Golf Psychology

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How to Improve Your Golf without Trying - Scott Cranfield

The focus of this article is to show you how to use your mind to achieve desired changes in your swing rather than physically trying to adopt new positions.

Of course you have to know what you are trying to change so I have chosen six areas of the golf swing that, if practised, will help all golfers improve.

But first let me give you my thoughts on the two ways to change - by physical effort and by using awareness techniques.

We have all tried to change by sheer physical effort. Traditional instruction is based on consciously adopting new positions whether at address or during the backswing, etc. Unfortunately the body tends to be resistant to these new positions because any change feels uncomfortable and the mind does not trust what is going on. It wants to swing the old way.

By using awareness techniques you simply observe a particular element of your swing as if you were watching yourself from the outside. This immediately reduces the tendancy to over control.

This awareness mode keeps you in the present moment and enables you to give yourself an internal rating for any aspect of the swing e.g. a 1 for the easiest possible swing to a 10 for maximum effort.

The mind prefers to deal in specific information and can easily remember the ratings that you apply. For example, you may apply a rating of say 7 to the effort that you have put into a particular shot.

The mind will register this rating and will be able to use this as a reference point for future shots. Thereafter, a 4 or 5 can be delivered at will.

Similarly you may be working on your swing tempo and give yourself a rating of say 5 after a few unsatisfactory swings. By allowing the mind to take over control of your body you will find that the rating will gradually improve (a natural mechanism your brain has). The mind will have acknowledged that 5 was not satisfactory and will find a way for the body to function more efficiently. Proof again that your mind controls your body.

An example of what happens when we ask the body to do something that the mind can do simply and subconsciously is when we sign our own name. However if we sign a piece of paper and then try to reproduce our signature by copying slowly every curve and squiggle we can end up with a fairly unpleasant version of the original. Perhaps this is the reason that so many of our golf swings do not match our intentions when we swing with too much physical conciousness! Please try the signature exercise yourself as it is quite revealing.

How to Practise Awareness

When practising awareness it is important to remember the following:

Do not be judgmental; there is no right or wrong
Do not be influenced by the flight of the ball; be aware only of the particular area you are focussing on.

If you are able to concentrate on observing your actions your brain will receive more accurate feedback and be able to go about changing your actions for the better.

Specific Awareness Exercises

Grip Pressure

There have been many ways to describe the desired grip pressure, none of them particularly satisfactory (e.g. squeezing a tube of toothpaste or holding a small bird!).
To become aware of your own grip pressure apply a rating of 1 to 10 just before starting your backswing. 1 would be the lightest possible, 10 a grip like a vice.
Stay aware of your grip pressure throughout the swing. Notice if it changes at any point.
Register what you have noticed e.g. starting at 5, increasing to 8 on the backswing and staying at 8 on the downswing.
There is no right or wrong but you will find that after say 10 to 20 minutes of self-assessment your mind will have found the grip pressure most suited to you.

Width of Swing

The radius or width of the swing is governed by the amount of flex in the left arm (for right-handed players!) during the backswing and downswing.
To develop a rating chart swing to the top of your backswing and stretch out your left arm as far as you can into what is likely to be a fairly uncomfortable position. From here relax the arm just an inch or so and rate this position a 5. Now bring your hands closer to the chest in 2 to 3 inch steps until your hands will be very close to your chest. Each step receives a lower rating. Run through this process a few times so that the brain can register a 5, 4, 3, etc.
In your set up your left arm should be hanging fairly straight. Pay attention to the state of your arm as it swings up and down and notice how its state would relate to a position on the chart.
Continue this for 15 to 20 minutes, each time being aware of your rating.
Eventually your mind will help you select the most desirable position, and most importantly the one that works for you!

Swing Path

In this exercise you have to develop an awareness of the path that your club has taken as it passes through a point approximately half way into the follow through, i.e. after impact but before completion of the swing. N.B. You are really judging the direction of your swing's forward momentum.
If you are aware that you have swing along the line to the target, score a 0. An in to out path will rate from +1 to +3; an outside to in path will rate from-1 to -3
As you hit shots maintain an awareness of the path of the club as you pass through this "half way to the finish" and apply the appropriate ratings.
15 - 20 minutes of this exercise should see some significant improvement taking place.

Balance

This exercise is based on your balance throughout the whole swing.
Score 0 for a complete lack of balance at any point and 10 for a feeling of perfect balance throughout the entire swing.
As you practise rate each shot and become aware of how much improvement is achieved

Weight Just after Impact

Weight transfer is a much talked about but often misinterpreted aspect of the swing.
In establishing your own awareness ratings adopt an ideal post impact position with approximately 60% of your weight on your left foot and your head just behind the original ball position. This position is rated as 0.
If as you hit shots you are aware that your weight is forward of this position rate yourself from +1 to +3. If your weight is behind this position rate yourself from -1 to -3.
Again a 15-minute session with a 7 iron will allow your mind to help your body achieve a more desirable weight transfer and impact position.

Tempo

A favourite exercise with many pupils.
The awareness ratings range from 1 for the slowest possible swing, to 10 for a "blink and you miss it" effort.
Either rate the overall tempo of your swing or apply separate ratings to the backswing and downswing.
Awareness of your tempo will greatly assist your game both at the practise range and on the course.

Further Tips in Awareness

If you find that you are not satisfied with your progress with any of these exercises ask your mind to select a given number and hit that number for a few shots.
Repeat this process with a variety of numbers. Then go back to the awareness exercise and see if this "performance on demand" drill gets you off the occasional sticking point.

Additional Awareness Exercise Benefits

You will find that regular awareness practise will produce two value by-products which will greatly asset your game, namely:

Your ability to concentrate will improve as you learn to focus on particular actions and ignore outside distractions.
Your swing will become more fluid and natural. By becoming aware of one particular aspect other areas of your swing, previously of concern, will no longer seem to be a problem. Please do practise and think about the various exercises in this article. And do please give me any feedback on your own thoughts and experiences.



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