 For many players, watching The Golf Channel,
reading the monthly magazines, and listening
to the “tips” from fellow players is part of
their daily fare. While I believe all of
these avenues can benefit the player, the
overabundance of information can be a part of
the problem with some players once they
actually get out onto the course.
One of the big mistakes many players make
when they play a round of golf is that their
minds are too full of technical thoughts.
The plethora of methodologies, swing
thoughts, and friendly “suggestions” can
create what we in mental training
call, “paralysis by analysis”. This is
exemplified when the player steps over the
ball and has several different things going
through her or his mind. “Make sure the
ball’s inside your left heel.” “Keep your
head down”. “Keep your hands low during the
take away.” “Make a good ‘triangle’ at the
top of the swing.” And on, and on, and on!
For most, this bombardment of internal
instruction has a negative effect on the way
they swing, the way they score, and the
enjoyment they get out of their game.
For those players who take the time to
practice regularly and have integrated these
swing thoughts to the point that they become
habitual, there is usually time for one and
maybe two swing thoughts during the duration
of the swing. Even for those who don’t
practice regularly, I would strongly
encourage that they pick one thing to focus
on in their swing that day and drop all the
rest until back in the practice area. This
is difficult for a lot of players to do. As
an example, I frequently will work with
players who will say they’re focusing only on
a swing thought in their backswing. Upon
hitting the ball poorly, they are apt to
quickly say something like, “I picked my head
up” or “My alignment must have been bad”.
When I ask how well they executed the
movement affiliated with the swing thought, I
regularly get a blank stare!
In addition to reducing our swing thoughts,
another powerful reminder is to keep in mind
where you want to hit the ball,
not
how to hit it. Picking a
specific
target and seeing a specific shot to that
target, can immerse the mind in the process
of a desired shot outcome. This can also
help reduce the focus on every molecule of
our body as we attempt to control our swing
and hit it perfectly!
In sum, use one swing thought, monitor
yourself based only on that movement, and
keep your mind on your target. This will
help you swing more freely and give yourself
more chance for success!
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