basic swing change tips

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.

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

Some General Swing Tech Posts (with Videos)

The FMM Swing Articles