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...

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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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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.

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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.

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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

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