Translating practice swings into real ones

[MiniBlueDragon]

I assume that many people make changes to their swing as I do, whereby we use a mirror or video to take a look at the positions we're trying to achieve in the swing. Clearly hitting positions is fairly easy in front of a mirror but how do you personally translate those positions into a full swing?

I've found for me the process is normally:

1. Mirror practice on specific positions to achieve.
2. Mirror practice moving between positions if needed.
3. Garden practice (moving between) positions at half speed.
4. Range practice (moving between) positions and hitting balls at half speed.
5. Range practice (moving between) positions and hitting balls at full speed.

The problems occur for me at step 5 above when swinging at full speed, e.g. my current flaw is being unable to retain my flying wedge for long enough; I seem to start straightening my right wrist directly after impact rather than retaining it into P8 before letting it go. I can happily hit every position perfectly and hit lovely shots at half speed but the second I try to hit at full speed it goes completely wrong and my consistency suffers in terms of fat/thin shots, although they're all relatively straight.

How do you personally overcome the translation from half to full swing?

[Topper]

I think tension is the big difference.  Practice swings are inherently loose..even at full speed.  I know that I can get more club speed with a better "whipping" action and less flipping if I stay relaxed.  But when I address the ball, I guess a different part of my brain takes over and I naturally want to increase my grip pressure, speed up my take away, and bad things happen from there.

[iacas]

"Talent Code" it.

Do it at 5% speed for 20+ repetitions. If you do it well, do it at 10% speed. Then 15. 20. 25. 30. 35. 40. If you mess up, go back five.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Very nice idea iacas, thanks! I presume the idea here is that we're using the full swing motion but changing only the speed (or distance to hit the ball) to get the body used to it.

Like the reps and punishment idea too, e.g. drop back to 5% to remember how it should be.

[jeffhale08]

Grip pressure and tempo are the 2 biggest differences between the practice swing and the real deal for me.  I do work on the driving range where I step back a bit away from the ball and take a smooth practice swing, maybe 2, then immediately step into the shot and try my best to repeat the practice swing and just let the ball get in the way.  This has seemed to work best for me to ingrain a smooth, flowing swing.  Over the years as I have gotten older and fatter, I tend to stop my backswing short sometimes, this causes me to come down quick and lose tempo and timing.  This drill has helped me alot over the past few years to slow everything down and keep good tempo.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by iacas

"Talent Code" it.

Do it at 5% speed for 20+ repetitions. If you do it well, do it at 10% speed. Then 15. 20. 25. 30. 35. 40. If you mess up, go back five.

Couldn't agree more.  It takes a lot of discipline but pays off.

[JetFan1983]

This probably isn't an answer you want to hear, but I am not talented enough to make changes on my own, or even understand or feel if I'm actually making them, if I'm on my own. I need an instructor present. However, thankfully, I am able to practice what my teacher tells me to practice. I learn what the correct "feeling" is during the lesson and then I can work on it by myself later in the week.

The only way I was ever able to find the correct feelings though was with my instructor present with his high speed camera rolling. I remember feeling what impact is supposed to feel like for the first time and I literally said out loud to my teacher "so that's what impact feels like? Weird." Sure enough, when watching the video clip afterwards, there it was, clear as day: forward shaft lean at impact.

Never would've found it on my own. I'm not saying you and me are the same player; I'm just demonstrating an example of how difficult making changes is/was for me. I did literally everything naturally wrong when I first started. I have no actual talent for this game. I still can't believe that there is a whole population of people out there who can improve just by beating balls on their own and never opening a book or watching an insightful youtube video. So unfair!