==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 167 Date 04/20/11 ==================================================== ==================================================== TCT Quick Tip - Range Balls ==================================================== The condition of range balls can vary considerably, and some range balls are actually designed to fly less far than regular balls. So when you're practicing at the range, don't be fixated on distance. Just concentrate on hitting the ball solidly and accurately. You only need to be concerned about distance on the course. If range balls are quite worn so that the dimples are no longer smooth, this will also affect the flight of the ball. Range balls tend to be quite hard, and thus won't have the same amount of backspin when hit with your various clubs. Backspin affects the height of the ball flight as well as its carry distance. So remember, distance at the range doesn't matter. You're there to groove a consistent swing, not break records of distance. If you do focus on distance, you'll be disappointed. Enjoy, Tom ==================================================== Golf Tip: Don't Jump Ship Too Soon ==================================================== My father used to say "Anything worth doing is worth doing well". Then, of course, I'd ask "does that mean that if it's not worth doing I don't need to do it well", which would usually lead to a kick in the behind and I'd be on my way. BTW, this goes back to the ‘50’s when a kick in the behind was an accepted parenting method. The reason I bring that up is because I saw a Steve Brown quote that was almost the opposite, and it applies to what I wanted to write about today: "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly - until you learn to do it well". Most golfers are exposed to swing methods - including the full swing, scoring swings, and putting - either through golf lessons or research. God knows that there is an abundance of golf advice available today at your fingertips through the internet, some good, and some bad - maybe not essentially bad, but bad for the optimal way that you personally should be swinging a club. If you get your information from a good golf instructor, I'm going to assume that you got good information that is suited to your capabilities. If you get information off the internet or through a good book or two, I'll even assume that after a lot of reading you should be able to ferret out the advice that applies to your own swing capabilities. Having said all of that, I see way too many people giving up on a swing that may be good for them way too soon. I believe that some think that a swing change is good just because they see top level golfers like Tiger doing it. Tiger is making a swing change from a swing that was excellent, to a swing that he thinks will be more suited to his game for the long run that will make him a better player. The very best of the best in any profession do things like that in the never ending quest for absolute excellence, but they give what they've got an honest chance before they change. Here’s the difference in the timing of a pro’s swing change an amateur’s swing change: the pro has given his swing method it’s chance to perform by putting in the hours and reps of practice that were required to perform the swing flawlessly. Then, and only then, can the pro make a judgment regarding if he needs a tweak or a wholesale change to his method if results are not meeting expectations. The pro takes into account lots of factors such as age, health, fitness, projected career longevity, and other personal considerations. Now about the rest of us. In the last few issues I've dished out a lot of practice information, and the message that I hope resonated was the number of reps that it takes to get a swing, or a portion of a swing, burned into a neural pathway. I placed that number at 3,000 to 5,000 reps based on the research that I've discovered, as well as personal experience. Most amateurs quit on a swing method way too early. They go to the range and practice a new way to swing the club for a bucket or two of balls, and then it works for awhile. Then they continue to play, practice sporadically if at all, and their swing seems to deteriorate. Nothing is deteriorating; it’s simply that the swing is non-repeatable at this point because it hasn't been done enough either in practice or in play. Obviously, practice and reps is the key. The absolute worst thing a player can do is to try a new swing idea for a week, or even a month, then bail on it and try something else. When you do that, your brain gets so confused when you pick up a club it’s a wonder that you can hit the ball at all. If you've obtained good instruction from any source, (I am biased, but I would say preferably from a good teacher because a good one can guide you into the correct swing method for you) give it an honest chance to perform before you’re off to something new. Try to keep track of your reps during practice, and during play, to see if they get anywhere the level it takes to build the swing into your brain. If the numbers aren't there, keep working at it. Believe this - 99% of the time poor performance is based on poor execution, not a poor swing method. Learn to do whatever it is you want to do well before you pass judgment and jump ship too soon. As Steve Brown said "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly - until you learn to do it well". Enjoy, Tom