Limitless Golf

GOLF

by D. Johnston

Are you familiar with the expression that “golf is ninety percent mental?” Assuming the expression is true, then why does traditional golf instruction focus exclusively on swing mechanics?

Despite quantum advances in equipment technology and millions of YouTube videos on proper technique, the “average” golfer struggles to break ninety. This trend hasn’t changed appreciably in the past forty years.

One possible explanation is the (unconscious) belief that focusing on mistakes will eventually lead to permanent improvement. In actual practice, this method simply reinforces the belief that a student isn’t good enough to move beyond a certain level. It’s a vicious circle.

For the majority of once-a-week golfers, the tendency to focus on mistakes is automatic. Dr. Karl Morris, Europe’s Leading Mind Coach, uses the analogy of a highway. The more often you travel a particular route, the easier it becomes to select it automatically. It becomes a habit. This applies to our mental roadmap as well.

Our nervous system has two basic functions; to reduce conscious thought and avoid change. It’s easier to keep doing what we’ve always done.

We need to find a simple way to break the endless cycle of correcting one swing flaw, only to have it supplanted by another. The ultimate goal is to unlock your true potential that lies beyond conscious thought.

Have you ever hit a perfect shot? Can you recall what you were thinking? The chances are, that you managed to forget swing mechanics for one and a half seconds and just hit the damn ball!

Here are three steps for helping you conquer the insidious habit of reinforcing swing flaws.

Step One: Awareness

This is critical. You must become aware of the automatic tendency to figure out the flaws in technique. Assuming you have solid fundamentals,your ability to quickly “forget” a poor shot is the first key to improvement.

Step Two: Interrupt The Pattern

Develop a method of quickly interrupting the pattern of recalling mistakes. Obviously, this is easier said than done. The key is to find something simple that doesn’t require conscious thought. One method is to move your body in a unique way.

Step Three: Lock-In Your Best Shots

Whenever you hit a good shot, do something to reinforce the feeling. You could twirl the club or hold your finish position. Do you recall the famous Tiger fist pump? The idea is to lock the feeling into your nervous system so you can recall it quickly in the future.