How to take your consistent golf swing from the range to the course

A lot has been written about why golfers have good warm up sessions on the range and then play poorly on the golf course. It became very obvious visually when Peter Kostis used video to analyze Tiger Woods’ swing on the range compared side to side with his swing on course. The nice and smooth, compact, steady head and body swing on the range was replaced with a more forceful, longer swing and more body movement during the tournament round. Video analysis of current top performers like Jordan Spieth showed negligible differences in the two swings.

Most golfers want to be more consistent with their swings in the belief that it will produce lower scores. To do this demands mental and physical practice. This requires mental knowledge and discipline to not speed up during the round. The faster swing might be the result of over-confidence, impatience, or fear. A longer swing might be the result of pressing and wanting to hit the ball further. It is important to maintain a constant Arousal Level and stick with a consistent routine to put you into a confident state to maintain the swing that you spent so much time practicing.

Thinking that causes inconsistent swings on course 

Amateur and professional golfers alike are frustrated when they hit balls well on the range and then play poorly on the golf course. What is different on the golf course?

1. On the range there is no penalty for miss-hits. When a golfer miss-hits a shot on the range s/he just tees up another ball and tries to figure out what went wrong. There is no “second serve” on the golf course. There isn’t a coach to tell you what went wrong.
2. Having to count every stroke is stressful.  On the range there is nothing to worry about. There are consequences on the course. The consequences put pressure on you and cause tension and tightness in your swing. Trying to avoid mistakes causes tension. Trying to make something happen causes stress. Trying to make up for lost strokes creates anxiety.
3. Golfers worry about the results. A golfer’s emotional state can be ruined by a belief that one bad hole will determine the outcome. On the course golfers think about results instead of the process of how to achieve what they want.
4. Golfers swing harder and faster in the hopes of making up for a missed shot. A better strategy would be to relax and swing at 80% on the next shot to ensure solid contact.
5. Mental or physical fatigue will cause golfers to swing harder and faster. Take time to breathe and relax your mind and body before starting your pre-shot routine.
6. Golfers don’t play the way they practice. On the golf course golfers go through a pre-shot routine to prepare their minds and bodies for each shot. Golfers rarely get behind the ball and execute a pre-shot routine on the range.
7. Golfers forget to have fun on the golf course. Fun and great results happen when a golfer relaxes, enjoys swinging, and trusts that s/he can reproduce what they have practiced and learned. 

Use your mind as an ally instead of an adversary 

Step 1. On the range, simulate playing the first three holes.  Hit the clubs you will need as you simulate playing the first three holes on the course. This will make you more familiar with playing the course and get you off to a good start.

Step 2. Use your pre-shot routine. Pick your target carefully for each club and go through your pre-shot routine before every shot. Imagining the golf holes, use the club to play each subsequent shot depending on where the initial one landed.

Step 3. Decide to play the game of golf instead of range golf.  On the golf course, play golf, not golf swing. Release all tendencies to think about how to create the smooth swing you had on the range. Leave all thoughts of mechanics on the range and if necessary, only think one swing thought during your swing. Concentrate on making solid contact.

Step 4.  Access your relaxed Arousal Level.  Breathe deeply to slow down your busy thinking mind and focus on accessing your tempo. Take your practice swing with your feet together to feel the correct balance and tempo.

Step 5. Trust that this process will work for you.  Feel it! Believe it! Enjoy it!

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances 

If this article is helpful to you, and you want to learn more, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation about improving your mental game. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547 or by email at pmi4@bellsouth.net

Empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs are available on the Positive Mental Imagery website at www.pmi4.com/cart