By Robin All, Life Member – PGA of America
This week, I’m not going to tell you what you should do—but what you should stop doing!
Take a look at that picture of the young golfer with great form. That kind of posture and balance only comes from hours and hours of practice. But now that he’s got the basics down, it’s time for him to stop thinking so much about mechanics and start seeing the shot. Picture it flying out toward the target. Trust that all those reps have programmed his swing into muscle memory.
The legendary sports psychologist (and part-time catcher) Yogi Berra once said, “You can’t think and hit at the same time.” Sure, baseball is more reactive than golf—but the point stands. Golf gives us too much time to think, and thinking can get us into trouble.
Remember: Study long, study wrong.
Stand behind the ball, see the shot, picture success, and swing. Your brain can’t feed you new info in the half-second it takes to hit the ball anyway.
In fact, try playing faster—hurry up and swing before you overthink it and tighten up! It might just help you relax and find that old magic again.
So next round, do yourself a favor: trust your swing, trust your instincts, and just play. Like a kid again.
