What I think I've learned through life is that everybody has a different set of, uh, brainular and physicular aptitudinal abilities.
I've learned certain things from individuals that they themselves were not all that good at, but were amazingly proficient at being able to figure out and explain to others. Similarly, there have been others that I wouldn't trust to give me correct change for a nickel, but could build a structure that could withstand the test of time.
Some people have a natural ability to understand or learn the concept, others have the natural ability to perform, while many others fall somewhere in between. To compound this, life throws in differing amounts of will/desire to do something, the financial resources to be able to spend the time and then the actual free time to do it without interference.
If, in fact, somebody is smart and analytical, they theoretically should be able to progress at a faster rate as they are more likely to figure out what they are doing right or wrong. At the same time, they are also more likely to 'over think' what they are doing(or sometimes be convinced that they're not even wrong), attempting to force the action to take place instead of allowing it to come from within them based on what they have learned.
For example, try to write in cursive at a slow, deliberate pace. Chances are, it is not going to look right and the 'flow' of the action is lost. If you just stop caring completely, it will look sloppy and may not even resemble what you are intending to write. There is a special connection that is made between physical action and thought that happens when we simply do what we are wanting to.
After reading the first few chapters of The Inner Game of Tennis, it helped me to understand that connection and allowed me to let it take place naturally. I would strongly suggest reading it to help you let go of your conscious control over your performance and to trust your knowledge of past actions and their results. I always considered my shot-making as a calibration of hand-eye coordination mixed with the interactions of what I was trying to do(inside english on shots, etc). The book has helped to reinforce that idea and gave me more confidence to trust in the actions that my body wanted to perform even when my mind disagreed. That does not mean that my conscious mind should not longer pay attention to what I was doing.
Who's the better golfer, the one that just goes out there and hits the ball, or the one that learns about what he's doing? It's nearly impossible to tell without taking into account an unreasonable amount of things, some of which may not be reliable or may even be contradictory.
Read the book.. it's inexpensive and may help you to understand the conflict that you're having between your conscious mind and your subconscious knowledge.
It's late and I've had a few shots.. so take that for what its worth! :thumbup:
In summary ... it's equally possible that it can hold back your game and can help to improve your game.
Good night.. :thud:
