Is Too Much Attention Spent On Swing Mechanics (at the amateur level)

[jbw749]

Thinkerperson,

Don’t make a sad attempt to put words in my mouth please. On this issue you have taken the incorrect stance sorry.

No player in any sport in the zone is implementing that sports equivalent to golfs swing thoughts.

 

Plenty of players have WON at the highest levels while absolutely having one or two swing thoughts.

 

My lowest tournament round was when using 3 swing thoughts. The next day those same 3 thoughts produced a score 14 strokes higher. The day after that I started getting deep into the mental game. And have been working on it for I think 3 years or so. There are definitely better ways to get around the course than using swing thoughts regardless of what your swing looks like. But yes of course thousands of people do it, because that's all they know. I believe Thinking plus said she couldn't imagine doing it any other way. Someone like that could benefit the most and possibly break through personal barriers.

 

Not if thinking about mechanics improves the quality of the swing to the point where it performs better than a less efficient swing with no thoughts. Your problem is you see no I’m between. While learning a new skill and solving many issues in the beginning there must be conscious thought. The goal is to eventually learn to do it subconsciously but there’s a whole lot of middle ground between subconscious incompetence and subconscious competence. You can’t get to subconscious competence without something becoming consciously competent first.

 

Conscious competence with beat subconscious incompetence every time all else being equal

 

I conceded that. That's why we decided the player should be shooting 85 before they abandon swing thoughts. You have to get the fundamentals down first and have some reps in. But after that the SC will be better at hitting it straight than the Conscious mind. I can't imagine hitting a shot over water thinking about my right elbow or hips or whatever, I'd hit it fat or pull hook it. It causes tension.

 

I'm not arguing with you I just don't understand how you can manage it. Your above post does make sense, and your extremely credible, but how can you think during the swing and not tense up?

[jbw749]

I seriously doubt that good players think about mechanics while they swing. They do employ keys and feels that promote good mechanics but I don't think you can play monitoring mechanics while swinging the club.

 

Steve

 

You would be wrong. Do you guys really think Dan doesn't know what his guys are thinking about while they are playing? Who do you want to believe, a guy that is teaching Tour players that have won on Tour and play on the biggest stages in the world or some of you guys that have never taught a Tour player and probably have never even spoke to one about what they are thinking about.

 

Dan has no problem explaining himself, but I know for a fact Tour players are thinking about mechanics on Sunday while trying to beat Rory, Dustin, and Jordan. And although I do not know with 100% certainty those guys are not thinking about mechanics, I would be willing to bet my house they are too.

 

Was this guy any good?

 

Here is what Jack said:

“I leaned a little bit and I took the club back and I shut my face a little bit … got a little bit too far inside, but my timing was so good that week that I was able to adjust and come down and hold onto it a little bit more through the ball, and ended up getting the shot that I wanted.

“Most people can think of one, maybe two things during a golf swing. I can think of five or six and do them.”

https://www.golfchannel.com/article/mercer-baggs/jack-major-champion/

 

No one thinks Dan isn't credible. At least no one sane. But dude you've been around here forever! Jumped around to different instructors. I promise you there is some benefit in what I'm talking about and it doesn't get talked about enough. And guys like you and me get so wrapped up in mechanics we jump over mental prep completely. Also for every tour pro who has swing thoughts I would bet you some moolah they are doing some mental prep you never even thought of. Would you agree to that? Congrats on your solid play lately btw.

[Hstead]

No one thinks Dan isn't credible. At least no one sane. But dude you've been around here forever! Jumped around to different instructors. I promise you there is some benefit in what I'm talking about and it doesn't get talked about enough. And guys like you and me get so wrapped up in mechanics we jump over mental prep completely. Also for every tour pro who has swing thoughts I would bet you some moolah they are doing some mental prep you never even thought of. Would you agree to that? Congrats on your solid play lately btw.

 

I have worked with Slicefixer once for three days in Feb 2013. I have worked with Monte a couple of times. I worked with GG once in person and some over the phone web in 2017. I have seen Dan at least once per year for the past six years I think starting in May 2013. I have been to Dan maybe 12 or more times if I had to guess.

 

I totally get what you are saying and the ultimate goal is always being able to play target golf and not golf swing. I have read more mental game books than I can probably count. On my short game stuff, I am able to shut off any mechanical thoughts and focus on the target. On full swing stuff, I can do the same but I play my best with swing thoughts. Everyone is different. I just don't believe that everyone plays their best by thinking about nothing but the target, the club only, internal vs external, whatever. I believe there are guys that play their best thinking about the target and others that play their best by using "feels", some are more analytical and some technical, etc. There are many ways to play your best and not everyone is the same.

 

I wouldn't bet you because I am 100% certain there are guys and gals on Tour that think of nothing but the target. But there are also those that are thinking about mechanics and swing thoughts. I know who some are I just don't want to name them because they do not want things like that detailed for the public.

[thug the bunny]

I seriously doubt that good players think about mechanics while they swing. They do employ keys and feels that promote good mechanics but I don't think you can play monitoring mechanics while swinging the club.

 

Steve

 

You would be wrong. Do you guys really think Dan doesn't know what his guys are thinking about while they are playing? Who do you want to believe, a guy that is teaching Tour players that have won on Tour and play on the biggest stages in the world or some of you guys that have never taught a Tour player and probably have never even spoke to one about what they are thinking about.

 

Dan has no problem explaining himself, but I know for a fact Tour players are thinking about mechanics on Sunday while trying to beat Rory, Dustin, and Jordan. And although I do not know with 100% certainty those guys are not thinking about mechanics, I would be willing to bet my house they are too.

 

Was this guy any good?

 

Here is what Jack said:

“I leaned a little bit and I took the club back and I shut my face a little bit … got a little bit too far inside, but my timing was so good that week that I was able to adjust and come down and hold onto it a little bit more through the ball, and ended up getting the shot that I wanted.

“Most people can think of one, maybe two things during a golf swing. I can think of five or six and do them.”

https://www.golfchan...major-champion/

 

You seem to want to pick a fight for no good reason. What I said is what Dan said on post number 103. In this case you can believe both Dan and me because we are saying the same thing, in language simple enough for even you to understand, if you try.

 

Steve

 

Here is post 103:

Plenty of players have WON at the highest levels while absolutely having one or two swing thoughts.

 

Here is what you said:

I seriously doubt that good players think about mechanics while they swing. They do employ keys and feels that promote good mechanics but I don't think you can play monitoring mechanics while swinging the club.

 

That's not saying the same thing, that's saying opposite things. And it would be nice if you lightened up on your snarkyness.

[dsmil]

Yes, I believe that more attention should be spent on building skills and less attention should be spent on mechanics, at least for the mid-80's golfers like the OP is talking about. The Practice Manual by Adam Young is a great read which focuses on building skills, understanding ball flight laws, and knowing what the clubhead should be doing at impact. The problem here is that building skills takes a significant amount of practice time, while trying out a swing change doesn't. Someone can implement a mechanical swing change literally during a round and see results. Building skills takes patience and no one knows how to even do this because every article is about technique.

[David C]

How many people actually take lessons consistently, let alone with a plan, then practice properly and for a decent amount of time, and at the same time are members at a difficult 18 hole course and play 1-2 times a week? With the right equipment? And not bouncing from one internet idea to thget next? And do it for a few years or even continuously? Very few in my experience.

 

There’s a lot of bashing on here but I’ve seen plenty of people who at the most basic level aren’t even members of a decent course and not even playing in competitions, who for some reason expect to improve. It’s madness.

There's quite a few wrx members who meet your listed criteria or even exceed it.

 

And I would imagine they improve over a certain timescale and if they don’t, change instructors and then improve. I’d find it incredible that anyone who applied themselves properly would fail. I see a lot of people who miss out the one or two key components required to improve.

 

There will also be people that just aren’t very good and never will be.

[ThinkingPlus]

Yes, I believe that more attention should be spent on building skills and less attention should be spent on mechanics, at least for the mid-80's golfers like the OP is talking about. The Practice Manual by Adam Young is a great read which focuses on building skills, understanding ball flight laws, and knowing what the clubhead should be doing at impact. The problem here is that building skills takes a significant amount of practice time, while trying out a swing change doesn't. Someone can implement a mechanical swing change literally during a round and see results. Building skills takes patience and no one knows how to even do this because every article is about technique.

How much detail is provided about the clubhead position and motion at impact? Has the information been vetted by other knowledgeable folks? Sounds like invaluable information if presented clearly and is correct.

[thug the bunny]

A lot of this topic hinges on semantics. I started a similar thread once asking if there was really such a thing as a no-thought shot (besides the shot target), and got the same discussion as here.

 

It seems there are 4 terms being used: swing thoughts, swing keys, swing feels, and mechanics. Some folks think that these are each distinct and different from each other and that some or one of them fall into the bin of "thinking about your swing". Other folks feel that these terms are all talking about the same thing, just different shades of meaning. I am in that camp.

 

Example: if you want to flight the ball down, there are certain things you have to do - back in stance, hands ahead, sweep AoA, not too much clubhead speed - whether you want to call these mechanics or thoughts or feels, they are still things that your brain is munching on. How about when you have a pronounced tendency showing up early in a round? Sh*t, first 3 holes I have a case of the hooks, am I just going to keep swinging the same way or do something about it? If I want to do something about it, I'm gonna have to think of my swing.

 

I really do not believe in the myth of the totally no-thought swing..

[Lefthook]

I think a missing word in this discussion is “text”. Feels and visual images can contain a lot of cause & effects and also relate to positions. But the technical language is words (& math)- and belongs to the analytical brainwork - a opposed to the brain activity that controls athletic motions. IMO a golfer needs to be done with the textual keys before (s)he steps into the box and prepares to hit the shot. But many can do a lot of analytical thinking and make it work for them as long as they manage to switch the button before they start the back swing.

 

PS: One of the most subtle forms of gamesmanship is to throw in something “analytic” while a player starts to waggle the club.

[juststeve]

A lot of this topic hinges on semantics. I started a similar thread once asking if there was really such a thing as a no-thought shot (besides the shot target), and got the same discussion as here.

 

It seems there are 4 terms being used: swing thoughts, swing keys, swing feels, and mechanics. Some folks think that these are each distinct and different from each other and that some or one of them fall into the bin of "thinking about your swing". Other folks feel that these terms are all talking about the same thing, just different shades of meaning. I am in that camp.

 

Example: if you want to flight the ball down, there are certain things you have to do - back in stance, hands ahead, sweep AoA, not too much clubhead speed - whether you want to call these mechanics or thoughts or feels, they are still things that your brain is munching on. How about when you have a pronounced tendency showing up early in a round? Sh*t, first 3 holes I have a case of the hooks, am I just going to keep swinging the same way or do something about it? If I want to do something about it, I'm gonna have to think of my swing.

 

I really do not believe in the myth of the totally no-thought swing..

 

I think you have identified a semantic problem that hinders communication. If I thought swing feels were the same as swing mechanics I would agree that we all think about that when we swing.

 

Steve

[Swingman420]

Look up the definition of feel.

 

[gators78]

There are playable misses, and then there are time bombs waiting to go off. If your miss is a slight pull, or bladed shot, here or there, ok fine. If your miss is a dealer's choice 30 yard push or 30 yard hook, topped shot, or lay the sod over it then yes the mechanics are something you need to figure out.

[Krt22]

Yes, I believe that more attention should be spent on building skills and less attention should be spent on mechanics, at least for the mid-80's golfers like the OP is talking about. The Practice Manual by Adam Young is a great read which focuses on building skills, understanding ball flight laws, and knowing what the clubhead should be doing at impact. The problem here is that building skills takes a significant amount of practice time, while trying out a swing change doesn't. Someone can implement a mechanical swing change literally during a round and see results. Building skills takes patience and no one knows how to even do this because every article is about technique.

 

If one was a mid-80's golfer and wanted to become a mid 70's (or even high 70's) golfer, what exact skills would one acquire? One can understand ball flight laws and what the clubhead is/should be doing very easily, but it's not just a skill one picks up. You can't just say OK I want to hit a push draw, the path needs to be to the right of the target and the face needs to be closed to the path, if you have a big mechanical flaw that essentially doesn't allow for such a ball flight

[thug the bunny]

Look up the definition of feel.

 

Yes, so? There are like 50 entries for that definition. Sometimes when I am playing guitar and improvising, I can 'feel' the notes I want to play, but I am 'feeling' them with my brain, not my big toe. They are in my head even though I'm 'feeling' them so are they thoughts or feelings? Cmon, don't be obstreperous.

[juststeve]

Yes, I believe that more attention should be spent on building skills and less attention should be spent on mechanics, at least for the mid-80's golfers like the OP is talking about. The Practice Manual by Adam Young is a great read which focuses on building skills, understanding ball flight laws, and knowing what the clubhead should be doing at impact. The problem here is that building skills takes a significant amount of practice time, while trying out a swing change doesn't. Someone can implement a mechanical swing change literally during a round and see results. Building skills takes patience and no one knows how to even do this because every article is about technique.

 

If one was a mid-80's golfer and wanted to become a mid 70's (or even high 70's) golfer, what exact skills would one acquire? One can understand ball flight laws and what the clubhead is/should be doing very easily, but it's not just a skill one picks up. You can't just say OK I want to hit a push draw, the path needs to be to the right of the target and the face needs to be closed to the path, if you have a big mechanical flaw that essentially doesn't allow for such a ball flight

 

I used to play with a guy at Dallas Athletic Club that had a swing flaw that kept him from hitting anything but a push draw. He was consistently at or around par and was club champion couple of times. His swing was flawed but it repeated. The ability to repeat is the most important thing.

 

Steve

[Krt22]

Absolutely, and generally the more mechanically sound a swing is, the easier it is to repeat. Lots of under plane guys hit a big push draw, but can also block one off the planet.

[jbw749]

No one thinks Dan isn't credible. At least no one sane. But dude you've been around here forever! Jumped around to different instructors. I promise you there is some benefit in what I'm talking about and it doesn't get talked about enough. And guys like you and me get so wrapped up in mechanics we jump over mental prep completely. Also for every tour pro who has swing thoughts I would bet you some moolah they are doing some mental prep you never even thought of. Would you agree to that? Congrats on your solid play lately btw.

 

I have worked with Slicefixer once for three days in Feb 2013. I have worked with Monte a couple of times. I worked with GG once in person and some over the phone web in 2017. I have seen Dan at least once per year for the past six years I think starting in May 2013. I have been to Dan maybe 12 or more times if I had to guess.

 

I totally get what you are saying and the ultimate goal is always being able to play target golf and not golf swing. I have read more mental game books than I can probably count. On my short game stuff, I am able to shut off any mechanical thoughts and focus on the target. On full swing stuff, I can do the same but I play my best with swing thoughts. Everyone is different. I just don't believe that everyone plays their best by thinking about nothing but the target, the club only, internal vs external, whatever. I believe there are guys that play their best thinking about the target and others that play their best by using "feels", some are more analytical and some technical, etc. There are many ways to play your best and not everyone is the same.

 

I wouldn't bet you because I am 100% certain there are guys and gals on Tour that think of nothing but the target. But there are also those that are thinking about mechanics and swing thoughts. I know who some are I just don't want to name them because they do not want things like that detailed for the public.

 

I used to think it was impossible to shut off the swing thoughts. Every time I'd try my limbs would feel like noodles and I couldn't control the club face. I thought any body who wasn't using swing thoughts probably was and just didn't realize it.

 

The problem was the person telling body parts where to go and what positions to hit is in control and he or she will not relinquish control in a person's lifetime usually. It is very difficult and quite personal on how you figure out that he or she isn't the best one to make the decision on how to swing.

 

I remember when I first did it and it was by luck kind of. I had just read the inner game of golf and still just wasn't getting it. Then while in the middle of a horse sh#t range session (I was at my wits end btw) I said to myself "fine just show me already!". Meaning I asked my subconscious to show me how it's done. I remember I relinquished the thinking control and felt like the same part of me that was doing the thinking was now just watching.

I just said "ok show me" during the swing, I started flushing everything, any shot shape, just having a blast.

Relinquishing the control at first caused me to feel like the weight of the world was now off my shoulders. It felt like I was in 3D or something if that makes sense, everything seemed clearer, I could hear the leaves bristling in the trees, my senses where woken up somehow. I felt content with the outcome of the shot, the person in control was just observing and something else was in control. I would equate this to an awakening, I wasn't worried about past issues or potential future problems. I was in the "now" and it's the first time I realized what that was.

People who get here and don't know what it is would say they're "in the zone". Effectively what I'm talking about is learning how to be in the zone when you want to.

It doesn't always work, but it gets better as you refine it.

 

[FourTops]

IMO mechanics are intermixed with feel. From the pro's I know, and have known, most say they may "look like" they're working on mechanics...but actually they're not, they are working on feeling the club...the club's weight. They are making sure they're not gripping the club too hard (tension), and also working on breathing to relax. I'm sure there are other pro's who do think mechanics, but if they do it's like one or two thoughts.

 

My best rounds were those where I thought zero about swing mechanics....just played. Like I've stated before...it's one thing to walk on an 18" wide board on the ground, but quite another if it's suspended 30 stories high between two buildings. Walking across the suspended board at the same pace would require complete trust in one's self.

[Sean2]

I think if you develop a swing that becomes second nature you don't have to think about mechanics. However, we are constantly messing with our swings so it's unavoidable to escape swing thoughts.

[Swingman420]

Thug bunny,

I think the earlier poster hit it on the head with the semantics problem here. To me feeling something is a perception. So, to me it would make no sense to say I am using feel xyz as an intent.

I think that’s whats making a thread like this somewhat difficult to have.

A swing thought to me is something like right elbow in. Verbally expressed inside the persons mind.

So, I am against THAT obviously because that’s ridiculously bad.

I know CPG is having success with the 747 deal but he IS CPG.

[FourTops]

IMO it's not about old vs. modern instruction...they all work...if one sticks to mastering the fundamentals. The constant variable is too many guys do NOT take, like, or accept golf instruction. They prefer independent "R&D" for decades vs. "asking for directions". Sure, there are some bad instructors, but there's a ton more bad students.

[thug the bunny]

Thug bunny,

I think the earlier poster hit it on the head with the semantics problem here. To me feeling something is a perception. So, to me it would make no sense to say I am using feel xyz as an intent.

I think that's whats making a thread like this somewhat difficult to have.

A swing thought to me is something like right elbow in. Verbally expressed inside the persons mind.

So, I am against THAT obviously because that's ridiculously bad.

I know CPG is having success with the 747 deal but he IS CPG.

 

Not being argumentative, but what is the difference between a perception and a thought? It doesn't matter, the point is everyone has some activity going through their brains during the swing (unless you are jbw who can just observe without directing).

 

Who is CPG?

[Hstead]

 

 

Who is CPG?

 

Club Pro Guy. Had a stellar career as a pro on the Mexican mini-Tour. Google him.

[FourTops]

Swing your own swing is probably a good mantra for sub 10 handicappers who want to enjoy themselves every weekend.

 

The majority of amateur golfers own swings are so bad that they still struggle to play bogey golf with a great short game. You gotta remember that anyone shooting mid 80's is a great amateur golfer statistically speaking, and by far don't represent the whole.

 

YMMV.

 

True but those who shoot mid 80's are usually not happy with their game. This is the group I'm talking about. Shooting mid 80's probably means your swing is good enough, so it's time to start searching elsewhere.

 

MId-80's is a relative term given course difficulty. Mid 80's at Torrey Pines in tournament condition is very different than Joe's Muni 5800 yard pasture course.

[jbw749]

A lot of this topic hinges on semantics. I started a similar thread once asking if there was really such a thing as a no-thought shot (besides the shot target), and got the same discussion as here.

 

It seems there are 4 terms being used: swing thoughts, swing keys, swing feels, and mechanics. Some folks think that these are each distinct and different from each other and that some or one of them fall into the bin of "thinking about your swing". Other folks feel that these terms are all talking about the same thing, just different shades of meaning. I am in that camp.

 

Example: if you want to flight the ball down, there are certain things you have to do - back in stance, hands ahead, sweep AoA, not too much clubhead speed - whether you want to call these mechanics or thoughts or feels, they are still things that your brain is munching on. How about when you have a pronounced tendency showing up early in a round? Sh*t, first 3 holes I have a case of the hooks, am I just going to keep swinging the same way or do something about it? If I want to do something about it, I'm gonna have to think of my swing.

 

I really do not believe in the myth of the totally no-thought swing..

 

I'm on chapter 3 on Kosmic Consciousness btw.

 

I don't even think about the target when I swing. All my thinking is done in the preshot and setup, which is pretty deliberate and thought out. The shot is gone over in my head before the swing not during. Great players do picture the shot during the swing though, I just prefer not to.

In your example of hitting some hooks, I'd first look to see if it's caused by tension or a flinch. The flinch is caused by worrying about the result, this is always accompanied by butt cheeks clinching at impact. If I'm hitting pure and not flinching, but just pulling it, I'd look at setup and low point control. Low point control is not a swing thought it's just a place on the ground I'm looking at. For me it has a huge effect on where the club bottoms out. I'm just giving visual information my SC can use. Same with setup. Setup, breathing or where you're looking are not swing thoughts.

 

I would never try a different thought while swinging if I was hitting hooks. The swing is exactly the same as it was when it produced great shots earlier in the day.

 

I played today and was hitting hooks for a 3 hole stretch on the front nine. It was a combo of setup not being right and doubt started creeping in because I knew it wasn't right and the doubt causes a flinch. After a few holes I got the setup back on track and started to trust it. Eliminated the doubt played the last 11 holes even par and saved the round. Never changed the swing. If I did try to change the swing, it would take a lot longer than a few holes to get it back on track.

[thug the bunny]

Who is CPG?

 

Club Pro Guy. Had a stellar career as a pro on the Mexican mini-Tour. Google him.

 

Haha!

[Jim Waldron]

The following is Mental Game of Golf 101 - or should be given how much golf instruction is stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to understanding the role of the mind in creating a golf shot.

 

Awareness or consciousness is simply the ability of the mind/body to be aware of some thing or things.

 

But there are several modes of awareness or ways of being aware.

 

Thinking is one form of awareness. Feeling is another form and includes a variety of different things to feel like pain/pleasure, hot/cold, muscles firing/relaxing, balance, etc, and including emotions. Listening to music, Dancing, Playing a musical instrument, Sex, Meditation, Concentration, Combat, Hunting - all are different "flavors" of Awareness, like flavors of ice cream.

 

A "swing thought" by the standard definition and practice of mid to high handicaps is a verbal direction to a body part to move in a new way, or a visual image of a body part moving in a new way.

 

In that case - the use of the swing thought is to directly engage with that body part and somehow "make" it do the new movement pattern. And that is the golf equivalent to believing in Santa Claus. Google "reaction time studies" to find out why and how that cannot ever work as advertised.

 

For advanced players, an internal visual image of a body part "can" work to trigger that new movement pattern, as can the golfer's voice in their head reciting a word or phrase. The question is this - the fact that it does work to trigger the new pattern some of the time, also then mean that it is the most effective use of the golfer's mind? Plus a trigger can only work even semi-reliably only after you have achieved the 51% turning point on the way to a dominant habit. Now there are some golf geniuses who can form a swing change really fast and so their 51% can be achieved very quickly, and then the trigger will be something they can use to take to the golf course. But in my experience they are always very advanced players with a strong feel sense awareness for the body in the first place.

 

In my experience the answer is almost always "NO". Feels are more much more reliable triggers of the new pattern since the feel is more "real" and more directly connected to the body. A memory of a body pattern in your internal visual channel or internal voice channel does not have the same strong mind/body connection that a feel sense has. Feel is much more concrete, and feel is always from first person perspective, whereas visual and voice are from second or even third person.

 

Meaning the advanced player can indeed use the trigger to tend to activate the new pattern while the high handicap is struggling, and using a word or a visual image all in vain, since he is nowhere near having established even a 51% habit.

[dsmil]

Yes, I believe that more attention should be spent on building skills and less attention should be spent on mechanics, at least for the mid-80's golfers like the OP is talking about. The Practice Manual by Adam Young is a great read which focuses on building skills, understanding ball flight laws, and knowing what the clubhead should be doing at impact. The problem here is that building skills takes a significant amount of practice time, while trying out a swing change doesn't. Someone can implement a mechanical swing change literally during a round and see results. Building skills takes patience and no one knows how to even do this because every article is about technique.

 

If one was a mid-80's golfer and wanted to become a mid 70's (or even high 70's) golfer, what exact skills would one acquire? One can understand ball flight laws and what the clubhead is/should be doing very easily, but it's not just a skill one picks up. You can't just say OK I want to hit a push draw, the path needs to be to the right of the target and the face needs to be closed to the path, if you have a big mechanical flaw that essentially doesn't allow for such a ball flight

 

The skill to have a more consistent strike by hitting the ball in the center of the face, hitting the ground in the right place, and having a functional face/path relationship. Also the skill to think about why your last couple of shots had the same bad pattern, and to have the ability to make a change during the round to fix it. The book first introduces the concepts of impact and ball flight laws, and then introduces ways to make these better through practice, which may then automatically improve technique. In general, during the season, the practice routine will be more about accepting your swing and creating more functional contact, with technique changes being introduced more in the off season. It also stresses the importance of a consistent pre-shot routine and knowing which shot shape works best for you. These are all things that can help your game without focusing on technique, but if technique change is needed, this helps you know whether you're struggling with face contact, ground contact, face/path, etc.

[TB07]

I would say not enough. Amateurs techniques aren’t very good and without conscious effort into changing/improving that technique they won’t get much better. I think the goal is to make a subconscious swing that is good enough for that particular person. If that person is happy with their handicap they MIGHT be able to get the most out of their current handicap without technical thoughts, but they will never make a big jump in their handicap level.

[Krt22]

Yes, I believe that more attention should be spent on building skills and less attention should be spent on mechanics, at least for the mid-80's golfers like the OP is talking about. The Practice Manual by Adam Young is a great read which focuses on building skills, understanding ball flight laws, and knowing what the clubhead should be doing at impact. The problem here is that building skills takes a significant amount of practice time, while trying out a swing change doesn't. Someone can implement a mechanical swing change literally during a round and see results. Building skills takes patience and no one knows how to even do this because every article is about technique.

 

If one was a mid-80's golfer and wanted to become a mid 70's (or even high 70's) golfer, what exact skills would one acquire? One can understand ball flight laws and what the clubhead is/should be doing very easily, but it's not just a skill one picks up. You can't just say OK I want to hit a push draw, the path needs to be to the right of the target and the face needs to be closed to the path, if you have a big mechanical flaw that essentially doesn't allow for such a ball flight

 

The skill to have a more consistent strike by hitting the ball in the center of the face, hitting the ground in the right place, and having a functional face/path relationship. Also the skill to think about why your last couple of shots had the same bad pattern, and to have the ability to make a change during the round to fix it. The book first introduces the concepts of impact and ball flight laws, and then introduces ways to make these better through practice, which may then automatically improve technique. In general, during the season, the practice routine will be more about accepting your swing and creating more functional contact, with technique changes being introduced more in the off season. It also stresses the importance of a consistent pre-shot routine and knowing which shot shape works best for you. These are all things that can help your game without focusing on technique, but if technique change is needed, this helps you know whether you're struggling with face contact, ground contact, face/path, etc.

 

Strike location, low point control, and having a functional face/path relationship can also all be directly related to swing mechanics, as can understanding and assessing your misses. The more mechanically sound your swing, the larger margin for error you have. If you have a huge mechanical flaw, you can practice and think about hitting the shot you want all you want and its possible that you will never actually accomplish it until you fix the mechanical issues (or add a bunch of power robbing compensations)

 

I think far too many amateurs get an enamored with funky swings that work well. They use these fringe cases to fool/convince themselves into thinking they can make measurable improvements by practice/feel alone. Can it work? Sure, if the person has a ton of time or is particularly talented in making solid contact despite funky mechanics.