to add.

The drills aren't bullshit just because students are lazy or something. Give the best drill ever for a particular student and it is still a great drill even if the guy doesn't do it.

Some drills don't have to be done very much - they create a feeling and then reproducing the forum is the purpose of the drill, not necessarily doing the drill itself 10,000 times or whatever.