Learning How To Practice Perfect
Everyone agrees our time is limited, so using our practice time on the range to become more efficient is a big priority. Learning new skills, assimilate and transfer those new skills to make changes in our golf swing or game is the goal on the range. Here is how our brains work:
• Unconscious Incompetence - we have no clue or understanding of the problem
• Conscious Incompetence - We realize a problem but don't know how to fix it
• Conscious Competence - We get help / teacher / book / lecture etc. and work to fix problem
• Unconscious Competency - We have practiced correctly and now that new skill is automatic
Our conscious mind can only process small bits of data at a time. But the good news our unconscious mind has an infinite amount of storage space, if we need more we develop more room! Have you ever gotten frustrated or feel overwhelmed trying something new? if you have then you have tried to cram too much information into our conscious, we are trying to assimilate too much information at once. So our emotions get overwhelmed, fed-up, frustrated.
The problem is not trying a new skill, the problem is thinking about too much. This process is called, Chunking or Modules. Each new Module builds layers of skill, as the skill becomes more automatic you are becoming more competent and skillful. The lower level of Modules are the foundations and the new higher level Modules are developing you into an expert.
Here is the correct process:
Identification
Becoming aware of the module that you are going to practice and learning from a teacher how to perfect new module.
Isolation
Choose a module (and speed) that is the correct size for your focus to process and perform at a high degree of perfection.
Reinforcement
Consistently and continuously repeat the action (Module) so that they become automatic.
Integration
Reinforcing the module by executing them either one after another or together in order to form higher level expert modules.
Escalation
Selecting something new to practice that properly relates to your goals as you master previous modules
Tips To Help You
Always practice something that is at the right level for our conscious mind to process. Watch for the symptoms of being overwhelmed, also underwhelmed in order to tell you whether to focus on something smaller or bigger. Always lower the data load by slowing it down and working on a lower level (foundation) module. Try to make sure you never unnecessarily sacrifice perfection.
