How to make a
swing change stick

Matt Green - 23 February 2021

One of the great things about golf is that you will never master it, it is a constant journey to improve, and regardless of your age or ability level, you can always get better.

However, if you are like most golfers, you probably find that improving your golf is difficult, and no matter how many lessons you take, it never seems to get easier.

The reason for this difficulty is that you are really trying to train your brain to change the way you move. Therefore, to successfully change your swing, a little understanding of how the brain works can help you be more effective with your swing improvement.

Your brain is composed of billions of small nerves called neurons. The firing of neurons in specific patterns is what produces your movement, so to change your swing, you actually have to change how the neurons in your brain fire. Every time you perform a movement, the neurons that fired together actually wire together, ingraining that pattern and hard wiring it into the system. Now if you do the movement correctly, this is an advantage, as the pattern becomes a habit, and you don’t even have to think about it. Walking is a great example, it happens automatically.

The problem arises when you do not move correctly, especially if you do it over and over again, for example hitting hundreds of balls on the range – now you are hardwiring the incorrect pattern and making that your habit. So, the first problem you have is that to make a change, you have to perform the new, correct pattern multiple times to replace the old pattern.

The second problem, and probably the main problem, is that how you think you move, and how you actually move, can be two completely different things – feel verse real. If you have ever seen your swing on video you know what I mean, usually looks nothing like you think it will. So, in order to make a change, you need to be able to practice and repeat the improved movement with feedback to know that you are doing it correctly.

Good news!

This might sound difficult, but there is a solution, and it is often easier than you might expect. The other thing about how the brain works with controlling movement is that it is context specific, so as soon as you grip a golf club and try to hit the ball towards a target, the “golf swing” pattern in your brain kicks in.

Therefore, in order to make a change, it is much more efficient to temporarily remove the “golf swing” aspect by working on the new movement patterns away from the course, often without a club in your hand, and in a way that facilitates the new pattern, or at least gives you feedback as soon as you do it incorrectly. These “movement pattern” exercises can be done at home or the gym, and they can ingrain the new pattern, give the correct feel for what you are trying to do, and therefore facilitate the improvement you are looking for.

This is usually best achieved by having a Golf Specific Physiotherapist work with your coach, even attend a lesson with you, so that they can understand what the coach is trying to achieve. Then in consultation with your coach, a movement drill and body awareness program can be developed to expedite your improvement.