What are the Four Levels of Consciousness?

Consciousness (definitions):

- the state of being awake and aware of one's surroundings - the awareness or perception of something by a person - the fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world

Consciousness has four different levels that can be applied to just about anything but since this page is dedicated to golf that is what I will apply it to. I learned this concept from my former swing coach Kelvin Miyahira about 5 years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. So, what exactly are the Four Levels of Consciousness?

Level 1: Unconscious Incompetence

Unconscious incompetence is when you are unaware of what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Level 2: Conscious Incompetence

Conscious incompetence is when you are aware of what you are doing wrong but are still unable to make the changes in your swing. Moving past this level requires a lot of practice and patience. Stick to the process and practice with purpose to implement new movement patterns in your swing.

Level 3: Conscious Competence

Conscious competence is when you are aware of what you are doing and able to perform the motions in your swing. This level still requires some thinking but it's now much easier to perform the desired motions. Once this level of consciousness is achieved the swing changes are close to being natural to the player. Many high-level golfers live in this level but that doesn't mean that they are always aware. Everyone falls back to Level 2 in certain areas of their game at some point. This is why it's still important to look at your swing on a regular basis.

Level 4: Unconscious Competence

Unconscious competence is when you are unaware of the good things that you do in your swing or are no longer thinking about performing a specific motion. This is what many refer to as "the zone" since thinking isn't required to perform the motions. The best golfers in the world live somewhere between this level and Level 3. This is the hardest level to achieve for most golfers, but it doesn't mean that you can't get there as well. Put in the reps on the range and at the course and see just how far you can go. Only you are in charge of what level you can achieve.