
Basic Swing Change Tips: Small Advice with Big Potential
Making a swing change can be challenging and requires more than most golfers realize. To successfully change any part of your swing, you typically need between 3,000 to 5,000 repetitions (based on my experience). Basic swing change tips & tricks can actually hold quite some potential.
Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you through the process of swing change, no matter what you’re working on.
1. Close Your Eyes During Practice
It might sound a bit odd, but closing your eyes during practice can unlock your body’s full potential for change. It’s a powerful technique that many golfers overlook.
For example, if you’re trying to fix an “over the top” move, the root of the problem often lies in the way your eyes perceive the swing. Your eyes can deceive you, creating the wrong focus and subconscious task.
When you close your eyes, you shift from visual cues to purely feeling your swing. This allows you to experience the difference of a smoother, more controlled motion. It’s almost like cheating—unlocking a new level of awareness in your motion.
2. Commit to at Least 5 Sessions of “Testing”
One of the biggest mistakes golfers make is testing a new swing change for too short a time. Before you start, take the time to study the change you want to make and understand why it’s important.
Give the change a fair chance by committing to at least five sessions of practice. If it feels fundamentally wrong after that, the change likely isn’t for you. However, if you start to notice even a small improvement or feel something positive, it could be the breakthrough you’ve been searching for.
3. Don’t Let the Result Block Your Progress
When working on swing changes, focusing too much on the outcome can be your biggest enemy—especially in the early stages. The immediate results of your new technique can be discouraging, as the swing may not feel natural yet.
While many golfers say they’re okay with hitting bad shots for a while, the reality is that this can block your progress. To avoid this, commit to not caring about the result during practice, or use a hitting net that doesn’t show immediate results. By removing the pressure of seeing the ball flight, you can focus entirely on making the right changes, leading to quicker and better results in the long run.
4. Transition from Mechanics to Feels
A major reason why swing changes fail is that golfers don’t transition from technical mechanics to how the swing feels. You need to develop an awareness of the swing in a more abstract way. If you can’t feel the changes you’re making, you’re likely not performing the technique that’s right for your body.
Once you have the mechanics down, shift your focus to the “feel” of the new swing. This mental and physical shift will help solidify the change and make it more natural.
5. Gradually Introduce Performance and On-Course Play
It’s important to ease your way into real performance once you’ve worked on technique. Start by dedicating the last 25% of your practice session to performance-based shots. As you progress, increase this to 40%, then 60%, and so on.
When you’re ready, start by playing nine holes on the course. Then, try playing with friends, and eventually with strangers. The key is to introduce performance gradually and in the right order to ensure you’re comfortable with the changes you’ve made.
If you haven’t read the articles about major swing change here I suggest to check them out and please use this entire website as your tool.
- Article 1 – Must Haves & Pitfalls of Major Swing Change.
- Article 2 – Understanding your Golf Swing DNA.
- Article 3 – Where do you want to go?
Also, you have the Simplified Swing Change Plan here. A resource you can download and adapt to your own change.
The Major Swing Change Article Series
Must Haves & Pitfalls of Major Swing Change – The Big Picture
A major swing change is far from easy—but it doesn’t have to be insanely difficult either. I’m not talking about a minor tweak, like adjusting your grip slightly, but rather a complete rebuild of…
Understanding your Golf Swing DNA – Where You Are Now
Understanding who you are as a golfer—your current swing, habits, and the motivations behind them—is the foundation of any meaningful swing change. Without this self-awareness, you have no solid ground to build upon. You…
Simplified Swing Change Plan – PDF Download
Use this entire website to fill out the blank spots in the Simplified Swing Change Plan. The plan itself is a very simple resource that you download, print and then adapt to your own…
Some General Swing Tech Posts (with Videos)
Flipping in Golf – Good or Bad? It Depends
Flipping in Golf – A Misunderstanding? There are many ways to execute a golf swing. In the old-school style, where the swing arc drives the motion, allowing the club to overtake the hands, aka…
The Golf Swing Engine – What Truly Drives the Swing
What’s the Golf Swing Engine? What truly drives it? The answer depends on the swing system you follow. In the FMM Swing—rooted in the timeless motion of the old greats—the golf swing engine is…
The Simple Golf Swing: Four Key Concepts Explained
The Simple Golf Swing: Four Key Concepts Explained Does the simple golf swing actually exist? It’s a reasonable question and my answer is this. There are definitely simplifications of the motion available for you…
The FMM Swing Articles
The Golf Swing Timing – Allowing Natural Forces To Shine?
When you’ve played your best golf, it probably felt like nothing. Your golf swing timing was so on point that you could simply play the game without overthinking. You’ve likely hit 5–10 shots in…
The Golf Swing Plane and Circle: Natural or Manipulated?
The golf swing is a bit strange in that some of the observed behavior just happens, while other aspects are enforced or acted upon. You have the observed golf swing plane and the circle…
Swing Intentions – The Missing Piece for Great Golf?
Ever thought that what professionals (or the awesome players at your club) are doing isn’t quite the same as what you’re doing? Ever wondered if you can accurately draw conclusions about someone’s swing by…