Stop Thinking start Paying Attention
At the precise moment when you swing the golf club, where do you place your attention? You have approximately 1.6 secs in which to complete your swing so what goes through your mind?
If you are like some players you start thinking or worrying about how you should swing.
Turn the shoulders, cock the wrists, bring it down on the inside, head down, roll the hands through impact. All this in 1.6 seconds
Or you may think you are not thinking of swing thoughts so that you have a clear mind. What happens then is, during the middle of your back swing you have the thought “Oh no that’s not right.”
Next thing you know you hit a bad shot.
I’ll bet that when you are playing well you are not thinking about much at all. Think back to when you played really well, was your mind cluttered or clear?
I already know the answer, your mind was free from worry about swing mechanics or mental interference of any kind.
When this happens you aren’t thinking but you are paying attention without worrying. You might be feeling your shoulders turn without making sure they turn. You might pay attention to the tempo of your swing without worrying or trying to control it.
Paying attention or observing without being judgmental is very different from thinking.
Paying attention keeps you relaxed.
That’s why players sometimes experience a dip in form after a lesson. They take the information away from the practice range, where it is supposed to be thought about, used and ingrained, and start thinking how to swing just right on the course. This causes tension to build in the body, which leads to frustration and poor performances.
Stop trying to get the perfect swing on the golf course and start paying attention to the swing you have brought with you. This way you will experience much less tension and frustration, and you will swing more freely and enjoy the game more.
For more information about paying attention take a look in my ebook or get in touch.