The trick to finding your best swing thought is through self-discovery, past experience, and experimentation.
What Is Your Learning Style?
Knowing what “type” of learner you are will make a difference in how you make swing changes and what swing thoughts will work best during your rounds.
Studies show that someone who is more “left brained” (logical, analytical and verbal) can get better results when they have technical cues during their swing (some individuals are naturally more capable of a higher “cognitive load” and multiple swing thoughts). They see things as a structured process i.e. if I do A, B, C and D, I know that I am more likely to achieve a good swing and a good outcome. On the other hand, those who are more “right brained” (visual, artistic and intuitive), typically swing better when there is less cognitive load or very little conscious awareness of their movement during the swing. Knowing this about yourself is a good place to start. Perhaps you’re somewhere in between? Let’s find out…
The Benefits of Swing Thoughts
- They can keep you focused on something productive during your swing instead of what you don’t want to happen
- They can keep your conscious mind occupied with something simple so that your athletic mind can swing the club
- Can help you maintain a good tempo and keep tension low
The dangers of swing thoughts
“There are too many moving parts in the swing for them to be consciously controlled.” – Bobby Jones
- If a player starts to get overly technical and switch between swing thoughts throughout a round, it usually hinders performance. They can get more and more absorbed in controlling physical action which limits athletic movement and fluidity
- With too many swing thoughts, a player can be less focused on the target/intention and more focused on their movement. The swing becomes too deliberate and less reactive to the target and intention.
- Having swing thoughts and trying to control the swing can increase tension affecting timing and sequence of the movement
- Visualizing the ball flight
- The target
- Focusing on your connection with the ground
- Staying balanced
- Anticipating the feel of the strike at impact
- Being aware of the clubhead
We all focus on something during our swing. It’s impossible not to focus on anything during the swing, so it’s always going to be better to have your focus on something productive than let your mind wander wherever it wants to. Like all aspects of the mental game, swing thoughts should be planned for (not searched for) and practiced. Let’s take a look at some swing thoughts for you to experiment with:
Be Tension Free!
One thing that most golfers aren’t aware of is the amount of tension they have in their swing. In fact, this is the main cause of the swing changing from round to round or from the driving range to the course. It can be especially worse if you’re feeling nervous or you start to lose control of the ball. Focusing too much on your swing can cause it too.
I always encourage my students to practice tension awareness on the driving range and be able to feel it before and during the swing in the hands and body. If you can sense your level of tension that produces your best shots, then “feeling” and maintaining that during the swing will always be helpful.
Technical Cues
Technical cues are unique to the individual but should be kept as simple as possible. They are typically things that you know help you help you hit good shots. On the PGA Tour, you can tell that Justin Thomas and Justin Rose (who are more “technical” players) focus on rehearsing particular parts of their swing before their shots and I’m assuming they’ll be somewhat aware of that move during the shot. However, simplicity is key here – you don’t want to overload your “working memory” and interfere with the movement centers of your brain.
Examples are:
“full shoulder turn”
“smooth, wide takeaway”
“keeping head still on backswing”
“swing to the target”
“get onto your left side”
Auditory Swing Thoughts
When we feel pressure on the golf course or we have too many technical thoughts, one of the first things to be affected is tempo. Tempo is important as it controls the timing and sequencing of the several moving parts of the golf swing. When your timing is off, so will the direction of the club-face be at impact. Although tempo swing thoughts can benefit all players, because it’s about sound, it could be more effective for players who are more auditory or musical.
Examples of tempo swing thoughts are words or songs/music/beats that help you swing at your optimal tempo. Tempo swing thoughts can also help take any focus away from anything mechanical and keep the swing nice and fluid.
Verbal Swing Thoughts
Saying certain words before and during your swing can have an affect on your movement. Words can create emotions which can help create your motion. Examples are “Smooth, “Powerful”, “Athletic”, “Balanced”.
External vs Internal Focus
The concept of External and Internal Focus was coined by Dr. Gabrielle Wulf, a Professor of Motor Learning at the University of Nevada. She conducted research and experiments over many years which looked at the effect of where an athlete put their focus during movement.
External focus is when you keep your focus on what the effect of the movement will be, rather than the movement itself. For example when you throw a basketball you are probably just looking at the basket and throwing the ball. That is external focus. If I was to say to you to be aware of the angle of your wrists and how far your arms go back to throw the ball, that would be internal focus. It’s obviously easier in a sport like basketball where you are facing the target while throwing the ball. In golf you don’t see the target while you swing the club, which is why the pre shot routine and putting the sensations of the shot to memory is so important.
Dr. Wulf’s studies concluded that the performance of players was improved when golfers (all various ability levels) focused on something external such as:
If you want to find out more about Dr. Wulf’s study of attentional focus on motor learning, check it out here.
Don’t Get Overly Technical During Practice
Most golfers work mostly on their swing during practice, instead of practicing a if they are playing. There are several problems with this, one being that they train themselves to be technical and internal, rather than intuitive and external. What you do in practice will transfer over to the golf course, so make sure you spend some of your practice session with the same swing thought you will take to the course.
Need some help with your mental game?
The best place to start is my structured, 8 module training system which will take you through the steps to build mental toughness, confidence, focus and access your best swings under pressure. Click below for more information.
