Almost every golfer I know swings with some kind of “swing thought,” such as “turn this” or “shift that.” While they swing, their heads are full of mental chatter. You cannot think your way through a golf swing. It’s a recipe for bad golf.
“The quality of your golf—and your life—is determined by the quality of your attention.” I’m not sure who I first heard utter this nugget of wisdom, but I have heard myself saying it a lot lately to my coaching clients.
Most golfers go through a round of golf without a clue what their minds are doing. It’s like we’re in a trance, carried unconsciously this way and that by our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviours. This is no way to play golf or live your life.
If that’s how you play golf, the game is going to punch you in the nose. You’re going to be on your back so fast your head swims. It will be another round in which your great hopes were squashed yet again.
In coaching golf nerds in the mental game or on their golf swings, I find that almost all of them struggle because they hyper focus on technique.
This strategy of working hard to do things the right way had worked in many other areas of my life, but not in golf. What the hell?
Many golfers struggle because they are constantly seeking tips to fix their problems. UK coach Karl Morris laments that golf is in the midst of a “social media circus.”
Natasha has been the Canadian All-Abilities Champion for the last four years. But life hasn’t been easy. This is a story of resilience, tenacity, support and love.
In the third and final instalment of my “origin story” about what influenced me to write my new book, I note that becoming aware of my self-defeating behaviours allowed me to move forward, both as a player and a coach.
