What to do? Play with new swing thought or "revert"?

[djfajt71]

I recently started with Evolvr and am very eager to finally fix my all of my flaws!  I recently completed my first submission and was given a new swing thought and a slightly narrower stance to begin working on.  I am stopping by the range today to begin my work on it. Here is my dilemma.  I am playing in a scramble this Saturday.  Do I try to incorporate the new swing thought and stance so soon?  Or, for that day, do I go with what I know and go back to the training after the scramble?  If it helps, the specific swing thought is to relax my arms more on my downswing.  My arms are initiating my downswing, instead of letting my hips do so. 

[saevel25]

Just now, djfajt71 said:

I am stopping by the range today to begin my work on it. Here is my dilemma.  I am playing in a scramble this Saturday.  Do I try to incorporate the new swing thought and stance so soon?  Or, for that day, do I go with what I know and go back to the training after the scramble?  If it helps, the specific swing thought is to relax my arms more on my downswing.  My arms are initiating my downswing, instead of letting my hips do so. 

It's tough to say. 

You really can not play good golf while trying to teach yourself a new swing mechanic. If even if a little bit of that feel helps you then that could be good. If not then stick with your current swing and play your current ball flight. Don't try to force something you can't do. 

[djfajt71]

@saevel25 Thanks for the advice!  That's what I was thinking also, but I was worried that it may have just been the fear of enacting change.  Back to the old swing for tomorrow and press on with the improvements afterward!

[newtogolf]

I've seen @iacas post on the site that he doesn't believe we can have multiple swings that we can switch back and forth to 

Quote

I mean stop saying (and thinking) it's like this: " I should probably go back to that swing".

It's just the one swing. You don't have multiple swings (I'm not talking about a punch shot swing, a flop shot swing, etc.). Your swing is your swing. It might change over time, but you don't have different swings that you get to switch between.

Building one good swing is hard enough.

If that's the case then it's not really a different swing but the swing thoughts you have when you're standing over the ball.  It's a minor distinction but it helped me better understand the theory behind making changes to my swing and how to ingrain them into my swing so they are no longer conscious thoughts but part of muscle memory.  

[gregsandiego]

On 2/25/2016 at 5:36 AM, saevel25 said:

It's tough to say. 

You really can not play good golf while trying to teach yourself a new swing mechanic. If even if a little bit of that feel helps you then that could be good. If not then stick with your current swing and play your current ball flight. Don't try to force something you can't do. 

I guess this is personal but I disagree. A scramble (aka best ball) is supposed to be a low pressure/fun event. Perfect time to experiment. (just an opinion from an amateur)

 

[djfajt71]

1 hour ago, newtogolf said:

I've seen @iacas post on the site that he doesn't believe we can have multiple swings that we can switch back and forth to 

If that's the case then it's not really a different swing but the swing thoughts you have when you're standing over the ball.  It's a minor distinction but it helped me better understand the theory behind making changes to my swing and how to ingrain them into my swing so they are no longer conscious thoughts but part of muscle memory.  

I guess that's true.  But,  as of right now, since I'm trying to rework my muscle memory, I'm only practicing the new thought with only half swings.

[djfajt71]

29 minutes ago, gregsandiego said:

I guess this is personal but I disagree. A scramble (aka best ball) is supposed to be a low pressure/fun event. Perfect time to experiment. (just an opinion from an amateur)

 

This thought also crossed my mind, as there will be 3 other people in my group to pick up my slack!  But I find myself fighting between staying with the swing mission, or being a contributing member of the team.  There's money on the line and some of these old guys will cut your throat for a dollar!

[gregsandiego]

On 2/26/2016 at 7:22 AM, djfajt71 said:

This thought also crossed my mind, as there will be 3 other people in my group to pick up my slack!  But I find myself fighting between staying with the swing mission, or being a contributing member of the team.  There's money on the line and some of these old guys will cut your throat for a dollar!

How much money?

The other problem I see is not committing to what you want to change. You are saying you will spend 4.5 hours playing the "wrong" way. That seems counter productive.

 

I think good instructors give you something that you can introduce gradually to the normal game. I've had some try to shift me around so much I can't hit the ball. In that case I say screw it. I'm not a pro and I can't take a few months off from the "tour".

So do these changes actually screw you up so much you're afraid to implement them? And how often do you play real golf? Will you have the same dilemma next week?

As I write this I figure you're on the course. Le us know how it went! 

 

 

[billchao]

11 minutes ago, gregsandiego said:

The other problem I see is not committing to what you want to change. You are saying you will spend 4.5 hours playing the "wrong" way. That seems counter productive.

One round of golf is not going to be enough swings to "undo" any progress you made to change it. Just like one range session isn't enough time to implement the change.

It's probably a little late for the response @djfajt71, but I think you should just go out and play golf, don't worry about your swing for the scramble.

[Ernest Jones]

Narrow stance and relaxed arms doesn't sound like something that is going to be hard to implement right away. 

[bm85]

Definitely try out the new material, just don't expect to play better golf immediately. You might though, if you were truly playing with tension in your arms before.

gl with the scramble

[djfajt71]

Played the scramble and we took 2nd place!  I did try to incorporate the changes in some of my shorter shots.  On the range, I've only been practicing them with 1/2 swings, so those are the shots that I kept the changes on.  As for the purse, we brought home a little $300, 1st place was worth a little over $600.  Thanks for all the advice!  I have a full month before my next tourney, with just my league nights in between.  The league doesn't matter so much.  There's some money involved, but for me, it's mostly about hanging out with my friends for few hours!  So I'll be doing a lot more practicing, hoping to have a little better swing for my GCAM Tourney at the end of March!  Thanks again! 

[DaveP043]

2 hours ago, djfajt71 said:

Played the scramble and we took 2nd place!  

Congratulations!  

[GangGreen]

I'm a little late to this thread, but I've been taking lessons myself over the last 2 years and always struggle with this a bit too.  I just had a lesson this Saturday as a matter of fact and played on Sunday.  What seems to work for me is if I take my practice swing with the "new" swing thought in mind (right now for me it's about my backswing position) but then as soon as I step over the ball for my actual swing I just clear my head, focus on my tempo, and swing.  I figure the range is where I need to work to make those swing changes permanent, if I start thinking too much while I'm playing it usually ends up in disaster. 

[djfajt71]

4 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

Congratulations!  

Thank you!

[coop6]

I've played in some very big tournaments with many swing thoughts, because if I didn't the results were guaranteed to be ugly. Hit a few balls before the round tees off and get a little comfort with the changes, trust and see what happens. 

[DrvFrShow]

I want to add one thing. When you're practicing: you're doing a different movement. It's probably only slight, but it's different. You may get a bit sore. If you start feeling muscle fatigue, stop. End the session. When you start feeling fatigue you start compensating, and when you're making changes that's not what you want to do. Just saying.

[djfajt71]

9 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

I want to add one thing. When you're practicing: you're doing a different movement. It's probably only slight, but it's different. You may get a bit sore. If you start feeling muscle fatigue, stop. End the session. When you start feeling fatigue you start compensating, and when you're making changes that's not what you want to do. Just saying.

Thank you!