Here in western North Carolina the weather has not been conducive for playing golf. We experienced a blizzard that dropped over a foot of snow and then a week later we had an ice storm that kept us indoors for several days.
When the weather keeps you indoors it is a good time to wake up your winter golf muscles by practicing your golf swing without any care for the results. This is a good time to practice swinging at 85% for control and tempo. When you go to the practice range it is too tempting to swing hard for extra distance.
Train your brain and muscles every day during your “off golf season” so you won’t have to think and try to remember what you learned when you were playing. Swing a preferably weighted club indoors every day for five minutes and putt on the carpet for ten minutes to instill confidence in your feel.
Use your home for feedback
When Tiger was five years old he practiced his swing while looking in the mirror in his bedroom. Many golf courses use a large mirror on the practice range for feedback. There are times when we “think” we are doing one thing and are actually doing another. If you don’t have a large enough mirror, you can use your reflection in a glass door.
Mentally practice your swing in your imagination. Visualize an image like Ben Hogan’s“pane of glass.” I once went to a clinic with Gary Wiren at PGA National where he was talking the group of golfers through this image of taking the club “on plane.” I was surprised how easy it was to swing “on plane” even though I was hitting with someone else’s clubs that were extra stiff and extra long. Send the right image to your brain and it will send it to your muscles without you having to think about how to swing.
Another exercise to “feel” the backswing was very useful for me. When I had the “shanks” I wasn’t aware that I was taking the club inside on my backswing and then over the top on the way down. Visualizing taking the club back more upright as I would for a sand shot kept me from taking it too far inside. To reinforce this feel, I stood with my back against a wall. If I took the club too far inside, it would hit the wall. I started with a half swing to program a good takeaway.
Jack Nicklaus’ coach Jack Grout used to hold his head while he swung so he wouldn’t sway on his backswing. If you tend to do this, you can put a pillow against a wall and rest your forehead against it. Swing without moving your head and be aware of the “feel” of your swing and body motions.
Listening to self-hypnosis golf CDs in the privacy of your home will improve your visual images and all parts of your mental golf game. Available now at www.pmi4.com/cart
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
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