Golfers Are Consistent - A Golfer's Good and Bad Swings Look the Same and Are Repeatable

[mvmac]

Thanks. I kept rewinding to see what he was talking about and just couldn't see it...even in slow motion slow motion

Did you see the swing sequence I posted above with Poulter or the one @iacas shared in the original post? Check it out, basically the same swings with much different results.

[saevel25]

Did you see the swing sequence I posted above with Poulter or the one @iacas shared in the original post? Check it out, basically the same swings with much different results.

Key's 4 and 5 are a pain to master

[Rynrem]

Thanks. I kept rewinding to see what he was talking about and just couldn't see it...even in slow motion slow motion

Did you see the swing sequence I posted above with Poulter or the one @iacas shared in the original post? Check it out, basically the same swings with much different results.

Yes. I was just trying to see what Johnny was talking about

[RFKFREAK]

Key's 4 and 5 are a pain to master

but good to know since I'm having a difficult time getting a swing with an acceptable Key 2.

[logphil]

yeah, couldn't agree with more about being consistent, but rather trying to swing better. If you put the average golfer on video for the first time they would have no idea what their swing even looked like compared to what it feels like. So I couldn't agree more with what is said about swings not changing very much because there is such small margin for era. great post

[boogielicious]

yeah, couldn't agree with more about being consistent, but rather trying to swing better. If you put the average golfer on video for the first time they would have no idea what their swing even looked like compared to what it feels like. So I couldn't agree more with what is said about swings not changing very much because there is such small margin for era. great post

Welcome to the site @logphil .  Thanks for posting.

[JonMA1]

yeah, couldn't agree with more about being consistent, but rather trying to swing better. If you put the average golfer on video for the first time they would have no idea what their swing even looked like compared to what it feels like. So I couldn't agree more with what is said about swings not changing very much because there is such small margin for era. great post

Would you consider this the toughest hurdle towards getting better?

[dscianni]

at the same time, if something that looks totally similar brings completely different results, how are we supposed to improve? or is video somthing completely un-useful?

[mvmac]

at the same time, if something that looks totally similar brings completely different results, how are we supposed to improve? or is video somthing completely un-useful?

We're talking about your "play" swing, how it repeats and looks the same regardless of the result. Not swings where you're working on the range or with your instructor and consciously trying to change something, although sometimes those swings can also look similar . If that's the case, then do this:

Video is very useful, helps you check to make sure you're changing the picture and how your feels are translating to the swing.

[JonMA1]

I hate disagreeing with Mike, Erik and the more experienced players on this site. Partially out of respect, but mostly because of the obvious. So would someone please explain what just happened to me?

After a couple of days of ok practicing at my private driving range (which is what I call the field next to my property), I went out after work today and couldn't hit anything solid. So I propped the cell phone up and took some video thinking I would see some slight regression in one of the 3 keys I've been working on. There was nothing slight about what I saw. Just a complete cluster#!% of a swing - mainly keeping my weight way back at impact.

I'll accept the probability that I'm just freakishly bad at golf and a complete spazz, but this really surprised me. Once I saw it, I made some adjustments and was able to get back on track - which I feel pretty good about. It just really blindsided me and is reminder of why I don't play in a league.

So if our swings are generally consistent, why did mine regress so drastically? Is it just me? I know even good players have bad days or start to fall back on bad habits, but I always thought it would be a more subtle change.

[Lihu]

I hate disagreeing with Mike, Erik and the more experienced players on this site. Partially out of respect, but mostly because of the obvious. So would someone please explain what just happened to me?

After a couple of days of ok practicing at my private driving range (which is what I call the field next to my property), I went out after work today and couldn't hit anything solid. So I propped the cell phone up and took some video thinking I would see some slight regression in one of the 3 keys I've been working on. There was nothing slight about what I saw. Just a complete cluster#!% of a swing - mainly keeping my weight way back at impact.

I'll accept the probability that I'm just freakishly bad at golf and a complete spazz, but this really surprised me. Once I saw it, I made some adjustments and was able to get back on track - which I feel pretty good about. It just really blindsided me and is reminder of why I don't play in a league.

So if our swings are generally consistent, why did mine regress so drastically? Is it just me? I know even good players have bad days or start to fall back on bad habits, but I always thought it would be a more subtle change.

This could be more or less my problem all last week. Could you be losing your balance from leaning too far forward at address?

[JonMA1]

This could be more or less my problem all last week. Could you be losing your balance from leaning too far forward at address?

I'm not really sure. My best guess is that we are both trying to develop a new swing and it just isn't natural yet. I know this doesn't apply to you, but I haven't hit into an open space all winter so maybe that had something to do with it. What the heck do I know?

My question had more to do with the fact that my swing wasn't even close to being repeatable nor consistent. I'm glad I now know it can happen. Hopefully I can be prepared for it or prevent it from happening to this extent again.

[natureboy]

This could be more or less my problem all last week. Could you be losing your balance from leaning too far forward at address?

I'm not really sure. My best guess is that we are both trying to develop a new swing and it just isn't natural yet. I know this doesn't apply to you, but I haven't hit into an open space all winter so maybe that had something to do with it. What the heck do I know?

My question had more to do with the fact that my swing wasn't even close to being repeatable nor consistent. I'm glad I now know it can happen. Hopefully I can be prepared for it or prevent it from happening to this extent again.

Common regression fault for me too, especially after winter layoff.

For me anyway I think it comes from visualizing the club 'hitting' straight through the ball to the target rather than catching it along a swung arc. Starting back out I am trying to be very conscious of my weight shift to the lead leg during transition and mentally visualizing the ball being along an arced path for the club with less mental focus on the target line.

[mvmac]

My best guess is that we are both trying to develop a new swing and it just isn't natural yet.

That would be my take as well, it's still not your "play" swing. Keep working on it, you've made some great progress.

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="JonMA1" url="/t/80211/a-golfers-good-and-bad-swings-look-the-same-theyre-repeatable-and-consistent/36#post_1116481"]   My best guess is that we are both trying to develop a new swing and it just isn't natural yet.  [/QUOTE] That would be my take as well, it's still not your "play" swing. Keep working on it, you've made some great progress.

Yup, lots more work. . .I mean there's no fun in having a good swing. I mean why would you want to par or birdie everything anyway? :-D

[rodgerbailey]

I'm not a golfer, but I'm particularly interested in how our brain manages our timing. What I've discovered is that everyone pops-out (has momentary losses of focus and coordination) , but those with better athletic results are those who pop-out fewer times per minute. A bad pop-out is more than 50ms duration.

My thought is that yes, you build a 'program' in your brain for your swing (you build that program by repeating that swing many, many times) . So, it should be perfectly repeatable. But, if you pop-out during your swing, and the program execution gets screwed up for 50ms or more, then ball doesn't go where you want it to.

The problem is that when the ball doesn't go where you want it to, 'golf culture' wants you to take more golf lessons, but those golf lessons relate to the "program" you have installed for your swing. If your program is actually faulty, then of course, you need lessons to fix that "program."

But, those pesky timing circuits in our brains are what provides the timing attributes of the execution of that "program." In other words, if you pop-out during the execution of any skill or technique of your sport, there can be faulty execution consequences.

Just saying . . . maybe the swing's okay, and you need to address timing to get your swing back on track.

Tiger woods had great timing as he started, but now we see him pop-out often.

[Big C]

P.S. The answer? Which shot was the "good" one and which was the "bad" one? Maybe later. For now, I'm content to make my point.

While not the point of this thread, I gotta admit that I am somewhat curious. Can you share the answer?

[iacas]

My thought is that yes, you build a 'program' in your brain for your swing (you build that program by repeating that swing many, many times). So, it should be perfectly repeatable. But, if you pop-out during your swing, and the program execution gets screwed up for 50ms or more, then ball doesn't go where you want it to.

The problem is that when the ball doesn't go where you want it to, 'golf culture' wants you to take more golf lessons, but those golf lessons relate to the "program" you have installed for your swing. If your program is actually faulty, then of course, you need lessons to fix that "program."

…

Just saying . . . maybe the swing's okay, and you need to address timing to get your swing back on track.

The swing isn't okay in most golfers. Most golfers are bad golfers because their swing, which is already pretty consistent, is consistently bad.

While not the point of this thread, I gotta admit that I am somewhat curious. Can you share the answer?

To be honest, I forget which at this point.