How to transition practice

[Slowcelica]

So I'm having difficulty transferring my mirror work and practice to my actual swing. It seems like I can do the movements just fine in front of a mirror, without a club in my hand, or without a ball in front of me. But put a ball in front of me or a club in my hand and it's like I forget everything I've worked on and I just want to hi that ball, or worry about what the club is doing. What do you guys do to help transition the things you practice into your swing?

[JonMA1]

Try to be ok with really poor shot results at first?? Even if you're shanking the ball, if you have confidence that what you're doing is correct, it won't take long for you to start getting better results. In your mind, make what you're working on become more important than initial results - if that makes sense.

Having said that, it is so easy for me to fall back into familiar (bad) habits. I think there's even a current thread about this in "Swing Thoughts".

[Slowcelica]

Try to be ok with really poor shot results at first?? Even if you're shanking the ball, if you have confidence that what you're doing is correct, it won't take long for you to start getting better results. In your mind, make what you're working on become more important than initial results - if that makes sense. Having said that, it is so easy for me to fall back into familiar (bad) habits. I think there's even a current thread about this in "Swing Thoughts".

Yea that's the thing that is getting me, I'll hit some really bad shots get frustrated or fatigue sets in and I go back to bad habits.

[JonMA1]

From my little bit of experience, I could make what seemed to be very good practice swings and as soon as I knew I was going to hit a ball, I would do something very different (on video). I almost had to shut my eyes to carry over the practice swing to an actual swing.

It's so much easier to talk about than it is to do. I don't know how other folks did it, but it took what seemed to be way too much effort for me to "get over the hump" you've described. It finally came down to me not caring what the result was. That was the only way to concentrate on the priority piece I was trying to establish.

What ever it ends up being, I'm sure you'll find some way of making the transition. Don't give up and good luck.

Yea that's the thing that is getting me, I'll hit some really bad shots get frustrated or fatigue sets in and I go back to bad habits.

Funny you should mention fatigue. I wonder how much this effects our practices. Have you had practice sessions when you can't hit anything cleanly, give up for an hour or so, then go back out and start hitting well, seemingly without doing anything differently?

It happens to me from time to time. If I purposely take time between shots, this seems to help avoid that situation. Again, easier said than done.

[rkim291968]

So I'm having difficulty transferring my mirror work and practice to my actual swing. It seems like I can do the movements just fine in front of a mirror, without a club in my hand, or without a ball in front of me. But put a ball in front of me or a club in my hand and it's like I forget everything I've worked on and I just want to hi that ball, or worry about what the club is doing.

What do you guys do to help transition the things you practice into your swing?

I was going to post a similar thread.   I have been working on anti-flipping drills.   Without a ball in front, I do ok 4 out of 5 times.  As soon as I put a ball in front, the same swing that just worked doesn't.  Maybe, I do 2 out of 5 ok.  So far, I just assumed that I need to practice longer until I can hit it 4 out of 5 times with a ball in front.

[boogielicious]

So I'm having difficulty transferring my mirror work and practice to my actual swing. It seems like I can do the movements just fine in front of a mirror, without a club in my hand, or without a ball in front of me. But put a ball in front of me or a club in my hand and it's like I forget everything I've worked on and I just want to hi that ball, or worry about what the club is doing.

What do you guys do to help transition the things you practice into your swing?

I film my practice whenever I can.  This helps me see if what I do in front of the mirror translates to hitting balls.  Remember that change is a process.  Some changes can happen quickly and others a long time.

Example: For me, my backswing and setup changes only took a couple of weeks to dial in.  But flattening the shaft plane at A5 is taking a long time.  I've been working on it for a year.

[Slowcelica]

Funny you should mention fatigue. I wonder how much this effects our practices. Have you had practice sessions when you can't hit anything cleanly, give up for an hour or so, then go back out and start hitting well, seemingly without doing anything differently?

It happens to me from time to time. If I purposely take time between shots, this seems to help avoid that situation. Again, easier said than done.

Well I haven't really noticed fatigue as much when practicing, I really meant when playing. Especially after the long winter layoff around hole 12 or so I start getting tired and my fundamentals go to crap. I know this can be helped though by getting in better shape which I plan on doing this year.

It finally came down to me not caring what the result was.

I think this is what it is going to come down to for me as well, is when I do a practice swing i focus on doing my piece correctly, but if I do this during the swing I hit a few shots bad, then i worry more about the result than the priority piece.

[Grinde6]

Just remember that it takes time to hone in a new swing change.  I went through one at the middle of last year because I wanted my shot shape to be a draw instead of a fade, I went from shooting 77-low 80s to shooting 85-96 in tournaments.  Embarrassing as can be especially since one was my club championship where I shot a 96 on the second day.  But I stuck with it and bought a range pass that I use almost every day and it is still a work in progress, but it is effortless now.  Went out Wednesday and shot a 74 with 4 lipped birdie putts and 3 par putts left 2" short...so as much as I hated shooting those high scores, it has all paid off by sticking with it.  When I go to the range I warm up with wedge, then hit 10-15 7-irons and then I practice like I am playing a course, driver then 7 iron approach, etc.  Seems to make it easier when I go and play the actual course since I play it pretty much every day at the range.

[Slowcelica]

Just remember that it takes time to hone in a new swing change.  I went through one at the middle of last year because I wanted my shot shape to be a draw instead of a fade, I went from shooting 77-low 80s to shooting 85-96 in tournaments.  Embarrassing as can be especially since one was my club championship where I shot a 96 on the second day.  But I stuck with it and bought a range pass that I use almost every day and it is still a work in progress, but it is effortless now.  Went out Wednesday and shot a 74 with 4 lipped birdie putts and 3 par putts left 2" short...so as much as I hated shooting those high scores, it has all paid off by sticking with it.  When I go to the range I warm up with wedge, then hit 10-15 7-irons and then I practice like I am playing a course, driver then 7 iron approach, etc.  Seems to make it easier when I go and play the actual course since I play it pretty much every day at the range.

Yea that is where I am at, I decided last year to fix my swing on my own using the 5sk's. I had gotten down to being around a 90's score consistently but after starting to make changes I went up to over a 100 again, at the end of last year I decided to get some help and signed up with evolvr, and have been making changes all winter long. At the end of last year I was back down to 98-99 or so, my goal this year is to get back down to 90's consistently and maybe break into the 80's.

[rkim291968]

Just remember that it takes time to hone in a new swing change.

It seems it takes really long time for those who started late in golf, mostly self taught, and are still in high HI range.

The thing that really helps me is two practice swing pre-shot routine.  If I can't connect cleanly with my practice swings, I do a few more practice swings until I thing I get it.  The problem with this is, when course is full and groups are waiting on every hole (is the case since we play mostly on busy time slots - weekend mornings), I tend to skip the pre-shot routine.   Another problem is, more than often, I don't take divots in practice swings, i.e, my practice swings are not the real one I am about to swing.

[Grinde6]

Man.. @rkim291968 that's a lot of swings you would be taking during a round!  Do you ever get fatigued?  I mean even if you shoot a 72, taking at least 2 practice swings per shot is at least 216 swings your taking per round!!!!!

[rkim291968]

Man..@rkim that's a lot of swings you would be taking during a round!  Do you ever get fatigued?  I mean even if you shoot a 72, taking at least 2 practice swings per shot is at least 216 swings your taking per round!!!!!

I am still relatively young (53 yo) and eager.   Wait, maybe, that's (range practice + 2 extra swings) why I lose focus in later round.   Looking at my round records, 2 years ago, my back 9 scores were better.  Now, my front 9 score is better.   Hmmm ....

[ghalfaire]

So I'm having difficulty transferring my mirror work and practice to my actual swing. It seems like I can do the movements just fine in front of a mirror, without a club in my hand, or without a ball in front of me. But put a ball in front of me or a club in my hand and it's like I forget everything I've worked on and I just want to hi that ball, or worry about what the club is doing.

What do you guys do to help transition the things you practice into your swing?

I would suggest that you try to trust your swing and play golf on the course and don't play swing the club.  This is difficult when your learning to play but it is something you can practice.  Break your practice time into different sessions and let one of them be a trust your swing session.  In other words just pick a target and "visualize the shot", set up to the ball, make sure your hand tension is not a death grip, hit the ball to the target with only the picture in your head of the ball dropping on the target.  If you don't practice trusting your swing you'll never be able to do it on the course.  I am not saying to abandon your practice time where you are trying to develop the correct mechanics, just make sure you include some practice time in the "trust my swing mode".