Social media and other easily accessible Golf media outlets have provided today’s golfers with all the information they or anyone needs to play the game.
If you’re a beginner, conducting a simple YouTube search on “how to swing a golf club” yields thousands of related videos ranging from learning the fundamentals to a detailed breakdown of Tiger Woods’ swing to set you on your path of choice.
If you’re a novice or an advanced player, scouring the Internet can also be a useful exercise for obtaining knowledge about all things golf.
If you’re someone who fights a slice or a hook, for instance, YouTube has countless videos at our fingertips for how to rid your game of these nasty Ball flights.
While much of this information can be helpful, too often, I’ll witness these YouTube-inspired golfers standing motionless for what seems like an eternity over the ball they’re about to strike either on the range or on the course.
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Over the years, these same golfers have acquired so much information about the golf swing that it ultimately interferes with their athletic instinct. Because we’re hitting a ball that isn’t moving, golfers have the luxury of being in complete control of how they strike the ball.
In baseball or softball, hitters are at the mercy of the pitcher and where he or she throws the ball, and at what speed before they can strike it. Like the diamond, the tennis court provides its participants who are returning serve with an opportunity to hit a ball that the server directs at them.
Both hitting a baseball and hitting a return of serve require skills related to one’s reactionary behavior coupled with their ability to anticipate where the ball they’re trying to hit is going to be before it arrives. At the highest levels of both sports, professionals are often “guessing” where the ball is going to be based on a variety of factors that they cannot control.
While golfers make educated guesses for how their ball will react once it is struck (wind, roll out, break, etc.), the strike itself is dependent on internal factors as opposed to external ones; or those we can’t control.
From a number of standpoints, hitting a motionless ball is a blessing. On the other hand, it can completely rob us of performing what ought to be an instinctual motion that is best performed with as little conscious thought as possible.
Instead of trying to implement seven different swing tips into your next Shot, focus on where you want your ball to end up.
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In other words, focus on the target you’ve chosen rather than the motion you’re about to perform. Paralysis through analysis is an extremely debilitating condition that becomes readily visible when golfers are motionless for an uncomfortable amount of time in a setup position over the golf ball. If this is you, try taking your focus away from the ball and redirect it toward your target.
This intention-oriented thinking better enables us to use our instincts to hit the ball rather than our subconscious, which combines emotions and feelings to orient our brains and, eventually, our muscles in order to perform the golf swing.
During your next practice session, focus on changing your target every couple of shots in order to simulate a real round of golf better. On the course, our intended target should be ultra-specific and, more often than not, different than other shots we’ve struck.
Mindlessly firing 200 balls into the middle of the Trackman projector screen will not help us improve as much as hitting just 20 balls at different spots on the screen, at an even pace, with more intention behind each ball struck.
The latter style is a form of “practicing with a purpose,” which helps golfers get into an on-course mindset while also teaching us the importance of hitting the ball in the center of the clubface. Once we have more confidence in how we’re going to strike the ball, we’re going to shoot lower scores on the course.
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Make Sure To Swing Your Swing
Swing your swing. No one swing is the same. Hit the ball in the center of the clubface as frequently as you possibly can.
Once we have confidence in our repeatable, reliable motion, we can focus on the course itself. We can hone in on our yardages, our lie, the wind, and all the non-mechanical factors which influence each golf shot we hit.
When you’re practicing, don’t pound 50 drivers trying to hit each one with a different swing thought or a different approach.
Instead, hit ten drivers with a repeatable pre-shot routine while visualizing your ball fly through the air and coming to rest where you’re looking or envisioning. As the popularity of indoor golf studios continues to increase, a proportional increase in the amount of golfers exhibiting poor practice habits has left teachers searching to solve the problems which result from information overload at these indoor sites.
Having said that, practicing indoors still has its mechanical or technical advantages when it comes to refining the little details in your swing. Shooting lower scores consistently, however, more often relies on assets related to increased mental toughness, greater belief in one’s abilities, and a process-oriented approach to each and every shot. While we are in control of how we strike the ball, we are not in control to a large extent of where the ball will finish, thanks to innumerable external factors.
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Committing to a mental approach that involves hitting the center of the clubface at your intended target will pay and has paid enormous dividends for golfers who have won at the highest level, want to win at the highest level, want to beat their best friend at the local muni this weekend, and for players who are just learning how to play the game.
Results are nothing more than a product of a process, a process that can be refined so that it’s repeatable, comfortable, and reliable in an ever-changing environment (the golf course). Under pressure, we revert to our habits, and the better we think on the golf course and during practice, the better we will think and play when the pressure is on.
Maximize Results
Once we’ve learned how to strike the ball at least reasonably solid with the clubs at our disposal, we must figure out how to maximize our results with each and every club. Hitting a good golf shot is about direction and distance, and finding out how far each one of our clubs goes on a typical or average strike is critical.
Understanding that golf is a game of misses as opposed to a game of great shots helps those golfers who tend to lean too far toward the mechanical side of the swing/game.
Similarly, take a few seconds to digest this fun fact: your average seven handicapper who regularly shoots at or around 79 for 18 holes only averages one more birdie per round than a golfer whose average score is 95. Knowing this, where does the seven handicapper pick up those 12-15 shots per round on the other guy?
Well, the seven handicap knows how to salvage bogey when he has a bad hole, while the mid 90’s golfer can make triples, quadruples, and worse when their game hits the proverbial fan.
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Contrary to popular belief, Tiger Woods is one of the more conservative golfers among the world’s best. In other words, he habitually plays the percentages, doesn’t assume more risk than he needs to, and understands how to avoid the “big number.” After a well-played round, the world’s best are always quick to point out the crucial par saver or savers over the course of their round, which really helped him or her keep their momentum going throughout the round’s duration.
Rarely is it the eagle putt, the birdie hole-out, or the 350-yard bomb down the middle, which settled their nerves, but the character builders from inside 10 feet for par that really got them in a strong place mentally.
Because of the more prolonged or drawn-out nature of our sport relative to others, golfers have a lot of time to themselves to think. The best players in the world keep their minds at ease by focusing on only what they can control in the now.
By in the now, we’re referring to the present moment or our next shot. Try focusing on your next shot and that shot only if you don’t already do so between shots during your next round.
By keeping your mind in tune with what’s happening now as opposed to what happened before or what may happen four holes down the road, for example, you’ll increase the probability of striking your next shot (the only shot that matters!) the way you intended to. Take these words to heart next time out, and you’ll be pleased when you come out on top in your close match.
