Process Reminders for Using Clear Keys
©2003
While it doesn't happen
every day, we do get a number of questions that relate to how
clear keys are applied. Mostly, those questions come after
someone has had either a marginal or mysterious experience with
them and is unable to detect the cause of something that appeared
"not to work." We have only rarely found a question
that pointed to an "exception to the rule" that we had
not heard before, but let it be known by all clear key users that
it would be strange, indeed, if there were no exceptions. What we
recommend is, that if you bump into something that appears to be
such an exception, please let us know. That way we can help you
confirm it, or give you feedback that will dispose of any mystery
connected to your personal experience. That also helps us to help
others keep their keys "clear."
Here are a few items
that we might "tag" as "tips."
Insure
that your clear key is long enough to begin
before your swing starts and last until it is complete at the end
of your follow-through.
Be sure
to keep the clear key going, without any
silent spaces, from the very end of pre-shot until the ball is
gone. Leaving even the slightest gap in your key invites invasion
from conscious thought. If that happens, (it doesn't always, but
why take the chance?) it bumps the automatic process right out of
the saddle, and you're back to manual. (There is
no"semi-automatic" in golf).
Determine
that you are maintaining the recommended time-frames for
moving from pre-shot planning through execution to your
"finish." Overall one has about 13-14 seconds before
the guardianship of the clear key begins to fade. 5-6 seconds are
needed between the end of pre-shot and the beginning of actual
execution. It takes that long for the system to"shift
gears" from manual to automatic. Allow that to fit together.
Don't try to "force" a fit. While time frames have some
flexibility, it is best not to wander from the parameters we
mention here.
Develop
the habit of staying "clean" with your clear key use.
In other words, don't interrupt the process once it has begun. If
any short circuit occurs, learn to stop and start over. For
instance, avoid practice swings or any manual considerations
after your key starts. Such interruptions tend to cancel the
automatic action.
Back up
your clear key. Build and practice with a
second key that has the same pentameter, pace and rhythm as
your"A" key. Call it a "B" key. Occasionally
you may start a round and feel just a tad off what we refer to as
being "in sync." For whatever reasons, the flow isn't
as usual. Just switch to your "B" key for awhile (the
rest of the nine or the round). Players report that as a
satisfactory remedy. Practicing with both keys avoids any
possibility of one's system's not being familiar with the second
one, thus given to minor, or major, glitches.
Remember
that a clear key does not "lead" in pace or rhythm.
That role belongs to your natural swing. To"discover"
what is "natural" for you, work solely on clear key
(ignore mechanics at that point even in pre-shot). Just tell
yourself you want what is natural, until you find two things -
what feels comfortable and what gets a sound result in ball
flight. Your swing is the leader. Clear key is like the table
cloth, which does not support the dishes. It only keeps the top
of the table clean ("clear").
A clear
key needs to be "in sync" with your own swing. Do
not be concerned about small, or minor, variations in your rhythm
and pace from day to day. That is another mark of humanity. We
are not exactly the same two days in a row - maybe once in
awhile, but certainly not always. If you notice something greater
than "small or minor," however, check it out with us,
since that might indicate something significant for your game.
When
pressure increases, render your clear key at
least loud enough for you to hear yourself whisper or sing it. It
has been well documented that "out loud" is stronger
and less prone to being displaced by a conscious swing thought
than doing it "inside the head." Should anyone laugh or
remark, just use Lyle's response: "The Key to my approach
was Clear."LOL
Practice
with clear keys alone (without working on
your technique or motion) until you have solid familiarity with
the process. It may help occasionally to do that as a refresher,
as well.
When
using the 32 ball drill, be sure to take mini "breaks,"
in between the fours by raking up four more balls. That's enough
break. Follows the learning principle that "we learn best in
short doses, one thing at a time, with little rest breaks in
between."
Occasionally,
play nine (or 18) without any more thought about
"mechanics" than using a swing key
in pre-shot. In other words, do that without working on your
physical game. That will offer opportunity to apply diagnosis to
any needs you may have for adjustment, refinement of a
"rusty" spot, or even something new that needs
attention. By doing it that way, you will get as close as any of
us can come to a neutral (objective) view of the overall
condition of your game. That will, in turn, let you know what you
need to attend to in practice, if anything is needed. It also
avoids being drawn into just practicing for the sake of
practicing and messing around with something that really does not
need attention (which is a good way to disturb what is already
working well).
Avoid
allowing yourself any intentional attempt to match "points
of reference" in execution to the words (or points of
reference) in your key. In other words, make no effort to
"take it back" on the first or second word, etc. Just
allow that to happen naturally. It will likely fall into a
pattern, but that does not need your focus of attention at
all."Forcing" that issue will cancel your application
of the automatic principle.
Finish
your clear key. Don't let if wander off just
after impact. It should continue till you literally complete your
follow through. Not finishing your key encourages deceleration of
the swing before impact. While that is very subtle, it happens
frequently to players in the manual mode, and creeps into
automatic if the key is not continued with normal intensity till
the follow through is complete.
Use
clear keys with every shot. That is not
because they are absolutely necessary for every shot, but
consistent use means that you will not be caught off guard and it
will lead to your playing consistently.
Becoming"consistent" means doing things consistently.
By all
means, always use a pre-shot moment even when you practice,
so that your practice matches the way you play. Only then will
you be able to play the way you practice. And use your clear keys
with both the learning moments and the more routine moments. The
clear key process is not amenable to "sometimes" use.
It works best when used all the time as your focus of attention
following pre-shot.
Occasional
"leakage" in this process is normal.
No human can avoid an occasional lapse. Good management indicates
that we should ignore what is occasional. If it is something that
becomes a pattern, then address it. Leakage is most apt to come
from past experience that concentrated on swing mechanics as the
active ingredient in execution. One cannot "break" that
habit. We can only build a new one (using clear key) strong
enough to displace the old one.
Postscript:
About ten years ago, I was playing out in California with a
friend who was well into the clear key process. Suddenly, he hit
what was truly a squandered shot. He began to laugh and I asked
him "What happened?" Still chuckling, he blurted out,
"I was trying to hit my clear key and hit the space bar
instead!" So do not fret, if occasionally you get a
"mis-dial." Just continue with the process. One miss is
an exception. Three or four in a row might need attention.
"When
the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Clear key of Chris Bitticks, 2004 N. Cal. PGA
Champion).