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Golf Swing Thoughts Help Develop Consistency
Jack Moorehouse
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.
Copyright © Jack Moorehouse http://www.howtobreak80.com
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 http://www.howtobreak80.com
Article Source: http://www.hotlib.com/articles
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