Until you can’t do it the wrong way

When you get dressed today, put the other leg in your pants first.  When you brush your teeth, use your other hand to do it.  When putting on your shoes, tie them using a different set of steps.

Did you have trouble?  I bet you did.

That’s because you have done those things so many times one particular way that your body really doesn’t know any other way to do it.  Ever say “I couldn’t swing like that if I tried” after watching a player take some bad cuts?  I know I have.

All of this is a result of “muscle memory” which is actually a misnomer since the “memory” is actually based on activity in the brain and not the muscles.

In our world of immediate gratification, too many players dabble in drill work and are unwilling to put in the time it takes to do a skill thousands of times perfectly until the body doesn’t know how to do it the wrong way.

The fall months can be the perfect time to go back to the basics in a much less competitive environment to re-teach the body all the right ways of playing the game.  Start doing all the drills perfectly in slow motion.  Gradually add speed to it.  And then do it over and over until it only feels weird when you do it the wrong way.