Feel vs. Real and Learning

The greatest illusion in golf is found between what you feel and what is real. It’s our biggest struggle in improvement and the most confounding aspect of teaching the game. Unless a player has a high degree of proprioception (the awareness of the body in space), it’s extremely difficult to correctly feel a swing change and make it permanent.

There are two main challenges under the umbrella of feel vs. real. The first is the golf ball. Most of us can make very good practice swings when the club is hovering above the ground and no ball is involved (see Barkley, Charles). There is no “hit” instinct and it’s very easy to feel the weight and momentum of the club as it swings effortlessly.  When a ball is introduced and results are involved, muscles tense and our “hit” instinct kicks in.

The second is that we can’t see what’s happening with the club, only feel it, and feel often lies.  As anyone who’s  tried to shorten their swing can attest, it needs to FEEL like you’re taking the club to the L position or even hip height.  If you fight an inside takeaway, you might need to FEEL like you’re taking the club way outside. Pros will often have slicers try to hit massive hooks to balance out their swings.

So how do we combat this when we’re trying to improve? It’s easy during a lesson when the instructor is watching every swing and giving you feedback, but it’s how we implement changes in our own practice sessions that truly ingrain motions. First, you need some sort of feedback mechanism for whatever you’re working on. That could be alignment rods, training aids, a friend watching (if they know what they’re doing) or video. You need to be able to evaluate what is happening as you swing.

Second, your muscles don’t know words, and your body doesn’t translate your thoughts. This is the reason a new tip only works for a finite amount of time. It’s why it’s important to develop hand-eye coordination and an athletic personality. When practicing, try to ask yourself what certain shots felt like in your body rather than thinking. If you can’t hit balls, make slow motion swings that last over a minute while keeping your focus on a piece of carpet or grass. You need to ingrain feelings in your body rather than thoughts in your mind.

neu·ro·plas·tic·i·ty

n(y)o͝orōˌplaˈstisədē/

noun

1. the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.

 

This concept isn’t limited to technique. It has been shown that cognitive behavior can be retrained at any age. If you have anxiety on the first tee in front of a crowded clubhouse, for example, that can be retrained. If you tend to get angry and snap clubs in half, that can be retrained. Changing the way your brain works during a performance situation is the key.

The point is that you don’t have to be stuck where you are in golf. No matter how long you’ve been playing, or your skill level, you can get much better by rewiring your brain. The trick is to go about improving the correct way. Happy seeking!

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First Thoughts on the Simulator

The Simulator…First Observations

 

As some of you are aware, we got the long-anticipated simulator up-and-running last Friday. A big thanks to those who came to give it a test run this weekend, as there were a few predictable kinks to work out. All-in-all, everything is working swimmingly and it’s a great way to get some swings in while we wait for springtime. Here are some quick observations after opening weekend:

 

The SkyTrak is accurate:

 

I’ve now hit hundreds of shots on the simulator, and have yet to see anything really out of place as far as numbers are concerned. After a 3-month layoff, there were some horrible shots at the beginning, and the SkyTrak (ST) managed to read them well (unfortunately). There are the rare shots that won’t register, but they’re generally due to extremely low spin rates where the ST can’t see the ball. Also, driver clubhead speed seems to be spot on, but every now and then you’ll see a strange reading on iron clubhead speed. This is probably due to contact with mat on fat shots. Overall, I haven’t seen anything off with distance, curvature or overall ball flight (the essential things you want out of a launch monitor). The ST will definitely give you authentic stats on your shots.

 

The mat gives good feedback:

 

Golf mats have come a long way from the “green concrete” slabs that used to adorn driving ranges (they would allow you to hit a few inches behind the ball and still get a good result). While it won’t necessarily replace grass, this mat gives you a better fairway-type feel and doesn’t leave green plastic residue on your irons. It will give you a reliable sense of actual golf and make your ballstriking better where the older mats could make you worse.

 

It’s more fun with people:

 

Indoor golf is at it’s best when you’re competing with some friends. We’re certainly looking forward to getting the software in this week (Feb. 13th-17th), with 15 world-famous courses including Torrey Pines, Pinehurst #2 and Bethpage Black (among others). This weekend we were only playing target golf (kind of like darts) and closest-to-the-pin competitions and it was a blast.  We’ll be posting updates on our Facebook page as soon as the software arrives, so be sure to get a group together to come out and play!
Depending on how things work out, we may get a simulator tee sheet up on the website. For now, please call us at (605) 341-5703 to reserve your time. The cost will be $10 per player per hour for members and $20 for non-members once the courses are available. Since the weather is looking good this week, if the snow melts  and it’s not horribly muddy we will be opening the driving range and possibly some holes for walking. Hope to see you at Hart Ranch GC soon!

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Indoor Golf at Hart Ranch!!!

You may have heard rumors that indoor golf is coming to Hart Ranch…because indoor golf is coming to Hart Ranch!

 

We recently ordered a SkyTrak launch monitor, software and a net that will be arriving next week . We’re hoping to be up-and-running by Wednesday or Thursday (Feb. 8th or 9th), but we’ll be sure to keep you posted should anything change. This will be a great opportunity for you to hone your swing before the thaw hits and we’re out playing real golf.

 

We’ll get a simulator tee sheet up on the website shortly, or you can call us at (605) 341-5703. You can book up to four people for an hour at a time ($10/hr. per player for members, $20/hr. for non-members). At the beginning our hours will be 2pm-8pm on weekdays, and 12pm-8pm on weekends. We’ll also have 15 different courses to choose from in the software. Here are a few tips on indoor golf so you’re ready to go next week!

 

1. Your swing may change:

 

When you’re not out in the open expanse of the course or range, your swing tends to be a little tentative at first. We have plenty of room and tall ceilings in the clubhouse, so you won’t need to worry about hitting anything, but be prepared to hit a few squirrely shots until you get used to swinging inside. Also, if you’ve been in Rapid all winter, you definitely haven’t had a chance to play much.

 

2.   Short game is…interesting:

 

Anyone who’s played indoor golf knows that putting is a little tricky. You can’t feel the slopes of the greens with your feet, and while the software tries to help as much as possible, it’s difficult to feel how far a ball will roll while putting into a net. We’ll generally set gimmies to 10-12 feet to speed up play and relieve aggravation.

 

3.   Get used to the time difference:

 

I haven’t had a chance to play on this particular software yet, but much like when you’re on the range, the biggest difference is the time you take between shots. It shouldn’t be too difficult for a foursome to finish a round in an hour as you don’t have to search for wayward drives or walk/ride to your ball. Give yourself a second to settle into your routine as you would during a normal round.

 

4.   Don’t worry about results:

 

We got this simulator for one reason (well, maybe two): to add to our patron’s experience at Hart Ranch. We want you to have a way to practice and play during the off-season, so you’ll be in midseason form when we really start golfing in spring. Be prepared, however, to see some different numbers than you may be used to (especially distance-wise). Camera-based launch monitors read shots at sea-level, and we often overestimate how far we hit the ball (the monitor is rarely wrong unless something looks WAY off). Indoor golf is a great time if we don’t get too caught up in score and have the opportunity to knock some rust off.  
It has been a loooong winter. If you’re as golf-starved as we are, swing out to Hart Ranch for some much-needed play and beverages. Hope to see you next week!

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