Spring-2023

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT B Y L A I RD SMA L L Finding Your Groove o much is discussed in the media, in print and on television on the topic of golf swing mechanics. We have been so blinded to believe that is the only way to play better golf. If we hit a bad shot, something must be wrong with my golf swing. What swing thought or tip do I need to fix it? We are always trying to fix the last poor shot on the next swing. We never get anywhere and end up chasing our tail looking for answers that are not there. One must remember that golf is a swing game and not a game of positions—yes, at times we do need to position the club to make the swing more efficient. These changes are done through the feel of the club as it swings and the feel for the shape of the swing. In the popular book, “The Legend of Baggar Vance” by Steven Pressfield, the underpinning theme is to unlock your “authentic swing.” We all have an authentic or natural swing.You see the TOUR Players and golfers everywhere have all found their swing when they shoot terrific low scores.The key is, how do we find our groove and keep it? We know we have found our swing groove when we feel like the game is easy and when the ball feels like butter off the club. The tough shots don’t seem so, and we have a lot of distance in our shots—effortless power not powerless effort.This is when the game is fun! It would be great to stay in this place, but we lose it all too quickly. The following may be helpful to you in discovering your groove and staying in the groove. Most golfers feel that their practice swing and their real swing are very different. They will tell you how wonderful their practice swing is… full of rhythm, effortless, no tension. And then, when it is time to hit the ball, they are a different person. Give the following drill a try to bring the two swings together. Dr. Glen Albaugh, a prominent sport psychologist who works with many PGA and LPGATOUR Players, shared this drill with me and I have used it with terrific success. Many players harbor too much tension and get too tight over the ball. When this happens, they lose their freedom and flow to their swing as well as the ability to feel where the club and clubface are during the swing. Many times, it is because they are using their check down list as they are preparing to start the swing.You know the endless list… how’s my grip, my aim, make sure to shift my weight and turn and keep my head down, etc. Here is a simple drill that can help reduce your tension and help you to let it go to the target. At the practice facility, tee up five to seven balls in a row, using a middle iron—a 6-iron will do nicely. Your goal is to have an awareness of your practice swing from perspective or level of freedom from ten- sion. Create a scale from one to 10 (one would be a tight swing full of tension…10 would be a swing free of tension but not sloppy). Now take your practice swing and evaluate on this scale, your goal is to be somewhere between seven and nine. Now step up to the ball and give it a go with the intention and awareness of trying to duplicate your earlier practice swing over the ball. The key is to strike the next ball while the last ball is still in the air. This won't allow you to think about your swing technique, it will make you swing the club, with less tension. Your body will naturally move in response to and support of the club you are swinging. As your body moves in support of the club, you will Most golfers feel that their practice swing and their real swing are very different. They will tell you how wonderful their practice swing is… full of rhythm, effor tless, no tension. And then, when it is time to hit the ball, they are a different person. S 84 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 3