There are three main area's to work on:
1. Swing Mechanics
An obviously very important part of improving our golf games is to investigate the swing mechanics of our golf swing. There has never been two human beings who were created the same, so there is no "one size fits all" set of mechanics. However with both history and the science of modern technology there does exist a set of common traits that most of us would benefit from striving for. To me the most important thing of all is proper impact! The only thing a golf ball responds to is what happens to it in the fraction of a second. Once you learn what the club head must do in that instant w will then look at the mechanics of your swing and figure out your best, most consistent way to improve your ball flight and swing challenges.
2. The Mental Game
Most golfers understand that golf is a very mental game. The problem is that most do very little to nothing in regards to this extremely important subject. As it is with swing mechanics there is a massive amount of information available from the field of sports psychology. I am not a licensed therapist (though I feel like it many times!). To keep it brief here let me just say that the primary subject that you and I will work through in this category is a concept I call "MATCHING". Simply put, you must have matching thoughts for what you want the swing to do and the ball to do. An easy example is the golfer who struggles with overswinging telling themselves to "slow down or swing easy" while at the same time still desiring a 300 yard plus drive! The desire does not match with the thought. Most everything in your golf swing can become a thousand times easier the instant I help you get matching thoughts. Using the example above if you truly wanted to hit a very short distance then slowing down would no longer even be a necessary thought. That's the only reaction possible.
3. Spiritual Game
- Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Yes, I understand that this can be a sensitive subject, so let me remind you that I said that beyond mechanics there exist area's we "can" work on. It's not mandatory. However, it has been my overwhelming experience that once this area is addressed the rest automatically improves exponentially!
As a first insight towards this spiritual idea and it's effect on our golf swings, let me ask you a question: Why is your practice swing so much better than your real swing? And why is it that whatever you work on in your swing is so easily accomplished during a practice swing but is seemingly impossible during the real one?
- Romans 7:15 - I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
My contention is that "the spirit" changes. What I mean is that if you think about it in this light; what is it you WANT (desire) during a practice swing as compared to what you want (desire) when a golf ball is there? When the golf ball is present you and I tend to want all kinds of things to happen; distance, height, direction..... with a desire to control what the ball does will come a reaction (typically subconscious). On the other hand in a practice swing you and I are completely without want (desire) and therefore are free from the burden of wanting something to happen and so we swing beautifully. Further, the desire to hit a good golf shot is a very clear example of a "self centered desire". Sounds odd I know but answer the question of who benefits when you hit a good shot and I think you'll have to agree... "It's all about me!" Self never leads to long term good.
- Matthew 16:25 - For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Examples include: The reaction to the desire for distance causes overswinging, loss of balance, tension, bad tempo, etc.... With the desire for direction comes the reaction of coming over the top, getting stuck inside, too strong of grips and all sorts of mechanics in order to get what we desire directionally... With the desire for height comes loss of angle retention, standing up, looking up, swinging up and more. Almost none of these ridiculous motions exist in your practice swing but seem impossible to conquer during a real swing. Why? Your desire is towards something that causes a wrong reaction by the very nature that you and I are born with. No one pops out of the womb doing what's required for a great golf swing any more than we pop out of the womb "praying for our enemies!". Great golfers swing down while wanting the ball to go up. They swing easy expecting a ball to go far. They swing left to get a result of curving right; and swing right to get a left result. Nothing matches our born with instincts.
What's the answer in golf? Go through a process of wanting different results than you naturally want and you can make this unnatural sport natural. Will you ever be perfect? That's humanly impossible but you will see some amazing changes!
What's the answer in life? Pretty simple, His name is Jesus. Want what he tells you to want instead of what you think you want or what the world thinks you should want and nothing is ever the same again!
- John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.