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Golf Swing Thoughts Help Develop Consistency
Swing thoughts on the practice range are an unquestioned
strategy. They simplify a complex situation. They speed the
learning process. And they help develop trust in your swing. How
about during a match? Do swing thoughts help there? What are the
best swing thoughts to have?
While instructors differ on which are the best swing thoughts
during a match, they all agree on one thing: Thoughts like "Keep
your elbow tucked in," Finish with your belt buckle facing the
target," or "Keep your head still" only foul up your swing when
playing. In fact, many golf tips on swing thoughts reject the
whole idea.
It's not that these thoughts are bad. They're not. They're right
on target. Entire golf lessons are designed around them. And
they're great in practice. They keep you focused on what you're
doing.
But eliminate them during a match. Why? They focus on swing
mechanics and that's something to avoid when actually swinging a
club. Check any golf instruction manual. They will tell you the
same thing: You can't command your body to work in a certain way
when hitting the ball. Trying to do so creates more problems
than it solves.
Instead, focus on your target. That, after all, is your real
goal. Forget about where your hands are or where your hips are.
Concentrate on where you want the ball to land and link to it
creatively and emotionally. Develop a mental picture of that
spot and keep it in mind as you swing.
If you must have a swing thought, keep it simple. And
non-mechanical. Many PGA pros focus on a single thought, which
eliminates thoughts about swing mechanics.
Ernie Ells keeps this thought in mind when he swings "Low and
slow." That's it. He doesn't think about where his hands are,
where his weight is, or where his body is going to end up.
That's for when he's taking a golf lesson from his swing coach.
Instead, he focuses on taking the club back low and slow,
eliminating everything else.
Fred Shoemaker, author, a pioneer in golf instruction, and
founder of the golf school Extraordinary Golf, is adamant about
swing thoughts. Replace thoughts about your mechanics with
thoughts about the "feel" of your swing. Think about tempo and
rhythm rather than where and when. If you must have a swing
thought, says Fred, have one that reinforces the feel of your
swing.
Fred has his students practice throwing clubs to emphasize this
idea. At first, they throw a club 15 feet. Then, they throw one
with a slightly fuller swing, about 25 feet or so. After about
200 throws, they throw one with a complete golf swing. Of
course, this club throwing is done under strict supervision and
safety conditions.
Once Fred's students master club throwing, they move to the tee.
The goal there is remembering how it feels to throw a club when
you hit a ball. They focus on that idea and that idea alone.
Another approach is to have a thought that triggers something in
your swing, thoughts that
* Mentally in-plant your target line * Mimics the actual swing *
Produces a smooth take away * Triggers the downswing. * Promotes
relaxation while swinging
Establish a target line for your ball flight before you address
the ball. Keep that thought in mind when you hit and try to copy
it with your ball flight. That forces you to keep the target
line in mind, not your mechanics.
Most professional golfers take a few practice swings before they
address the ball. They want the feel of the swing before they
hit the ball. Recreational golfers ought to do the same. Take a
few practice swings. Remember how it feels. Keep that "feel" in
mind when you hit.
Focus on a thought that promotes a smooth takeaway. Slow and
easy. Or, slow and smooth. Anything that produces a nice
takeaway helps. Remember, the takeaway and backswing do one
thing: position you for the downswing.
The downswing begins the chain reaction of feet, knees, thighs,
and shoulders. Any thought that triggers this chain reaction
helps deliver the blow at impact. Try thoughts like, "Plant your
left heel," or "Slide your left knee toward the target."
Anything that helps you transfers your weight to your left side
works well.
Also try to complete the backswing in a relaxed manner. Think of
anything that will occupy the time between your takeaway and the
completion of your backswing. That brief time is critical. It's
when golfers think about their mechanics instead of their
targets.
Consistency is every golfer's goal. To achieve it, we need a
swing that is repeatable under pressure every time we play.
Developing that swing, however, isn't easy. It takes hard work
and plenty of practice.
Having a thought process that repeats itself time and time again
helps you develop that swing as well. If the metal side of your
game syncs with the physical side, achieving swing consistency
gets easier. More importantly, it cuts strokes from your game,
which, in turn, generates a lower handicap.
About the author:
Jack Moorehouse publishes a free weekly newsletter with the
latest golf tips and
instruction and has helped thousands of golfers lower their
handicaps quickly. He is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80.
Written by: Jack Moorehouse
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