The Mythical Perfect Swing - Harvey Penick

[poper]

I thought I would pass this great drill on. If you practice Mr. Penicks perfect swing in slow, I mean super slow motion. LIke when you think your going too slow, go slower!! You will develop the muscle memory to repeat this perfect swing on the golf course.

Things to remember. Stay positive, a Good grip is imperative, take dead aim, focus on the ball (in this case blade of grass) and don't watch your club swing back you will develop back habits. Focus on the points outlined below, in the quote from Harvey.

The Mythical Perfect Swing

"Here is how to make the Mythical Perfect Swing that all golfers are always pursuing:
Stand a few paces behind the ball and look down the line toward the target.
Walk to the ball from behind, get a good grip, pass the club back of the ball square to the target, then adjust your stance to fit.
Have a slight waggle and then set the club back of the ball again and make a forward press similar to what you would do swinging a bucket of water.
In the first move back as the club gets parallel to the ground, the toe of the club points directly up, and the left heel starts off the ground.
Let the club come up, keeping your elbows in front of your body, to the top of your backswing, where the clubhead will be pointing almost to the ground.
Return your left heel to the ground and simultaneously let your right elbow move back to your side as it comes down.
Weight has started shifting to your left side. Your forearms cross over as they swing. Your head stays behind the ball, perhaps even moving slightly more behind it.
Finish with your forearms in front of you. A good finish shows what has gone before it. Let your head come up to look at the good shot..."


GOOD LUCK this season!

[BC MIST]

I thought I would pass this great drill on. If you practice Mr. Penicks perfect swing in slow, I mean super slow motion. LIke when you think your going too slow, go slower!! You will develop the muscle memory to repeat this perfect swing on the golf course.

As a 25+year advocate of the Bertholy routines, I agree that constant repetition of a swing in slow motion, as you suggest is one of the best ways to perfect that motion. The hope is that the swing being repeated is a fundamentally good one.

However, it has long since been proven that "muscle memory" does NOT exist and is an expression that can be misleading. The brain controls the action of the muscles and the repetitions recommended create the electrical circuitry or pathways necessary for that motion to take place. It is only through literally thousands of reps will this desired motion become one that can be executed without conscious thought. My muscles may be conditioned but because they have no gray matter, they cannot remember. If I hit 5 perfect shots in a row with "muscle memory," what happened when I missed the 6th? Did my muscles forget?

Before the golfer moves to the slow motion swings, it is ideal to swing to 5 or 6 perfect positions to pass through, and hold for 10 seconds or so, before moving on to the next. Example: halfway back, top of BS, lead arm horizontal in DS, shaft horizontal, impact, finish. A weighted club makes it even better as it both strengthens the muscles and increases the flexibility, while creating the pathways.