CASE STUDY PREVIEW
Executive summary
Rick Malm reached out to us with a keen interest in testing the training method outlined in the book, Slow Practice Will Get You There Faster: Link between Ben Hogan’s Mirror Practice and His Slow Motion Drill. Captivated by the concepts presented, Rick proposed that I mentor him through the training regimen, offering to share all the collected data for our future reference. The graphs, along with most of the pictures and videos included in this presentation, were generously provided by him.
Rick Malm Bio
- 62 years old.
- Retired IBM Research (computer architecture, graphics, VLSI design software).
- Has Played Golf for 4 years.
- Best score +6, but random results (large score spread). Clearly a boogie golfer. Driver carry best measured 271. Average on course, 220.
- Past sports: Gymnastics, skiing, rock climbing, karate, skydiving, trick shot billiards/pool (wrote two eBooks on this subject). The later talent being a fine motor accuracy sport; its slow movement compares favorably to full golf swings.
- Other hobbies past and present: Guitar, piano, fitness training, photography, high-speed video analysis of elite Long Drive/Tour Pro and Amateur (www.sscgolfswing.com).
Guidance at the testing process:
Ernest Dras; author of the book Slow Practice Will Get You There Faster: Link between Ben Hogans’ mirror practice and his slow motion drill; inventor of The Solar Sweetspot Training Method.
KEY FINDINGS
- Improvement of sweet spot accuracy from more than 20 mm average error to 10 mm, which means MORE THAN 50 % IMPROVEMENT in three months
- In training process, to accommodate the need for hitting more balls with less interruptions in a given time, swing groover is a good option
- Three basic steps should be followed:
− work on the shape of the swing
− master the impact precision
− full focus on target
RICK MALM: My summary and overall impression of the process
It takes a lot of discipline. Most of the people I know would not take the time. The progress takes months and 1000’s of swings. Unlike many training processes, the sweet spot training requires constant testing of exact sweet spot error distances and a self awareness training process that teaches the body/mind how to work more effectively. This is a long road to travel. Even after 6 months I feel like I still have a long way to go to master the subject. It’s difficult to stay motivated on your own without a coach helping you every day with analysis and motivation.
Why was I attracted to this training method? Nobody understands how to teach this subject and it can make a difference of a win or loss at long drive world championship for my clients, and for me it means the difference of hitting fairways and greens as well as losing golf balls in the rough. I wish I would have learned this teaching technique before I started playing golf and other sports.
Comparison of Rick’s full-speed swing sweet spot accuracy in a time span of 5 months.
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