Muscle Memory and the Golf Swing

Tyler’s back today to comment on a question that one of our readers emailed in.  He asked, “How do you react when the phrase muscle memory is used?”  This is how easy it is, if you have a question, send us an email or Facebook message or comment and we will get to it asap.  So here we go!

Muscle Memory explained

I am not too picky when it comes to proper usage of words, for me it has always been the idea communicated that is far more important.  So the idea of “muscle memory” is a key part of the motor learning process, the term muscle memory is sort of like how a millipede got it’s name – I imagine that process was something like this, “look at that thing?! it’s gotta have a million legs.”  Back to muscle memory.  The closest thing a muscle has to memory is a tendon reflex.  This is when the doctor hits you in the knee and then your leg bounces out and you laugh – well, at least I laugh every time that happens.  Muscles are contractile tissues that do as they are told, and this is where the importance of the idea comes in.  When most people refer to muscle memory they are actually referring to a motor pattern.

Difference between muscle memory and a motor pattern

A motor pattern is stored in the brain and involves a movement.  Motor patterns can be broken down into two kinds: fine motor – just your hands like writing or using a fork; and gross motor – full body stuff like the golf swing or spinning and flailing when you come across a bee (hopefully you don’t have a great motor program for the latter).  The more repetitions of a motor pattern that you do the more repeatable it will be.  However, a motor program involves not just the muscles but every sense you have.  Let me repeat that another way, the motor pattern is dependent on the state of mind, the images you see, the adrenaline levels you posses, the sounds you hear, the level of saliva in your mouth and pretty much everything going on in you and around you when you build the pattern.  This has some very distinct differences from the image of muscle memory that need to be factored into training.

Implications of training a motor pattern

Motor patterns actually involve, to some extent, all of the senses in the body.  The limbic system is the part of your brain responsible for emotions.  This is why if you perform in a different state of mind than you practice you will have trouble repeating the same motor pattern.  A motor pattern an electric message sent to all the parts of the body involved in producing that pattern, lets call it your HD channel.  The limbic system is responsible for analyzing millions of incoming data and can be thought of as static on this channel.  When you are doing block practicing, usually you are able to create a pretty clear picture.  But then you get on the first tee and all of this static starts appearing because the situation has changed.  Soon you can’t really hear who’s talking and you don’t know if you are watching ER or Scrubs (in my example, all you knew was it was a medical show).  When you don’t know what show your watching is when you fail to produce under pressure.  Many athletes have discussed being in “the zone” as a feeling of being deaf, being numb, and having tunnel vision.  All of these reflect clear motor patterns and explain how they are able to recreate the exact same movement time after time.  The stronger the picture (motor pattern) the better the performance will match that picture.

Practical Implications

Ok, so far this has been a lot of theory.  Here is what you need to practice now that you understand that it not just the Muscle Memory going on but really a motor pattern that needs to be trained.

1)  Muscles dont’ have memory, but a motor pattern will become clearer with more repetitions.  The current numbers are to do lots of repetitions: 350 to set a pattern and about 5000 to change a pattern <–this is my area of expertise.

2) There are two kinds of practice, as Dee mentioned earlier:

Block practicing where you repeat the same motion over and over in succession.   Think of this as normal practice.
Random practicing where you vary the criteria required.  Think of this as playing on the course.

3)  When you are building a pattern try to practice in the same state of mind as you will be performing.  I had a psyche teacher who said, “If you are going to study high then you better come to the test high.”  I don’t think this is the best practice (study sober kids), but this does mean that if you are going to be under pressure on the course you need to find ways to putt yourself under pressure when you practice.  Competitions and a practice companion help this out a lot.

4)  I could go on talking about HOW to practice forever, but here is a big key.  Vision is one of your strongest sense and provides your brain with a lot of information.  When you are trying to change a swing, make sure you understand when and how the ball or club will look different in the motion.  Your muscles only respond to pictures that the brain sends them, if you can’t envision a movement, then you will not be able to manifest it in movement.  Use the eyes to help retrain your swing and you will have a better chance of making changes.  I always ask my students, “how does this look different” when I put them at a different top of back swing, delivery, or impact position – and now you know why.

I’ll say it again, if you have any topics that you would like Dee or I to cover, don’t hessitate to ask.  Now it’s Friday and my day off from work, time to go work on my motor patterns at Blue Mash.