Are you familiar with the idea of muscle memory?
Developing efficient muscle memory through consistent practice is the key to improvement, according to accepted theory. It makes perfect sense that your play will improve the more quality shots you hit during practice.
How often have you practiced your shots like a pro only to slice your first drive out of bounds? What happens to all the “good” muscle memory, during the ten-minute walk from the practice range to the first tee?
Find the missing piece connecting practice and playing by taking a closer look at the aforementioned scenario.
According to the Merriam/Webster dictionary, muscle memory is: “the ability to repeat a specific muscular movement with improved efficiency and accuracy, that is acquired through practice and repetition.”
Although it is obvious that the quality of practice affects muscle memory, the difference between practice and playing cannot be explained by the aforementioned definition.
Which component is still lacking? Your emotional response to a shot determines the likelihood that your muscles will unconsciously recreate that result (in one way or another), despite your conscious efforts to the contrary.
How frequently has a single bad shot started a chain reaction? Although you may have a perfect understanding of the incorrect technique, your emotional response breaks the link between your mind and muscles.
Am I advocating that you make an effort to ignore a subpar shot? Of course not; it’s utterly frustrating to hit a 250-yard drive straight down the middle and then scuff a 30-yard pitch shot into the water. I’ve been there and done that.
Come back to the original conundrum. How can we guarantee that our practice will be of a caliber that translates to the golf course?
On the range, practice making poor shots. Practice is the only way to lessen the emotional impact of a missed shot. You should try to recreate your typical poor shot after hitting three quality (though not necessarily perfect) shots with a particular club. Your emotional response will depend on how well you can accomplish this.
Learning to control your emotions so they serve you rather than against you is the key to developing strong muscle memory. The good or the bad shots, which elicits a stronger emotional response? The solution is obvious if you go through life on a constant roller coaster of inconsistency.
Thanks for reading!