Post Theory

A friend recently sent me some tips from a well known online golf instruction site. I looked at the tips and realised I was no longer interested in reading. let alone trying, these tips. Perhaps it's because I'd had a few weeks away from golf or perhaps because when I came back after a break that I played really well with very few technical thoughts crowding my mind, I don't know?

One thing I do know is that good players play better golf when they are in this 'technique free' zone. They all say it and it is proven again and again when a commentator notes that a player is struggling with some (technical) aspect of her or his game. My predisposition has always been to have a couple of swing thoughts ready for each round. I'm starting to think that zero swing thoughts is the way to go.

Having said that, I think it is necessary to separate preparation or practice for golf from playing golf. There are some technical aspects of the game that are useful to know about, for example, what a certain kind of grip will do to the club face. It is probably also useful to know that most good players rotate around a fairly stable core or point, but transfer their weight onto the front foot at impact. This useful knowledge is not, however, any guarantee that good golf will follow.

Good players are usually good because they have learnt through a lot of trial and error how to master those aspects of the game and have integrated them in their games. But more importantly they have also learnt that while they are playing competitive, serious golf, they must leave behind most or all of the conscious, technical thoughts and techniques they have worked on in practice.

You could argue that there are plenty of 'mindless' weekend golfers out there, those who shun technique or theory, and say 'I only play for fun'. But the reality is that these golfers are not mindless, but constantly seeking to correct a previous poor shot (and shots) with some new approach - 'got to keep my head down, don't try to hit so hard, concentrate', or whatever. These might only be quasi-technical thoughts, but they will interfere with the swing just as easily as more sensible thoughts.

I actually don't think it is possible to suppress all technical thinking on the course. Zero thinking is nearly impossible, except maybe for the golfer who, on very rare occasions, enters 'The Zone'. Golf is a game of constant re-adjustment, there is lots of thinking involved, we know the margins of error are small; it is unrealistic to expect us to shut out all technical thoughts, good or useless. There has to be an alternative.

Let me suggest an alternative. I know I have advocated some swing keys in the past, and I stand by those keys as theoretically sound ideas. However, I want to suggest a way to swing a golf club, in any kind of play, that will go a long way to implementing those swing elements without thinking about them at all.

This comes down to a way of swinging or hitting that is akin to the old 'hit the back of the ball' adage, favoured by one or two people I know. It is simply the self-instruction to 'hit out through the ball'. By this, I mean try to feel like the clubhead is swinging out to about 1 o'clock on the old clock-face.

Now, this is one of the common suggestions for correcting a slice or promoting a draw, but that is not what I'm concerned about. After all, the clubface orientation is more important in the creation of slices or draws than the swing plane. What I am talking about is the generation of a swing that will promote good weight transfer (without thinking about it), that will promote good clubface contact (without thinking about it) and fundamentally set up the golfer to make a sound golf swing.

This swing thought (or maybe it is a feeling?) is definitely conscious, but it somehow manages to set in train the unconscious, automatic, physical responses that are needed for a sound golf swing. It's something I've experienced and really enjoyed. I think it will work for a lot of average golfers - and work a lot better than a host of other keys or swing thoughts.

By all means learn the basics of the golf set up and swing, but trust that they will be there in the unconscious mind and kick in when needed. I recommend giving this simple, conscious swing thought a try.