Lynn Marriott's "Tai Chi" Swing (Video)

I found this over at the LPGA's instruction site and thought you guys might be interested, especially if you've noticed the ads for things like Tathata Golf that incorporate martial arts training and are curious. This is a drill from Lynn Marriott at VISION54 that she calls a "Tai Chi" swing.

And for those of you who don't know, while Lynn refers to Tai Chi as a slow motion thing, it's much more than that. What we normally think of as Tai Chi is actually the practice forms for the martial art Tai Chi Chuan, which is considered one of the most advanced forms of martial arts. As Lynn says in the video, you practice at slow speed in order to improve your form at normal speed.



There's not much I can add to what Lynn says in the video because the concept is very simple -- as I said above, you practice at slow speed in order to improve your form at normal speed. I've tagged this post not only as a drill but as a mindset post because this sort of slow motion training is used in many sports. It helps you build strength and stability in your form, as well as helping you understand the movements of your sport better.

Just as a side note, this method is less effective when you use the techniques of a classic swing because so much of the technique is based on movement. Slow motion training focuses more on positions because you eliminate most of the momentum in the moves. But even then, this practice drill can really help you improve your form and balance, especially if you try to stay as relaxed as possible without getting sloppy, because of the subtle strengthening effect from doing it so slow. Give it a try!