Being Aware of Tension
Consistency of grip pressure and muscle tension is key for a consistent swing. For this reason, it’s important to be aware of any additional tension in your hands and body. You’ll often see Tour players relaxing their fingers on the grip and hanging their arms loose to make sure there’s little tension in the hands and arms. You can increase this awareness during practice.
Hit some shots focusing only on grip pressure and arm tension (from my experience this is where players get the most changes in tension during a round). Find out what number out of 10 (1 being very light and 10 being very tight), produces your best shots. Once you’ve worked on this, you can make this a check in your pre shot routine on the course. Focusing on the feel of your grip pressure is another way to keep your focus away from your thoughts and on something external which will help you play better shots.
Another way to stay relaxed and in the present is through your feet. You will notice some Tour players move their feet before they start their swing (Louis Oosthuizen comes to mind). Having relaxed feet can lighten tension in the lower body, and again, focusing on a sensation will keep your mind quiet. Dr. Bob Rotella calls this having “happy feet”.
Focus on Your Breathing
Some players find that they benefit from focusing on breathing before they start their swing. We will discuss the power of breathing as a stress management tool in the next module, but it’s also powerful in keeping the mind quiet and focused. Try this for a “trigger” to start your backswing. During your last look at the target (while looking at the target and/or visualizing the shot), take a deep inhale through your nose. Then, as you move your eyes back to the ball, exhale slowly through your mouth. At the end of the exhale, start your backswing.
This is adapted from a breathing technique for archery, which helps the archer stay calm, centered and focused before shooting. By taking a nice deep inhale, you also get sufficient oxygen to your brain and to the muscles to make a nice fluid swing.
Focusing on Feel
As we discussed during the section on the rehearsal phase, knowing what a shot will feel like, can really help you if you’re more of a “kinesthetic” player. This could be the feel of the whole swing or the impact position you want to get to. What is it that you want to feel in the swing? What will be the feeling in your hands for the shot you are about to play? Jordan Spieth says that when he’s over the ball and doing his waggles, he’s “feeling” the shot in his hands. For me personally, especially during the short game and putting, I’m imagining what impact will feel like and this is what I’m focusing on while over the ball.
Focusing on Sound/Tempo
If you’re more “auditory”, sound is the sense that will keep your athletic mind engaged. For this reason, you’ll benefit from imagining the tempo and rhythm of the shot.
Some players benefit from putting their swing to beats – for the take-away, top of backswing and downswing. They hear these beats before they start their swing.
Experiment with hearing the sound of the shot before you hit it. Is it a hard “smash” of a drive, or is it a softer sound for a shot around the green. The imagined sound can connect with the athletic mind and help you produce it during the shot.
Another way to stay present and get away from thinking is using the sounds around you. Wait until you hear 2 different sounds before you start your swing. These could be birds chirping or the wind in the trees. Again, this will enable you to keep your focus external and not get distracted by your thoughts.
Using Words or Action Phrases
If you’re more verbal, you can create a positive feeling and the desired movement through words. Verbal cues (or “Self-talk) can be instructional, motivational, or rhythmical. Instructional cues are words that remind you of what you are supposed to do, such as “Focus”, “Commit”, “Breathe”, “Be Athletic”, “Balanced”, “Free”, etc. Motivational cues are phrases such as “You’ve got this!”, or “Let’s do this!” “This can go in…”, “Calm and confident”. Rhythmical cues are words that can help you create the right rhythm in the swing such as “Smooth and powerful” or “Super Smooth”. In a recent interview, Adam Scott said that his swing thoughts are usually words which remind him of a nice smooth rhythm. He sometimes uses words such as “Inbee” (Inbee Park) or “Ernie” (Ernie Els) which reminds him to make a slow backswing and have a good rhythm.
Counting
Counting during the athletic phase of the pre shot routine can serve the purpose of occupying the prefrontal cortex (the thinking part of the brain). This prevents you from being distracted by things that will affect your commitment to the shot and the fluidity of your swing. Try different counting sequences when you are over the ball. They can be simple, i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, or if you require more “distraction” from thinking, sequences that involve multiplication such as 9, 18, 27, 36, etc.
“Quiet Eye”
The term “Quiet Eye” was coined by Professor Joan Vickers, a specialist in Kinesiology (the study of body movement), who conducted several studies in the ‘90s on the effects of how the eyes are used when performing an athletic task. During these studies, she found that higher-level players had a more consistent pattern of fixation of their eyes, which helped their performance.
During a study on the effects of eye movement in golf, she had players of varying ability levels, wear a device which showed their “gaze” during a putting challenge.
Her studies concluded that better putters had a more consistent gaze between the ball and the target (and during a putt), whereas a novice was more erratic in their gaze pattern.
The “quieter” your eyes, the quieter (and more focused) your mind.
Sam Vines and Matt Wilson conducted a study at the University of Exeter, which drew the same conclusion: the use of the eyes is an important factor in how the body moves, especially during putting and the short game.
Vines says that “there is a small window for the motor system to receive information from the eyes”. It’s your brain which interprets the messages from the eyes and organizes it into movement.
The results of their studies showed that not only was putting performance improved when golfers were trained in Quiet Eye but putting under pressure improved too.
You can check out the study using the link in the resources section.
How To Practice Quiet Eye
While you’re practicing your putting, practice the focus of your eyes during the process and make it consistent. Try this:
– Back of ball and target
– Back of ball and target
– Back of ball
– Make stroke, focusing on back of ball and holding eyes in that position after the ball has been struck (not following ball)
Physical or “Kinesthetic” Swing Cues
A lot of players like to give themselves a moving/dynamic start to their swing, instead of being static. This can help you make an athletic movement during your swing and prevent freezing over the ball. Examples of these are:
– Sam Snead cocked his head to the left to start his swing, which was later copied by Jack Nicklaus
– Tom Kite and Nick Faldo, bend their knees slightly before starting their swing
– Gary Player kicks in his right knee
– Louis Oosthuizen shuffles his feet
– Greg Norman sets the toe of the club at the ball and then slides it forward before starting this swing
– Bryson DeChambeau does something similar and bounces the club before moving it behind the ball
– Harvey Penick told us in his “Little Red Book” that the back-swing should be started with a gentle forward press of the hands
– Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar hover the club
– Plenty of players waggle the club
Experiment with these many different things you can focus on during the athletic phase of the pre shot routine, to get you ready for making the best swing or stroke possible.
