Bring YOUR Brain When You Golf

I have often read that you should clear your mind and then just swing your club for the perfect result. DON’T BELIEVE IT. That may work if you are a robot but you will not be successful if you are not focused on a simple swing thought. Each golfer needs his own triggers to make the right swing for the shot that you want. Without mental preparation you are headed for DISASTER!

Don’t fall back into your old swing problems. This often happens after you par or birdie a hole and step up to the next tee feeling invincible. [Its called the “PBSU- Post Birdie Screw-Up” ] You forget to focus on the swing that will create the shot that you want. You swing a little faster and boom – there goes that dreaded slice or hook or topped ball. What were you thinking?   NOTHING ?

Successful golfers use their brain to plan and feel every swing. Use your key swing thought to control your swing for each shot.

If the game of golf was a no-brainer, you would par every hole. You really do need to focus on the game to make every shot count. Your mind needs to be focused on a SIMPLE PLAN FOR EACH SHOT

Know Your Big Miss. Are you: Slicing, Hooking, Duck Hooking, Topping or Hitting it Fat?

If you don’t know what causes each of these shots, then you better find out by taking a lesson or checking it out on the internet. Take your solution to the range and practice the right swing. Most swing problems are caused by swinging too hard and too fast. We all do it. DON’T starting your swing with shoulder rotation at the top which will create an outside to inside swing path and you will probably fall back as your follow-through (which also causes you to top your ball).

Interesting Result as seen On the Golf Channel
During a recent Web.com tournament the commentators remarked that they could not see a difference in the slow motion, side by side, replay of the tournament leader (Maverick McNealey) with a downwind, perfect drive on a hole as compared to a drive into the wind which was pulled low and into the rough a few holes later.

So I replayed the side by side video about 20 times to look for changes in his swing. I could see very slight changes in the speed of the takeaway; the position at the top and the swing path down to the ball but the important change was a slight “over the top” early shoulder rotation at the start of his transition. The wind must have been playing tricks with his mind.

My POINT here is that there is very little difference between a perfect shot and a bad shot. Use your mind to focus on the swing that you want in order to make the shot.

Use Your Memory and Mind to Plan your Swing
Before you make each shot: select the right club that will reach your target when you swing at 90% of your swing speed; take that 90% practice swing with a balanced finish; setup comfortably up to the ball and execute your planned swing.

I say words in my mind to slow my swing down for both the practice swing and my planned swing: “Sweep Innn Pose”. [“Sweep Innnn” during my controlled takeaway with wrist lag and a reminder to start my down swing by pushing in with my hip as I swing from inside. “Pose” is the reminder to impact as I say the letter P and hold my balanced finish.]  Saying words in your mind will eliminate other thoughts and will control the tempo for your swing.

Learn to use your mind when you practice on the range with your GOLFSTR+ for every swing in your game. Then take you brain to the course to execute the swing you need for every shot. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com

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3 Comments

  • Raymond CHASTEL says:

    You are perfectly right .
    My own focus is centered on my tempo .
    My dominant fault is never with the driver on the tee, because I am careful to control my tempo. The poor shots happen on the a fairway when I don’t take my time to prepare for the shot. I speed up and I lose my tempo. My backswing is abbreviated and I hit with the right shoulder, not moving the lower body first with the right hip .Thanks for this useful reminder

    • Will Curry says:

      Thank you again for your comments from the French Riviera. I know that a quick change in tempo is the first thing that I notice when others hit a poor shot. I wear hearing aids which really pickup a lot of noise when the wind is blowing hard. That distraction tends to make me abbreviate my back swing and swing with my shoulders and arms only.

      Your comments really confirm exactly what we need to avoid poor shots. We all need to focus on temp to allow the hip to lead the swing, followed by the shoulders and then the arms and wrists. Such a simple game.

      Thank you Raymond.