Sensory golf is about being present and connected to the sensations of the shot in front of you – not the future consequence of the shot or the mechanics of your movement. This is a far more effective way to play than using technical swing thoughts or thinking about what the shot will mean for your score.
Golf isn’t like a lot of other sports where you are reacting to a moving ball, with little time to think about how you are going move your body. Instead, there’s plenty of time to think in golf. The problem is that thinking isn’t good for athletic movement. When you over-think and try to consciously control your swing, it becomes restricted. Instead, we need to use the Pre Shot Routine to shift our focus to aspects of the shot that are conducive to a fluid swing.
Why does sensory golf work?
Firstly, when you imagine the sensations of a desirable shot, it’s less likely that you’ll be thinking about an undesirable one. This in itself will create a feeling of confidence.
During the Rehearsal Phase and Athletic Phase of the Pre Shot Routine, you’re priming your subconscious mind with the inputs it needs to tell your muscles what to do. The slower, analytical thinking mind is turned off and the faster, intuitive mind is fully engaged. This makes the swing more fluid, resulting in better shots.
If you want to learn more about how to build your best Pre Shot Routine, you can start by going through the self-discovery process in my mental game training program. Let’s take a look at what I mean by “sensations”.
Feel sensation
What will the shot you are about to play feel like? You might focus on different parts of the swing (remember it’s the feeling, not a technical instruction) or imaging what impact will feel like.
Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Jason Dufner, say they feel the shot with their hands before they hit it. Their waggle is not only about keeping the hands loose and being athletic – it’s about creating a feeling for the shot they intend to hit.
Visual sensation
What will the ball flight and/or your swing look like? Can you imagine what the path of the club will look like as it hits through the ball? Where on the horizon will the ball start and finish? What trajectory will the shot have and when will it fall to the target? What will it do when it lands? There are many different ways to visualize that you will need to experiment with.
Sound sensation
What will the shot you’re about to hit sound like? What sound will be made when the club hits the ball and grass? What is the rhythm and tempo of the shot?
Let’s look at a couple of examples:
During your pre-putt routine, rehearse the feel of the putt. Feel the length of the back stroke and imagine the amount of force will be applied to the back of the ball (create an image of the speed too if you can) and what that impact will feel like in your hands. Now hold on to that sensation/feeling as you prepare to start your stroke.
For short game shots, after you’ve decided on the carry and rollout for the shot in front of you, feel the club’s interaction with the ball and ground before you hit it and hold onto that feel right up until you start your swing.
During your practice sessions work on finding out the sensations which best connect your intuitive system with the intention for the shot in front of you. What sensations do you anticipate to produce the best shots? You can also use The Pre Shot Routine Builder and The Practice Module of the Ultimate Mental Game Training Program.
Use pressure practice drills to test your ability to hold onto the sensations under pressure, when the thinking mind will be more active and can interfere with a fluid swing or stroke.
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Photo by Pablo Herrero