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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