Hitting It Pure

Posted by John

July 12, 2010

Finding the sweet spot or ’puring’ it as Tiger likes to say; this is golf’s aphrodisiac. What does it take to find this hypnotic state? People, pundits, players and gurus have been pondering that since the first pure swing was made.

If we can unravel this mystery, can we consistently find golf nirvana? Probably not. I say that because it’s never been accomplished, not even by the greatest golfers on the planet. But, with the right approach anyone can learn to hit more pure shots. The key to better swings? less tension and that means more enjoyment.

I think it’s clear to most of us that golf is mental first and physical second. How many of us have been beaten by someone who is physically our inferior. Don’t read to much into that statement, I simply mean that we have all been whipped by someone we could out benchpress any day of the week. When I was in my physical prime in my early 20′s, I got thoroughly trounced by what appeared to me to be a weak old man. While I was bombing drives 280 yards (mostly offline) he was hitting it consistently 150 yards right down the middle. I think I lost 5 and 4, but my memory has probably given me a few extra holes.

Golf is unique in that we have all hit shots that are as good as the best in the world – like holing out a chip, we just do it a lot less frequently. And that’s what keeps us coming back in spite of our bad shots. Golf is played best when the mind is relaxed and we’re in touch with our bodies. We’re not thinking about the consequences of going OB. When we’re on we are in a relaxed almost hypnotic state. Tension worsens performance in any athletic endeavor. Loose relaxed muscles don’t fight one another. The best sprinters are the ones who best relax opposing muslces.

So how do we find this relaxation and body awareness. First, you’ve got to tune in to what your body is doing when you practice. It’s OK to think ‘keep your left arm straight’ before a practice swing. But when you actually hit the ball your mind has to be an observer only. After your shot is done, if you’ve put your consciousness in your arm, you should know if it was straight or not. Do this and you’ll teach your mind to be a reporter and not a worrier. This is a terrific way to practice. Read any of Timothy Gallwey’s ‘inner game’ books to learn practical methods for doing this. For decades he helped numerous Olympic athletes use this strategy to great benefit.

You can’t really change your swing or manage it until you can ‘feel’ it. Don’t be critical of yourself when you hit a bad shot. Try to remember the feel of the shot. It’s amazing what feeling parts of your body during a swing can produce. Hit 10 shots only focused on rotating your forearms. Rotate them a little, a lot and everything in between and teach your mind how to feel what your body is doing. Do the same for weight transfer, or shoulder plane rotation. Don’t try and hit everything perfect. You need to feel the entire spectrum to teach you body what’s right.

I’m reviewing a book by Laird Small, the director of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy which I’ll blog about soon. He has wonderful advice on how to take practice swings for a shot you are unsure of, say a tough greenside chip. Take one practice swing you know is too hard, one that’s too soft and one that’s in between. Then step up to the ball and hit it with the in between swing. It works because you stopping thinking about consequences and you have committed your mind and body to the same swing. As Surge Trahan at Peak Performance Golf Swing says, ‘ feel the swing when you rehearse and then when you step up to the ball swing the feel’. Think about that for a moment, it’s great advice. With practice you can train your mind to be your ally and not your enemy on the course. As Laird Small at Pebble Beach says; ‘Nothing about golf is stressful. It’s you who adds the stress or fear.’