Using Balance to Improve Your Golf Swing

Isn't Life crazy? I thought I would be able to write this days ago, but this is the first chance I've had to write this next post. So thanks for your patience...

Ok, so did you try the exercise? If not, how do you ever expect to improve... Osmosis?

Let me explain the very simple principle we are going to use to make the swing damned near automatic. It's the principle of Dynamic Balance in the body. Basically, when you start moving, the body's first priority is to keep you in balance. It's a self-preservation instinct hard wired into your brain. It will happen whether you like it or not and it can work for you or against you...

You see, if you start your motion from an imbalanced position, the body will do its job and place you back in balance, which is fine unless you are also trying to swing a golf club and get it back to the golf ball. Why? Because the body will redirect whatever muscles it has to in order to get you in balance. Unfortunately, this process breaks down the golf swing because the body's muscles that you wanted to use to swing the club were pulled off of the job and reassigned to balance duty.
The result is usually ugliness...

Now if you start in balance, your body will fight to keep you in balance as you move, which means it is actually going to work a little harder to keep the golf club on the right plane. The result is what you see on TV, a smooth, powerful, accurate golf swing.

So the next question is, "How do you know when you are in balance?"

I knew you'd ask. Simply feel your feet and the muscles in your body. When in balance., the weight is even between the feet and centered between the balls and heels of your feet... In the arches.
Every muscle has an opposing muscle, and if they are both working equally, they are working in balance. That's it. Sounds easy, but it requires a higher level of awareness of your body. close your eyes and take time to feel different muscles and their opposing muscles and see if one is working harder than the other.

To find which muscles oppose, move around. If you lean forward, feel the muscles that support that position. Some will pull, others will push. Go the opposite direction and feel to see which muscles switch roles. The ones that do are opposing.

So, all of this basically tells you that if you can start your golf swing from a balanced stance, your muscles will work to help you improve your golf swing. Pretty cool, huh?

I've made the whole process even easier with a routine that took me over ten years to develop. The routine will place any golfer in a powerful, balanced golf stance so they can eliminate many of the needless mistakes that occur because of an imbalanced setup.

To see that routine,
click this link

Once you get this balance feel down, I'll show you how to use it to add power, accuracy, and even shape shots, based completely on feel.

The Secret of the Ultimate Golf Swing

In the last post I started you thinking about how the mind controls the body and how to use that to control the movement of your golf swing. You may be thinking that control means being machine-like, but actually, the opposite is true. With the proper use of the mind, your golf swing can be more free than ever and be very powerful AND accurate.

How, you ask?

Instead of trying to control each muscle group by thinking about it, let the brain do it the way it has for you from birth; automatically. I talked about the balance feedback sensors in the body. These sensors are finely calibrated and not subject to the factors that cause normal muscle sensors to send false information to the brain.

You will use muscle sensors in developing your personal perfect golf swing, but only as indicators that they are doing their job. If you try to use their feedback to correct problems by gauging how well the muscles are working, false indicators will lead you down a trail that constantly circles back to the same issues. Translated, you'll chase your tail and keep re-fixing the same issues.

That's because as the muscles are being used, they are constantly changing state. They start out cold and stiff, then as they warm up, they loosen up, but if they get tired they may stiffen up again. As the muscles change state they send different signals to the brain for the same movement.

So if you are using muscle feel to gauge different parts of your swing, as the muscle states change, so will your swing. For example, How far do you bend over when you set up? If your back is stiff, do you bend the same amount? Can you know if you are correct by feeling the muscles in your body if they feel so differently? The answer is no. But until now, golfers have been given no other way to manage their golf swing on the golf course.

But the one thing you can always tell is whether any muscle group is working. As long as you don't need to go further, that information can be used reliably to maintain a consistent golf swing while removing the frustration that goes with it.

The main sensors you will use to maintain a reliable golf swing are the balance sensors. They respond to the Earth's gravity through a special network of receptors. All you have to do to start using this network is to ask the brain to show you what is happening with the network.

There are only a few steps for using this process to free up and power up your golf swing. Today we are going to discuss step 1.:

Step 1: Increase your awareness of balance and feel in the body.

We started this in the last post. Now we'll take up a notch...

Close your eyes and walk, being careful not to run into anything. Really, so ahead and do it!

Now let's work on increasing awareness. As you walk, try to pinpoint the locations in the bottom of your feet that you land on and as you roll across each foot, try to feel exactly where the most weight is at any one time. Do you land in the middle of your heel or one side? Do you push off of the ball of the foot or is more pressure toward the little toe?

Also notice in your mind that with your eyes closed, you are trying to keep a picture of where you are going in your mind. As the picture fades, you have to open your eyes to refresh it.

You are visualizing 2 ways with this little experiment. First, in trying to keep a picture of where you are going you are simply using pictures.

Second, when you are trying to pinpoint the movement of weight across each foot, you are visualizing based on balance feedback.

These are both tools that can supercharge your golf game. Practice these exercises and the next time, I'll show you how to use them in your golf game.

If you don't want to wait to learn more,click here

How does the mind control the golf swing?

And can you Improve the process?

They say that the golf swing is 90% mental and 10% physical, and you might want to argue with those numbers, but what golfers miss about that statement is that the physical part is controlled by the mind too!

So the golf swing is 100% mental... That should crack the door open to a whole new perspective on what you may be doing to improve...

That is the door to the way I teach golfers to swing the club so that they are playing in the eighties in their first season. If this sounds too good to be true, you're welcome to keep struggling with it, but if you're just a little curious, read on.

First, I'd like you to think about how the mind and body communicate, because this is step one to getting a handle on what's really happening when you strike a golf ball.

Have you ever tripped and suddenly found yourself flailing around trying to catch your balance?

How long did it take to start reacting? Did you think about it?

How did that happen? The answer to this question is where mind/body control happens.

Here's what happens: Your body has an auto-response mechanism built in that is designed to keep you in balance at all costs. There are balance nerve receptors in the body that communicate with the brain 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. When they sense imbalance, they tell the brain and the brain immediately starts trying to correct... without a single thought.

This process happens in the subconscious brain, the same place movement control happens.

Stay with me because I think you'll see where I'm going on this...

Have you ever talked to someone who has experienced the Zone? They always tell you that things just happened without thinking about them...

By now the wheels should start grinding because there is a link between being in the Zone and this auto-response mechanism in the brain.

OK, now a little exercise... Without looking at it, wiggle the big toe of your right foot up and down. Next, press down with just that toe. As you press down try to see in your mind the shape of the part of the toe that is actually contacting the floor (or the bottom of your shoe).

Can you see it in your mind? Congratulations! Two things just happened. First you have used visualization to move a part of your body. And second, you have just experienced the link between the mind and body for movement control.

By the way, did the toe move in a different direction other than what you imagined? Of course not... It can't because that picture in your mind was the very control for your movement.

Now you might be saying, can I use this system to make better shots on the golf course? The answer is YES, and the results show up immediately after starting the process.

So now you want to know how... Don't you?
click this link

One Plane Single Plane Golf Swing Secrets

One Plane Golf Swing... Single Plane Golf Swing, Two Plane Golf Swing? What's right for you?

There is a very easy way to find the right swing plane for your personal golf swing that will be natural for you and your body will make automatically, so you don't have to fight yourself on the golf course.

Personally, I believe that a one plane swing is the best way to go. And my students usually develop a one plane golf swing, but the way they find their swing plane is the real answer to this dilemma that will take away the guess work and frustration of figuring out which one is right for you. And you can prevent trying to learn the wrong method.

Actually, you can find the right swing plane without ever thinking about swing plane.

Blasphemy, you say? Let me explain...

Before the advent of the whole one plane - two plane argument, what did golfers do? Did they play poorly because they didn't know which plane to use? No. Did professional golfers play poorly without this instruction? No.

Think about it. Professional golfers play well with either style. It wasn't until somebody noticed the differences and wrote about them that amateur golfers around the world started worrying about their swing plane. The result is millions in sales of products and instruction designed to help you solve this problem... A problem that didn't exist before someone decided that it should be considered.

Unfortunately for many unsuspecting golfers desperate for a better golf swing, the real problem that started the whole debate was a bank account that needed replenishment.

Granted, now that the whole issue is on the table, we have to deal with it. So here is how to find the perfect swing plane for your body type without all of the confusion of spending months trying the wrong method only to ruin your golf swing and have to start over.

And the best part is that you can simplify the swing process so you don't have to think about your swing plane ever again. This part is important because while your mind is thinking about swing plane, other parts of your swing are not getting complete attention. This is the reason why new instruction often causes another parts of your golf swing to go bad. What I will explain to you will allow you to keep the whole golf swing working without thinking about it.

Sorry, kinda got off on a tangent there...

My students usually end up with a one-plane swing, even though I never mention swing plane during my instruction. How do I do it? Glad you asked.

There is a physical principle that you cannot avoid on Earth... Gravity. And because of gravity humans have to maintain balance so they don't fall and hurt themselves. Because of gravity, humans have an auto-balance mechanism that keeps them in balance while they are in motion. This mechanism works 7 days a week, 24 hours per day.

Here's the best part...

You can use this mechanism that is already working within your very own body to quickly develop an efficient one plane golf swing that your body won't fight. As a matter of fact, once you start using this system, your body will actually fight to make the one plane swing for you, thus simplifying greatly what you do on the golf course.

The law I speak of is the law of dynamic balance. Basically, the body's first priority is balance, so if you start your movement from an out-of-balance position, your body will re-balance you as soon as you start moving. Sounds good until you find out what it does to get you into balance... The body redirects the muscles in the body from their assigned task to regain balance... Which means that the process will throw the club off of plane because the muscles that were guiding the swing are now rebalancing the body...

But there is another more wonderful side to this law...

And that side states that when you start moving from a balanced position, the body will fight to maintain balance, including whatever you are holding, such as a golf club.

You see, a one-plane swing is a balanced swing and the result of starting and moving in balance during the golf swing. The one-plane swing is more consistent because the body is on your side, fighting to keep the club on plane without hurting your golf swing.

The two-plane swing is less consistent because as soon as the swing leaves it's plane, the body is fighting to get it back on plane, but that's not all...

Newton's laws apply here as well, especially the one about bodies in motion... They tend to stay in motion, which means that as the body tries to get the club back on plane, the movement of the club will go too far and the body will have to change directions to get the club on plane. Wow, what a mess!

Maybe you've experienced this internal fight for body balance during your golf swing? If so, you know how frustrating this problem is to correct, especially if you didn't realize that it's just laws of physics at work.

So the first step to getting an automatic, one-plane golf swing is to start in balance.

See an analysis of how balance affects Sergio Garcia's swing plane by clicking this link.

The result of a balanced golf swing? An easier golf game with longer straighter shots... All with less effort on the course and less practice on the driving range.

I have a routine that took over 10 years to fully develop that will get any size golfer into the perfect, balanced setup for any golf club they have in their hands. This routine takes care of a majority of swing flaws that golfers have or develop without apparent cause and it is the first step to a consistent, accurate, powerful golf swing.

You can read it here...
Click here to read about the setup routine.

Or you can see it on video here...
Click here to see the videos.

I recommend that you do both so you completely understand this crucial step of the swing.

If you want to take your golf swing as far as it will go, check out:
http://www.golfswingcontrol.com

Tiger's season ending performance shows that he has perfected Hogan's secret.

Tiger Woods is often asked about his incredible focus on the golf course. His answer? Strong fundamentals.

You may wonder how the greatest golfer in the world today can credit laser focus to the fundamentals of the golf swing. I'm going to let the cat out of the bag.

Remember Ben Hogan? He too had incredible focus. He too had a firm grip on the fundamentals of the golf swing. Did they ever really discover his secret? Is it possible that Tiger possesses the same secret?

The answer is YES!

Tiger credits his swing fundamentals for his ability to focus, as did Hogan, yet there are golfers world-wide that have an equal understanding of the golf swing, but they don't seem to have the ability to play under par on their worse days.

What's the difference?

Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan left out one word from their explanations of how the fundamentals of the swing can help them focus on the course.

That word is awareness. Simply stated, the golf swing is under constant change because the condition of a golfer's muscles is constantly changing. The muscles start out cold, then the warm up, loosen up, get tired, and become stiff. As the muscles change, so does the body's movement, and therefore the golf swing.

What Hogan could do, and what Tiger does better than any other golfer on earth is adapt to those changes by monitoring their bodies and making the needed adjustments to continue hitting great shots. Both golfers understood that maintaining the proper awareness of their golf swing would keep them playing their best golf, and the process is almost automatic because they both connected with a feedback system in the body that doesn't lie. The feedback system I'm describing is not muscle memory.

This biofeedback system exists in everyone's body already and is much more accurate than Muscle memory. The only difference between Tiger, Hogan, and the rest of the world is that Tiger and Hogan have learned how to adapt this system to improve their golf.

Using this biofeedback system to improve movement awareness, every shot adds to your improvement. So every tournament Tiger plays, he is constantly improving. For Tiger, the only difference between winning or not winning is how the ball rolls on the greens. Hogan was the same way.

Can you use this feedback system? Yes. In fact, you already are, but to a lesser degree. Once you learn how to use it for your golf game, the improvement comes very quickly. In fact, over 6500 golfers around the world have already learned how to use this system to play their best golf, with the knowledge that they are constantly improving as well.

To learn more about Tracy Reed, Golf Swing Control, and the secret Tiger has perfected that will keep him #1 in the world, go to www.golfswingcontrol.com or call Tracy at 904-803-6116.

Is your golf swing affected by your goal?

I played golf this weekend for the first time in years. Why does an instructor not play? It's my back, the same reason I don't compete. I destroyed it in an accident 20 years ago and I've spent the last 4 years in dedicated rehab to be able to play golf once again. So I played on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, I played on a spectacular course with no real expectations other than the goal to hit a few good shots and maybe get my focus to the point of scoring well or saving a few holes. My swing was smooth and I hit a lot of great shots. On the other hand, the score wasn't good because I was trying to knock off 4 years of rust.

On Sunday I played early. It was cold and we had no warm up. I struggled to find that smooth swing all day. Why? Partly because of the weather, but also because I expected to play better and score better. My swing was a little faster, but still correct except for one minor detail. I couldn't figure out that detail on the course, so I had moments of brilliance mixed in with moments of shear frustration.

A few hours after the round was over, I was running my golf swing through my head and realized that where my frustration came from was the inability to pinpoint the problem. I also realized that my analysis method was slightly flawed. You see, I was trying to figure out what was going wrong, but instead, I should have been looking for what was missing. Let me explain with an example:

During the golf swing, there are certain subconscious checkpoints our mind goes through to know everything is working. For example, when it comes to weight shift, we know that the weight should build up on the right foot (right handers) and then shift left. We can feel for it to know it is happening. But what about where the weight should NOT be? That's as important as where it should be to prevent a reverse pivot or a slide. Still, few golfers are aware of where the weight isn't.

Just like the weight and where it isn't, I should have been looking at what was NOT happening during my golf swing as much as I was focused on what was happening.

I played again on Wednesday using this new awareness and played much better. When something went wrong, if I couldn't feel what was wrong, I looked for what was missing. I hit some great shots, but more important, my misses were good so I never had any of those disaster holes. There was only one shot that I just could not recover from without costing an extra stroke and I finished the day having lost no balls.

The moral of the story is simple. My goals and expectations took away from proper focus that would help me play well. Things go bad, but not always due to something that was wrong, but many times due to something that wasn't there. Get in the habit of becoming aware of the good, the bad... and the missing when it comes to your golf game and golf swing.

Why your golf swing isn't the same as the practice swing...

Your golf swing doesn't feel right and the next shot is a must-make... or you've vowed to throw the golf clubs in the lake, leave the golf course and NEVER play again. Anyone want to give me odds against the shot?

The frustration comes from the fact that the practice swing feels great... So why can't the real golf swing work like that? It's the stupid golf ball! The ball has got your mind locked in one of those golf ball-vulcan-mind-meld things...

Well, kind of... It is the presence of the golf ball that changes things. It changes your focus from swinging the golf club to hitting the ball... and getting it to its next destination. Mostly it's the second part that screws up your mind. In other words it comes down to focus. here's what you need to remember...

The difference between a practice swing and a golf shot is that the golf shot is the plan plus the swing. When your mind has to make the plan, it's hard to get away from the plan so you can just make another practice swing... There's so much at stake! And the more you worry about it (losing golf balls) the more golf balls you'll lose. Golf is just like life that way. The more you worry about your problems, the worse they get... I know, there's a second part to the saying that nobody every mentions and it applies in both cases.

The second part of the life lesson is that instead of worrying about the problem, create a plan and focus on the ACTION you take to solve it. The plan is no good if the action is half-fast (say it quicker for the desired effect).

Focus takes your life down one step deeper than you are used to going. That's why it takes time to develop. There's the problem, the plan and then, the action. Most people focus on the plan, but the trick is to commit to the plan and focus on getting the action right. MOST PEOPLE NEVER TAKE ACTION and most of the rest make a weak attempt to get the action right.

In golf, you have to decide that your plan will work, or commit to it. If you can't commit, put the club back in the bag and make a new plan. Once you commit, translate the plan to a picture of the action that will make the shot happen as you see it. That happens at impact where the club and ball meet. To focus on impact, you have to know how the club and ball interact to make the ball fly properly. If you can picture it, your body will move heaven and earth to make it happen. It's not the golf swing, it's the FOCUS during the golf swing...

Ckick here for more on focus and the golf swing.

Click here for free golf swing instruction.

Ego and The Golf Swing

Where does ego fit into golf? Can it hurt your golf game. Does it hurt your golf swing?

I was practicing at a local driving range the other evening when a 17 year old kid started hitting balls next to me. After every shot, he would comment on how off his golf swing was that evening. He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, although his father was on the other side of me, trying to ignore his comments too.

Normally, I don't say a word unless I see real frustration, but this kid looked like he was apologizing to the world for not making perfect shots and drawing a crowd. I also heard him talking to another high school kid earlier about playing on someones high school golf team. I figured, let's see what happens if I help him... It's the Interrogator in me; I can't help but to test people to see how they react.

So I asked him if he would be open to a suggestion. He said yes, but his eyes said who is this? I told him that he wasn't tilting away from the target during his setup, which caused his hips to lock up and his weight to push out over his balance point. I explained how this was causing him to jump at the ball rather than using stored power to drive the swing. He looked at me as if I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead.

Reading his mind, I told him I currently taught golfers in 36 countries and that I was in fact a credible source. He answered, telling me that he taught in one state over at the First Tee facility here in town, and if he had a mirror, he could fix his swing. I shook my head and told him that he shouldn't need a mirror, which he didn't understand or inquire further about. He then promptly continued making the exact mistake he had been making, essentially "grooving" a poor swing.

Now, having a 17 year old son of my own, I know that at that age they know everything, but I figured that being a golfer might temper his ego... Nope. So what will his ego cost him? Right now, his golf swing is his first sacrifice.

Now, talk to a PGA Tour player and you'll find out what ego is all about. They need it to shield themselves from influence that could creep into their mind and ruin their games. But they also keep the best instructors on hand, and when something isn't right, they don't keep practicing a bad golf swing. Many of them, usually the top players, are normal off of the golf course, but on the golf course, they'll blame the caddy, the ball, the crowd, anything but themselves, because they know that bad thoughts can ruin a round. That's golf and that's the limit of where ego should be used.

So where is your ego? Here's a quick test. If you think you're the greatest, but a realistic view of your results doesn't back that thought up, you may have an ego that's stopping you from getting to where you want to be. Here's the easiest part of the task... Let it go and just be yourself. If you think that bad thoughts might creep in, well, the ego is one of them, and once that's gone, I have a way to keep the other bad thoughts away too.

Let me know when you get to that point and I'll get you the rest of the way.

For more information on the golf swing and the mental game of golf Click this link.

For free golf instruction Click this link.

AJ Golf - Does his Golf Instruction really tell the Truth About the Golf Swing?

Well, Yes and no...

Just like most every golf instructor or golf "guru" on the planet, his method for creating "new" golf instruction is the same... Watch a bunch of video of professionals golf swings, observe what happens, and go forth to teach the "New Truth."

When I say yes, I mean that what he says happens at impact during the golf swing does happen. What he doesn't explain is why it happens or how it happens, and that is where I believe he misleads golfers.

That's where the science of biomechanics comes in. Not a theory, but the SCIENCE of movement. In science, theories have to be proven before they are accepted. In golf, it's more important to know the cause, or how something happens, than it is to know just what happens.

It's as bad as this "Global Warming" horse doo-doo you see on the news. Open your eyes! If the polar ice caps on MARS are melting at the same rate ours are, then it CAN'T be a man-made issue. Folks, wake up! It's the sun!

The same goes for golf...

The fact that the wrists turn over at the last second before impact is a major factor in distance. Trying to make it happen by knowing only that fact will lead to a long history of inconsistency. Teaching golfers this fact without giving the supporting information isn't golf instruction. It's the same form of mis-information politicians use to get votes... It's marketing!

I'm sorry, all of the marketing in the world won't help you hit a better golf ball unless that marketing supports a product that helps golfers understand the whole picture. For those of you who have used AJ's "truth" successfully, I can guarantee there are other things you are doing right, that if they fall off the track, AJ's truth won't help. If you don't understand the rest of the swing that makes this interesting little tip work, sooner or later, it'll catch up with you.

So what is the truth behind the truth? First, there are a number of factors that create distance: efficient use of the body to drive the arms, connection, coiling to store power, balance, weight shift, and the one that is most responsible for how the professionals turn their wrist over at impact... Club lag!

Lose one of these, and your swing is going south.

Click here for simple biomechanics of golf swing instruction that gets results.

Click here for free golf swing instruction.

Golf Psychology, the Golf Swing, and Golf Shots

Where does the frustration in golf come from? On the driving range, golfers practice their golf swings, but on the golf shot they have to make golf shots. What's the difference? How does golf psychology fit into this situation?

On the golf course, every shot has a purpose and consequences for missing the target. On the practice range, golfers know that they aren't getting the ball back, so no matter how much importance they try to place on the shot, the penalties for a bad shot are never the same as playing on the golf course.

So why can a golfer hit the ball well on the practice range, and stink it up on the course? It is the difference between a golf swing and a golf shot. A golf swing is the physical motion involved in hitting a golf ball. A golf shot is a golf swing with specific intentions... In other words, a golf shot requires thought.

If you hit it well on the driving range, but stink on the course, the problem is not your swing, it's your mind. Here's why. Before you make the golf swing on the course you have to decide where you want the ball to go and how you want it to get there. You have to think. Every great plan has possible consequences to consider and on the golf course, that means lost golf balls or an impossible shot next time and more strokes added to the score. Add the element of betting, and you have good reason to stink it up.

There are two places it happens. First is how you think to decide the shot, if you think at all. Some golfers hit the driver off of every non-par 3 teebox without a second thought. If the hole is short and you're not going to drive the green, that next shot has to be considered... especially if your short game sucks. Also, what if you hit in a hazard that could have been avoided? I've seen golfers who get on the teebox, complain about hitting the ball into a hazard every time they play the hole, and then hit it right into the hazard!

That's where golf psychology comes into play. If golfers would just listen to the things they tells themselves on the golf course and change their action, they could get out of ruts and improve their handicaps. If this is your problem... if you are willing to admit it, then there is an answer.

Golf psychology is a way to improve how you think, act and react on the golf course. It has it's place in golf. If you have a hard time deciding on a shot, or you find yourself thinking about hazards, but not changing your plan to adjust for them, you should look into golf psychology. If you tell yourself you are going to mess up a shot because of lack of self confidence, then golf psychology will help.

But, if you have conquered your demons and the only reason you screw up on the course is that you can't stop thinking, good thoughts or bad thoughts, then golf psychology may not help.

The golf shot is 2 parts: the plan and the swing. The mind works very differently in each area. To make the plan, you have to think consciously, and the quality of your thoughts is very important during that portion of the shot. During the swing, the subconscious mind takes over... Or at least, it should, and ANY conscious thought will interrupt the process.

During the swing, the subconscious mind guides your movement using movement pictures, or visualization. The clearer the picture in your mind of the movement you are going to make, the more accurately your body will make the movement.

Many golfers tell me they can't visualize things. But that is a bunch of hooey. You can't move without visualizing the movement, so if you can't visualize, you can't walk. What they are really saying is that they can't visualize consciously. It happens because they are trying to think their way through the movement and the conscious mind can't do that.

The conscious mind can only control the movement of one part of the body at a time. If you are concentrating on a certain part of the swing and you do it long enough, another part of the swing will go bad. It always does. Golfers complain to me all of the time that the moment they fix one part of their swing, something else goes wrong... Been there?

Try this: Go into a pitch black room that you know... Or just walk around the house in the middle of the night until you get a little disoriented, or worried that you might run into something. What's the first thing you do? Don't you reach out and try to touch something? What happens when you touch something you recognize? You know right where you are... because you now see a picture in your mind of where you are. So you DO visualize! you just don't realize it.

OK, I'm tired. Let me leave you with a couple of things to do. First, start listening to the ridiculous things you tell yourself on the golf course. You might sound like a lunatic, but whenever you make a comment to yourself, turn it into a self conversation... Talk it out until you agree with yourself. I mean it, it's the first step to real sanity! The only difference between doing this and seeing a shrink is that the shrink charges money to make you answer your own comments. So why not do it for free?

Second, walk around the house in the dark. Notice how your mind has a picture to follow even when there is no light. Those pictures are there all of the time. Start looking for them when it's not dark.

Impossible? Have you ever looked for something and missed it even when you looked right at it? Ever wonder why? If you examine the picture in your head that you had of the object you were looking for, you'll find that the picture in your mind didn't match the object you were looking for, so your eyes never picked up on it. That's how the mind works... It compares pictures. Toy around with this process and you'll discover part of the brain that you don't realize you were using. Once you start using it more, you'll be surprised at the things you can do!

Click her to learn about the deeper aspects of the golf swing

Click here for free golf swing instruction

The most important aspect of the golf swing.

Is the golf swing about mechanics or focus? I was reminded of the answer just last night when I was working on my golf swing.

For 4 years, I've been rehabilitating from a major back injury that happened almost 19 years ago. That injury is why I don't take my secret and play on tour. My back limits me to one round a week, and two when I'm feeling real good. But lately, I've been pain free and less dependent on the chiropractor so I decided to see if I could get the golf swing back to competition condition.

I've been hitting balls almost every night for 2 weeks. The pain is there but I am a stubborn fool with a dream to compete. Last night I was hitting it pain free but some of the shots were somewhat ugly while others were absolutely pure. What was the difference? That is what I was reminded of during the practice session.

The difference was two parts. First, on the bad shots, my setup was just a little off. Second, I found that I wasn't focused during impact.

When you think about it, the stance and setup was a focus issue as well because I should not start the backswing until I know the stance is correct. Once I corrected it, the only difference between good shots and bad shots was focus.

I had to be patient enough to finish the backswing before starting the downswing and during the downswing, I had to stay focused on the individual dimple the club would contact first. When I did that, the shots were always perfect.

The answer: Focus is the most important part of the golf swing.

So how can you stay focused with all those thoughts in your head?
The key is to think in pictures... But that's another conversation.

Do you want to play tournament golf and win? You need to master focus. That's all I work on with my best golfers.

For more information, click here: Golf Swing Focus for competition.

Or... click here for free golf swing instruction.

One Plane Golf Swing vs. Two Plane Golf Swing

One plane golf swing or two plane golf swing: Do you wonder which one is right for you? How about neither?

There is one plane that's right for your golf swing, but it's not going to be one of two choices based on a "guru" who looked at video of a bunch of professional swings and then cooked up a theory!

That's what's wrong with golf swing instruction today... So called golf swing "gurus" who watch videos of golf swings all day, notice something that seems to be in common with all of them, and then create a new "system" or theory based on what they saw. That's not the real crime.

The real crime is when they write a book or make an instructional video on their new theory and have millions of golfers trying to figure how it's supposed to work!

If you notice, most of the instruction talks about what happens...NOT why or how!

Who is left holding the bag? The golfers who spend their time trusting these "gurus", buying their courses, and watching their tips on the Golf Channel.

Now to their credit, these "gurus" are noticing things that are happening during the golf swing. Their mistake is not doing the proper research to find out why it's happening to teach golfers how to do it. But, if they did that, they would trace the golf swing back to just a few indisputable principles and the golf instruction industry would slowly fade back to the size it should be... Putting thousands of people who support the industry out of work.

My intention is not to put people out of work, but rather, just to keep things honest. But I digress...

What about this one plane swing thing? Here's the truth (A.J. didn't lie, he just left out a lot of really important information.)

Your swing plane will depend on two things. Your balance and your body structure. It will be a little bit different than any other golfer's swing plane. That's it... Were you looking for something complicated? Sorry, it isn't. Now do you see what I'm upset about?

But I'm not done pouring salt on the wounds yet. You know the Planar Swing Trainer? It has the same flaw as many others. Any trainer that restricts muscle movement, causes the muscles to work against the trainer. What happens when the trainer isn't there? The muscles are free to make the movement they were denied when the apparatus was in place. So, the movement you were trying to correct can be worse as a result.

Now that doesn't address what happens on the golf course when you don't have a swing control. How do you repeat the control? That's another story altogether.

There is an easier and faster way to find your best personal golf swing. It took me twenty years to develop because the information is just not available anywhere. If you think there is a huge conspiracy designed to get you to spend more on golf... You may not be as crazy as you think.

Click here for simple golf swing instruction that gets results.

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Can Learning the Golf Swing Help You in Business?

I gave a talk to a group of business people a few days ago that opened their eyes to ways just learning the golf swing can help them understand business better. I thought I'd share the ideas with you.

There are 4 stages to learning the golf swing.

1. Learn how the golf swing is supposed to work.
2. Learn the details that make it work better.
3. Learn how to make it work to fit your personality and body structure.
4. Learn how to do it without thinking about it so you can concentrate on strategy and low scores.

So how does it work when you start a business or start working at a new job?

1. Learn the purpose of the business and how it achieves that purpose.
2. Learn the details that give your business an edge over the competition.
3. learn how to improve that edge and make your customers feel a sense of loyalty or comfort with your business.
4. Automate as much of the process so you can concentrate on serving customers and growing the business (the business plan)

The parallels are amazing aren't they? But it goes beyond noticing parallels. Many people in business don't realize that there are steps to growing a business, just as many instructors don't realize that there are steps to mastering golf.

Imagine how much faster you would excel at your job or business if you had a plan based on results and goals? How much faster would you succeed with golf if you started with a plan?

But golf has one more very useful process that can help you rise to the top in business. On the golf course, every shot has a new set of circumstances that has to be considered in order to make the shot, just as every business and every business decision does. But in business, if you miss a variable or make a bad decision, you can lose money, a business, or a lifestyle. In golf, the most you'll lose is a ball.

In business you don't really get to "practice" making decisions, but in golf, you have to do it for every shot; 72 - 100 times per round. This is where many golfers really miss the point with golf.

Every shot should be looked at as a challenge to build problem-solving skills which will transfer to our daily lives and help us to make better personal and business decisions.

The next time you are on the golf course and you make a bad decision, don't get mad... That doesn't help anyone. Instead, take a minute to examine your decision-making process and decide to improve it. Find out where you are weak with the process and improve yourself. The habit will carry over to the rest of your life and you'll notice that things will go your way more often.

Click here to learn more about Golf Swing Control

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Ogilvy: "I lost my golf swing."

After the Accenture World Golf Match Play Championship, Geoff Ogilvy said that he lost his golf swing during the first round, got it back, and lost it again during the second round of his match with Henrik Stenson.

WOW, I thought that only happened to amateurs! Actually, I know better, but how can it happen to golfers who practice every day and hit hundreds of balls? It's because of how they have the golf swing memorized in their minds. They are also relying on memory and slacking on focus.

Here's the dilemma with memorizing the golf swing. Most golfers hit golf balls and passively memorize their swing patterns. Once they feel they have their swing, they want to protect it like a newborn child. Modern golfers don't want to change anything or experiment with different shots because it might ruin their swing... Horse Puckey!

The fact that they want one swing is the problem. Ben Hogan was once playing in a pro-am where one of his partners asked him all day what club he was using. Finally, on the eighteenth hole, a long par 3, after hitting his regulation shot, Hogan proceeded to put a ball on the green with every club in his bag. He looked at his astonished amateur partner and told him that it didn't matter what club he used, but rather what the shot had to be in order to make club selection.

Why was Hogan so accurate? He wasn't worried about the swing, but rather the shot. Hogan's secret was focus. He focused on the variables that had to come together to make each shot. His body would make the swing he needed through his focus on picturing the variables coming together.
No, Ben Hogan's secret was not his swing... Get over it.

Do you want to play like Hogan? Learn to make shots using focus. Yes, you need a good golf swing, but you need to make it work for you and should be able to change it when needed. The swing should be a result of focusing on the elements that make the shot, not the other way around.

One more thing... Is everyone else as bothered by Johnny Miller's comments as I am? He was talking about how accurate the old "reverse C" swing was... Are you kidding me? Between that and the old "rock on the club face" out of the bunker comment, I think they need to make him listen to the inane things he says during a telecast for about 48 hours... But that could work against us.

Hogan' secret? Click her to remember your golf swing better.

Free golf swing lessons: Click here for a better golf swing.

The Golf Swing is in the Mind

I just returned from a practice session with a student who plays the mini-tours. Like many golf professionals, his problem is keeping his mind out of the golf swing on the course. I was showing him ways to use his mind differently, but in conjunction with where it should be during the shot. We talked about mental pictures and getting in contact with the feedback the body generates.

After 40 minutes of experimenting with different ways to use the mind to benefit the process, he had an interesting comment. He noticed that in that 40 minutes he didn't hit one shot bad... not one. We never talked about the golf swing, but his was working flawlessly. What I didn't realize was that he expected to hit some bad shots. I know that since his conscious never came into play during that 40 minutes, there was no way to hit a bad shot, and now he knows it too.

Was it golf psychology? No way! That only comes into play between shots. No, I would have to say it was a matter of great focus. Not focus on thoughts but rather pictures created using the body's own feedback system. That feedback and those pictures did two things. They kept his mind from hurting his shots, and the kept his swing working flawlessly. What more can you ask for?

But have you ever heard of a golf teacher who doesn't teach the swing, and doesn't teach psychology?

So the question in your head should be; "Why is golf swing instruction and golf psychology such a big business if better result can be generated without them?"

Oh, it's just how the golf instruction marketing arm of the industry has worked to make you believe that that is what you need...

Feel used yet?

I want you to ponder this for a while. How can you learn the golf swing without golf swing instruction and keep your mind straight on the course without golf psychology?

It was Hogan's real golf secret. Click here for more on the golf swing mystery

For free golf swing information click: free golf swing lessons.

Duped by the Vast Golf Swing Instruction Industry?

There is a better way to learn and memorize the golf swing. It's not rocket science... Well not any more.

Of course, you'll disagree because you've probably been wondering how the pros make the golf swing look so easy while you try everything in sight and still can't get the results you want.

Are those guys gifted? Were they born with the golf swing gene? No.

But they have something you don't. It is the crucial information that makes the difference between a struggling amateur and the PGA Tour... And they don't want you to have it!

Have you ever heard the term, "Golf Instruction Industry?" Doesn't it make you wonder how it got that way?

Golf is like a drug that you get hooked on, except the drug is self improvement. That's the good news. The bad news is that once you get hooked, you spend an average of $1000 per year to support your habit... Which is why Golf Instruction is now an Industry!

As long as you keep searching for the secret, they know you'll keep buying... I think it's the biggest conspiracy since prohibition... or maybe the "New Coke" fiasco that eventually made Coca-Cola a bunch of money.

Every year, new gadgets come out to help you play better, new instruction "systems" (which by the way is a marketing "hook") come out to give you new hope that you may one day conquer the game and play par golf like the pros... And golfers buy in droves.

As long as golfers keep feeding the machine, there will be a Golf Instruction Industry! Such a travesty!

But I'm not done! You see, they aren't misleading you with bad information. (In most cases) The information they give you will work, but you need one more piece of information, which they leave out.

Worse yet, many golf teachers have no clue that they are doing it! This has been going on so long that the newer teachers are just repeating everything they were told without question as to whether there is a secret.

Feel used yet? You should. You're not off of the hook on this either. If you buy the magazines every month and run out to try the latest tips, you're feeding the machine too. I have an archive of over 20 years of golf magazines. I quit buying them years ago when I saw that they were recycling old tips from ten or so years prior. They are running out of "new discoveries" to sell magazines every month, so they simply give the old ones a new spin. They get away with it because golfers allow it.

Here are the facts: The golf swing has changed little in the last 200 years. Other than adjustments to allow for newer technology and better physical conditioning, they body still moves the same way and biomechanically there is still really one "best" way to swing the club.

So my question to you is: "Why do you keep feeding this giant money sucking golf instruction machine?"

Want to stop? You just need one bit of information. The famous Ben Hogan swing secret. But like everything else, you've been duped on this one too. Hogan did have a secret... But it WAS NOT a physical part of his golf swing!

Hogan's secret was in the mind. It was how he was able to REPEAT consistently his "special golf swing."

That's why until now, it has never been discovered. But as long as the story seems logical, golfers will continue to fall for every Ben Hogan secret that the gurus sell you.

Why can I say this? Because I was in your shoes! I made the journey, but with one difference...

I found the secret and I have demonstrated that it works by getting results from golfers in 35 countries. Yet, because it is not the easy tip that most golfers are looking for, this secret remains a secret to 99% of the golfing population... Because they don't have an open mind!

The secret is in the mind and it is a process your body is already using 24/7! It's right in front of you. It's almost too simple.

So what is it? It's not sports psychology...

Let me know your thoughts...

For more information about golf's missing link, Click here for the ben hogan golf swing secret

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The Weak Link in Golf Swing Instruction

What is the weak link in golf swing instruction?

Think about what aggravates you most on the golf course. For me, it's always been inconsistency with my golf swing. There's always one part of the game that isn't working, the irons, the woods, the putter, or the short game. Until I learned better, I always blamed my golf swing for every bad shot and I paid dearly in terms of shear aggravation for years.

Sometimes you learn a new technique during a golf lesson and days later, you can't hit the ball like you did when you learned the technique.

Do you blame the golf instruction or the golf teacher? You should!

Blame them because they really don't care about you! To them it's just an income...

The truth is it's not the golf teacher's fault unless he is a "guru." Why? Because gurus should know better than to give you average or worse instruction knowing you will not be able to recreate the same golf swing even a week later.

Your average golf teacher doesn't have time to do the research he needs to do to solve your problem. If your instructor doesn't realize his methods won't have a lasting effect, he either hasn't been teaching long, or his students don't come back.

Yeah, it's kind of harsh, but if you spent your time constantly re-teaching the same basics to the same students over and over again, wouldn't you look for a better way? If you cared about your students you would!

Well, let me explain what I discovered that leads me to these seemingly vicious accusations and then you tell me what you think...

First, why is it that your golf swing is a little different every time you swing the golf club? The way the swing is memorized is the very reason the swing is never the same. The reason is muscle memory. Every time you swing the golf club, the muscles send feedback to the brain. The idea is that the brain will remember the feedback and use it to recreate the next golf swing. There is one glaring flaw with this system.

Every time you use your muscles, their dynamics change. For example, swinging the club causes the muscles to react by growing, tiring, or getting stiff. As the dynamics change, so does the feedback that the muscles send the brain. So every swing sends different feedback, which means every swing looks different to the brain. Which swing does the brain remember?

Why is this so important? Because for the body to repeat any movement, it has to have some kind of internal map to follow. That map is created based on internal feedback from your body. With Muscle Memory, the internal feedback is never the same, so is there a better way?

Yes, but I'll let you in on it after I hear your thoughts...

Learn more about golf's missing link, Click here for more golf swing secrets