New Rules Golf Question of the Week – When It All Falls Apart
Just had this question posed to me and thought a lot of us could relate to the answer.
“What do you do when you are in the middle of a round and everything has fallen apart?”
This has happened to most of us, if not all of us. We start out and we hit a few off line shots and we start to try some swing thoughts to fix it. Also, we could be trying to get better and we are practicing a new move that will pay off in the long run, but it is not a habit yet. We could be simply having an unlucky day.
The next time it happens, I have two keys for you.
- Mental Key – Trying harder and getting madder is not going to help. a) I need you to get into a “flow” state. b) I need you to picture some great shots you have hit in the past. c) I need you to put the round into perspective. d) I need you to realize that if the skills are there, they can be accessed by slowing everything down. All peak state performers will tell you they felt like they were in slow motion.
- Swing Key – Rhythm is one of the only things you can think of when you play that leads to a positive outcome. The desire for outcome when we play is one of the reasons most golfers hit the ball better on the range than on the golf course. We tend to get quicker and tighter on the golf course. That is why maintaining even grip pressure and swinging with 60 – 80% effort is universal amongst good players.
In summary, get in a “flow” state mentally and get things to go into slow motion. Let your swing thought be rhythm and effort level. Watch the video below for a couple of specific drills and swing thoughts to swing the club with rhythm and flow. (A lot of you have seen this video and it is a good review and reminder).
