Overcoming muscle memory

[James the Hogan Fan]

So I have a homemade swing that I have always swung, with which I have managed to get to mid-single digits cap-wise. But I want to change it. 

 

The swing is flawed: takeaway a bit inside and shallow, and at transition I make a hunching move with my shoulders, bringing the club over the top something akin to chopping wood with an ax. (I could probably find a video, but I don't know if that is necessary for this thread.) The result is a path typically 3-6° out to in, which leads to either power-sapping cuts/slices or screaming off-the-planet pull-hooks. (I speculate that as a taller person growing up the hunch move developed from a fear of not being able to reach/hit the ball... And when working on this on the lesson tee, I do struggle to make any kind of contact...)

 

Anyway, I've had a couple lessons that focused on altering positions and takeaway, and standing taller through the swing. And with dry swings I can make it happen. If I am Carl Spacklering dandelions I can get the path I want. But the second a ball is down there, my body snaps to autopilot and says "no, we've hit golf balls this way for 20 years." And regardless of thoughts, the swing is indistinguishable from whatever I usually do.

 

How do I enact the change? Is it a matter of thousands of low-speed, small swings to reprogram the process? (Pro's recommendation) Or does anyone have anything else to try? It's frustrating enough I have half the mind to buy LH clubs, just because there'd be nothing to deprogram there. 

 

PS: bonus points for tips on how to put up with the fact that when I am trying to work on this, I can barely hit the ball so playing rounds is incredibly depressing... 

[iacas]

2 hours ago, James the Hogan Fan said:

just because there'd be nothing to deprogram there.

 

I'm heading out to watch some of my players in a tournament so apologies for the brevity, but that isn't quite right there. I think you'd be surprised how much of your golf DNA comes out as a lefty. 🙂 

 

Good luck. I'll check back in later with more if it's not already beaten to death.

 

P.S. Buy some AlmostGolf balls.

[Ripper212]

Because technically there is no such thing as "muscle memory." It is actually neural programming which takes months of intensive practice to reverse. Look up the backwards bicycle invented about 10 years ago which really illustrates this well.

 

https://www.eitrainingcompany.com/2015/06/the-backwards-bicycle-and-neuroplasticity/

 

In my case muscle memory just refers to me remembering when I actually had some!

[GoGoErky]

Slow swings to help train the motor neurons and create a new motor pattern.

 

Also lot of them.

 

incorporate some full speed swings with drills. 3-4 drill swings then 8-10 full speed swings trying to take the drill to the full swing