Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as “muscle memory.” It’s an anatomical fact that while our muscles have many nerves, they don’t have portions of brain matter embedded within them necessary to remember stuff. However, if that’s true, and it is, then why do those who practice frequently make the best shots on the golf course, basketball court, or football field?
It’s no secret that Tiger Woods is in the middle of a LOT of change. Over the last year, he has changed his home, caddy, marital life, demeanor, knees, and golf swing. Any one of these changes would be enough for most of us. Yet, yesterday Tiger entered the PGA Championship, the last major of 2011 and the result was a round of 7 over par. Except for “the next Tiger’s” wrist injury, this was the big story of the day. The story made for terrific drama and the talking heads pontificated well into late night hours on what Tiger needed to do to regain his form as the world’s top golfer. Several suggested that he needed more practice. [Note: will someone tell me why the golf media needs to have a “Tiger” to talk about?] Anyway, back to the topic at hand – practice.
So why does Tiger, who some might consider one of the best players to have played the game, need to practice? Trust. The golf ball, as I mentioned in an earlier post, must obey the golf club. The golf club must obey the swing. So, what does the swing obey? Mind or Body? The answer is both.
While the mind can think what “woulda, coulda, or shoulda” be done, only the body can actually make it happen. So, once the mind determines what shot it wants to hit, it must surrender the result and let the body swing the club. If the two are still fighting about what to do as the club face meets the ball, then the results will be unpredictable (Can you say 10 over par for the last 13 holes?). You can bank on it. So, this is where practice come in.
Practice enables the body to feel what our mind thinks and for the two of them to agree. So…when you practice, focus on seeing the shot, letting the body feel the shot through your setup and waggle, and then surrender the results and trust the body to carry out your plans. It’s much easier for your mind/body golf course experience to match your mind/body driving range experience if you execute the same routine the same way in both places.
See it. Feel it. Trust it.
[For more about “See it. Feel it. Trust it.” checkout the website below. http://www.linksofutopia.com/cms/]
