You Got’a Have Rhythm to Beat this Game

Confucius say: “Success depends upon previous preparation and without preparation there is sure to be failure.”   Applying this to the game of golf: If you try to swing with all muscle and no brain your result will be doomed. Your body needs to be in sync with your arms. This is easier said than done!

When hitting from the deep rough, into a strong headwind, on the first tee or whenever the pressure is on, we all get tense. Our bodies tighten-up and our minds focus only on swinging harder and faster. Nothing could be worse. Normally your hands and arms move faster than the rotation of your body and the result is a fat hit or a miss-hit.

 

Paul Dunne at The 2015 Open on a grey day July 20Paul Dunne, an amateur golfer, started the final day of the 2015 British Open tied for the lead. He’s only 5’8” and weighs 160 pounds. His power and skill comes from his swing rhythm and positive mental attitude. Unfortunately on the final day the pressure got to him. His body rotation got tight and his arms took over. It was game over for him.

Just recognizing that you are in a “panic mode” will help you solve this problem. You CAN take CORRECTIVE ACTION before you swing.

PLAN OF ACTION:
a.  Realize when your mind is taking over. Snap out of your negative mind-set and take control.
b.  When your body tightens-up, you tend to limit your back swing and rush your arms ahead of your body rotation. This causes fat hits because you are NOT letting your body rotate as your arms and hands are doing all the work.
c.   When your mind is only focused on slamming that ball as hard as you can, you will forget your follow-through to a picture-perfect finish. Your body will flails away at the ball and fall out of position. This will cause you to spray the ball away from your target line like Paul Dunne did.

STOP AND FOCUS your mind on finishing your swing (BEFORE you start your swing) so that you are not swing with “all arms”. If you FOCUS ON finishing with your belt buckle facing the target, your transition at the top of your swing will start your hips moving so that you can get your body rotating through the ball with more power.

MORE TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR RHYTHM
1/ AJ Hathaway, a pro at the Augusta Golf Training Center in Augusta, GA suggested: You need something to stop yourself from rushing the transition so that your lagging wrists will relax and whip through impact. Think of it as keeping in rhythm when dancing to music. “Sing while you swing”.
2/ AJ also suggested: Hitting on a variety of uneven surfaces on the course requires attention to each setup and your attitude from your last shot demands a mood change for the right rhythm.
3/ Visualize Ernie Els. He never looks like he is rushing because his transition is so smooth as he presses his hips forward during his downswing.
4/ I know that I mess up shots out of the sand trap when I rushing my backswing. I shorten the back-swing and pull my hands ahead of my body shift. Bingo, miss-hit. Slow down by saying the some words in a swinging rhythm. I sing the words: “Sweep in and through”

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