| 6 December |
Old habits die hard? – Not any more!! |
(This article here was written by Chris Graham Golf Instructor)
Over years of coaching, I have seen countless golfers struggling with an ingrained swing faults that despite hours and hours of practice, just won’t go away. Sometimes when it does, it merely reappears when they play in the pressure of a big competition. In the old days, the answer was to have patience and PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE!!!!!! I knew there had to be a better way.
I have been researching the use of science in golf coaching for the past 7 years while completing a Masters degree in Sport Psychology. A few years ago, I came across Old Way New Way. It was originally used in education but was starting to be used in other settings including sport. I have been using it with my golf coaching ever since.
So, science has come to the rescue of golfers who have been putting up with a slice, hook or other swing fault, even after years of lessons, practice and frustration. “Old Way New Way” is an innovative coaching method that can accelerate learning, reduce practice times and overcome old bad swing habits.
Old Way New Way is different from conventional coaching approaches because the process deals directly with subconscious interference that occurs when a player is trying to break longstanding “bad” habits.
Old Way New Way lessons start out by raising awareness of a golfer’s “old” swing before introducing the “new” correct way. Next comes a switching process between both “old” and “new” ways, before practice of the “new way” only.
With Old Way New Way, practice times are reduced, swing changes come faster and there is no falling back to old ways under pressure of competition.
Old Way New Way is being used with Olympic athletes in Finland and is also being used at the South Australian Sports Institute. It has also been featured on the ABC TV New Dimensions program.