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...

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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