The other day at the driving range, I overheard two amateur players working on “a practice session”. One man was hitting balls while the other stood behind him offering a rapid stream of swing tips.
To be fair, he meant well.
But in just a few minutes, he diagnosed everything imaginable.
“The turn is your problem. If you’re not passing it, you can’t start it.”
“But before you worry about the turn, we have to fix your plane – you get a little too straight and then your main shoulder has nowhere to go.”
“Okay, hit some. Let’s see what that does.”
“Okay, now you’re hanging. When you hang, the weight doesn’t transfer and the arm rolls.”
“Actually, the real issue is the slide. Mix it with the flip and you just wipe it out.”
“He was better … but the face was completely closed.”
And then came my favorite line of all:
“Now, not to throw you too much, but let me see your control.”
Too much? of grip was the moment he decided it might be “too much”? Everything before that was already enough material for a month of lessons. He wasn’t trying to sabotage his friend; he really wanted to help.
And here’s the part no one likes to admit
We all do this to myselfalso.
It usually starts innocently enough. You are working on weight transfer. Then you happen to feel a little more extension in the backstroke and realize that it keeps you on plane more. Now you have added a second thought swing. Then you remember something about the shoulder tilt. Now you are on three. The ball starts to go sideways and you think, “Okay, maybe I should reevaluate my grip.” Suddenly, you’ve recreated that long-distance conversation, except this time you’re arguing with yourself.
A reminder that most golfers need
Here is the simple reminder:
The fastest way to improve at golf is to work on ONE thing at a time.
This concept is supported by decades of motor learning research. One of the most widely accepted frameworks, Fitts & Posner modelexplains that when you’re early in the process of changing a movement, your brain is already overloaded.
You are trying to learn what to do and HOW to do it at the same time. Add more than one wavering thought and you’ll stifle your ability to learn.
In all sports, research built on this model has shown the same thing. Athletes improve faster when they focus on one priority, not five.
How to choose and stick to your “one thing”.
If you struggle with this concept, try these tips to help you focus:
1. Let a professional define it for you.
Your friends mean well, but golf instruction isn’t always the best when it’s crowd-sourced. Let a qualified coach identify the thoughts/movements that will actually lead to improvement.
2. Stay with him longer than you feel comfortable.
Most golfers abandon good swings too quickly. A bad session doesn’t mean the change was wrong. It may simply mean that the change is new. Repetition is what makes it stick and where you’ll start to see better shots.
3. Write it down and keep it in your golf bag.
A handwritten reminder is the best way to anchor a wavering thought. I’ve always liked the note in my purse over a note on the phone or a text message. The letter in your bag is simple, visible and harder to ignore.
4. Calm your mind before every shot.
Take a breath. Think of a goal, then swing.
The more you simplify the moment before the club swings, the more the work you’ve done on the range can actually show on the course.
conclusion
Golf becomes easier when you stop trying to fix everything and start fixing one thing. This is the memory. And if your friend is one who throws five changes at once, maybe make sure this article finds its way to their inbox. Or put a written note in their bag.
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