Your Weakest Link is First to Break, But What's Left?

In Truth #9, Dr. Rick Jensen explained that under pressure, your weakest skill is first to break down. Truth #10 describes exactly what happens when it breaks down, and what to do about it.

Under Pressure, Your Brain Reverts to the Familiar

As you are learning a new skill and you expose that skill to any type of pressure, your body will return to what you know. The old motor program, reinforced by many, many repetitions, is still there. When stressed, your brain will revert to it - and your old most common ball flight will reappear.

As you are working with your coach to walk a new skill up the four steps to mastery, you may play a round and successfully transfer that skill to the course for the first few holes. Then, faced with a bad lie, a hazard or even a distraction, suddenly your old ball flight reappears. It's not that your new skill can't work, it's just that it won't work consistently until you've taken all the steps required to really learn it. Until you have successfully stored a new motor program in your brain, the old one, and the old ball flight, will reappear whenever you are under pressure.

So, What Do You Do?

Dr. Rick uses the phrase, "Dance with the partner you know." He means that you should do what the pros do - keep working on the new skill in practice, but in play, adjust to accommodate your miss. If your predominant miss is a slice, aim farther left so the ball has a chance of ending up in the fairway.

And don't try to "fix" your miss in the middle of a round. If your miss is predictable, plan for it and play it. Then, after your round, hit the practice tee to work on improving your ball flight.

The Golf Matrix Approach

In Golf Matrix language, we call this the difference between performance and investment. Most rounds are about performance - shooting the lowest score possible. It's not about fixing your technique. Other rounds need to be about investment though. You need to try to bring new skills with you to the course until you are able to do so proficiently.

We work with our students in both the performance and investment modes. We help players recognize the value in the shot pattern they have and we help them develop a more desirable shot pattern when the one they have won't allow them to reach their goals. If you are serious about mastering the game, come in and we'll develop a plan to help you reach your goals.