Joe,
Sometimes I read about how a pro was struggling in a tournament and had to manufacture a swing in the middle of the round. What does that mean and how do they do that? I have always heard that it is a bad idea to try changes in the middle of a round and to save swing changes for the practice range, right?
Ryan

Hi Ryan,
That is a great question. When our muscles begin to tire, they behave differently, so the good swing we had on the practice range can disappear during a round, and we must do something different to avoid ruining that round. People who rely only on their natural ability usually find it harder to make adjustments because they do not know what to adjust. On the other hand, people who understand their swing mechanics already know there are several things going on during a swing, such as the relationship between hip turn and shoulder turn. If either one is turning more or less than usual, the overall swing can change. At the same time, tiring muscles can cause the arc of the swing to become too flat without you realizing it. Your tempo may also change slightly or you may be overswinging. So to manufacture a swing in the middle of a round, you have to analyze the results of your shots and decide which of these things has the best chance to correct the erroneous shots. Most good golfers have a list of keys, or swing thoughts to focus on. On some days, one key may work better than another key. I personally do not want to wait until the next time I get to the practice range, because that is giving up on the round. I simply try some practice swings using another key that I know has worked in the past and see how it feels. If I do not feel confident with it, I will pick a different key until I find a practice swing that give me a feeling of confidence. Your comment about saving things for the practice range is correct for new ways to swing that you have never tried before.
Joe