The Downswing is no Place to Give Yourself a Lesson

The Downswing is no Place to Give Yourself a Lesson

The Downswing is no Place to Give Yourself a Lesson
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research

Researchers at the renowned Max Planck Institute discovered that subconscious commitment to a plan of action is made as long as seven seconds before we actually act – i.e., you’re going to do it, you just don’t know it yet. This lead time is important in athletic competitions such as baseball where a great hitter makes an unconscious decision to swing by reading the hand position from 60 feet away as the pitcher releases the ball. If the hitter waits until the pitch is thrown, it’s too late. 

So, if you’ll just let it be, your subconscious has it all figured out. However the plan is often compromised because humans have what is called a “bias towards conscious action” (BTCA), where interference in plan execution is often based on a perceived need to “do something” – e.g., unless you’ve had special training, you’ll flail about in quicksand, a conscious reaction that’s natural but sinks you like a stone. 

In golf, the bias towards conscious action holds sway when players abandon training and intervene in their swing at the last second – which is why finding ways of staying committed to your subconscious plan is key. Please remember that your subconscious contains all your training and experience, so it’s far smarter than your conscious mind, which is why you should let your subconscious be the arbiter of something as complicated as your golf swing.

The study’s co-author, John-Dylan Haynes, puts it this way: “Your decisions are strongly prepared by brain activity. By the time consciousness kicks in, most of the work has already been done.” And the implication for such a deliberate sport as golf is – “so don’t screw it up by getting involved.” As Ben Hogan said, ‘the downswing is no place to give yourself a lesson.’

To make sure you are committed to every swing, draw an imaginary line separating you and your ball. Call it the “C” line. It represents the commitment you’re going to make before you cross it to address your ball. Once you’ve surveyed the scene, your subconscious develops your swing plan. Then you cross the C-line and take your address position by first aiming the clubface, then setting your feet and shoulders in position. If an attack of BTCAs tries to change your commitment to the swing you’ve planned, step back behind the C-line to renew your commitment. Then back you go to your ball and – let it rip.   

Commitment means that all your body systems – your muscles, nerves, breathing, etc., are on the same page – they’re all dedicated to the same swing plan with no rogue elements taking a knee. While it’s no assurance you’ll hit a good shot, and full commitment gives you your best chance.

I’d rather my students’ stick to a bad plan and execute it perfectly rather than making a good plan and then lose commitment. Why? First of all, it takes about 300 milliseconds to make a good downswing while the total reaction time for a conscious swing intervention is about 500 milliseconds – that means you’re at impact before the change can effectively be made.

Takeaways:

(1) Good players play in a smooth flow of commitment shaped by a routine, where the swing is part of the process and not a thing on its own. 

(2) Commitment is an echo chamber that broadcasts confidence throughout your brain circuitry.

(3) None of this works if your training is inferior.

If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.