“Relaxation” - My Key to The Golf Swing
Published by Mike on Tagged Uncategorized
I have just finished posts on My Seven Step Swing Checklist. The one KEY ingredient to all of the seven steps is “Relaxation”. It is a natural tendency for most of us to try to muscle or power the ball toward the hole. I did it for many years with sporadic success. I was tired of hitting one good shot in five and not scoring the way I knew I was capable of. I am an avid reader of Golf Magazines and have more than once come across articles stressing the relaxing of the muscles, especially in the hands, forearms, shoulders and chest used during the golf swing in order to attain better results. I decided to go to the range and see if I could try this relaxed method of the golf swing. It was an immediate improvement. Once I incorporated “Relaxation” into my golf swing the percentage of successful strokes increased proportionately with the greater distance achieved. I was amazed at how much farther and accurately the ball traveled with my new found relaxed swing method. Let me pause here for a minute and explain my definition of “Relaxation”. Relaxing during the golf game and golf swing, does not by any means mean to fall asleep while addressing the ball. It does mean however, to rid your self of stressful thoughts and tense muscles to whatever degree possible. It means to let the club drop into the power slot naturally and let the speed of your swing thru relaxed muscles help you to achieve the desired result. I found that the club released and accelerated more on line when I maintained a light grip and little upper body stiffness or tension than if I tried to power the ball toward the target. The only thought that should be in your mind is the proper execution of the swing to produce the desired result for the particular golf shot at hand. Whether it be a drive off the tee or a finesse shot over a bunker to a tight pin placement just focus on executing the shot and achieving the result you want.
I was always very competitive at sports and wanted to hit the ball the best and the farthest in baseball and golf, which is a natural inclination when you are used to competitive play. The tendency for many of us is to try to rip into the ball with all the power we can muster. In baseball you can get away with it more easily, but the speed and timing of a relaxed swing even in baseball will achieve better and more consistent results than tight musles and a forced swing. This is most especially true for the golf swing. “Swing easy and hit hard”, that is my new motto ! There are different methods for relaxing before and during a golf round. During the round I have found that a deep slow breath ( inhale and exhale on about a seven second count for each ) as I line up my shot from behind the target will help promote a relaxed swing for me. I then make one rehearsal swing utilizing that technique and then step up and hit before over contemplating the swing. Too much time over the ball allows negativity and too many thoughts to creep into your mind and almost always results in a poor shot. The player who is confident in his / her abilities will address the ball, perform their set up routine and proceed to swing without taking an inordinate amount of time over the ball. Practicing the various golf shots you will come across during any particular golf round will also help build confidence when that situation actually occurs during play.
Another technique I have utilized as of late to reduce stress and tension is derived from a product called Maxximind. It consists of musical tones and AudiNeuro Technology on recorded CD’s which provide the most relaxing sounds to promote a stress free, relaxed and peaceful mood. It works best with Stereo headphones and a quiet, dimly lit atmosphere with the least amount of outside interference possible. I normally listen to them the night before my golf round or in the early morning before I leave for the course. They work great for me and I would recommend them to anyone who is trying to relax, whether for golf or just to chill out and listen to some soothing sounds to reduce stress and promote relaxing of the body and the mind. All it takes is about 20 to 25 minutes a session and as I am taking in these melodic sounds I visualize myself in some beautiful setting, maybe on a Hawaiian Island, another island paradise or anywhere that promotes a soothing, calm and serene atmosphere for you. If you would like to try Maxximind click on the right side of the page below Blogroll and check out the demo. Happy Golfing and Relaxation To All !
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Your First Golf Round - From Pre-Tee To Green
Published by Mike on Tagged Uncategorized
In past posts we have addressed some of the fundamentals of learning to play golf ”The Right Way”. By this I mean that you have purchased or acquired your equipment, have received instruction from a golf professional, parent, sibling, friend, self taught etc. and have practiced sufficiently to prepare yourself to venture out to the golf course. Oh Yes, and you have acquired some knowledge of Golf Etiquette. Having accomplished all of the above you are finally ready to play. What comes next and how does one get started ?
I would like to spend some time in this writing, providing the new golfer with some useful information on selecting and arriving at a golf course for the first time. As noted above I will make the assumption that you have acquired sufficient knowledge on how to play, and acquired your clubs, bag and accessories and you’re ready to go. This is where one of the first rules of golf etiquette comes into play. Do not schedule your first tee time at the busiest times on the course. The best thing to do, if possible , is to ask a parent, relative or friend who is familiar with the game, to join you especially for the first few times playing. Another suggestion is to schedule your tee time after the prime times, usually mid to late afternoon and this way you will have the course to yourself and your group. You may only want to play nine holes until you get used to the requirements of the game, especially if the golf course offers a nine hole rate. It will provide a more relaxed introduction to the game until you learn the rules of golf, golf etiquette and how to move the ball effectively. If you have already acquired a proficiency at the game then by all means play the entire 18 holes at whatever time you so desire. One of the biggest violations of golf course etiquette is to schedule your first round and have no clue as to how to play or the courtesies involved with the game. That is why it is important to play the first few times with someone knowledgeable about golf and who can teach you the rules and the etiquette required to play properly. The main idea of playing this great sport is to make sure it is an enjoyable experience for all, which it will not be if you are waiting indefinitely on each hole and for each shot to be played. The average round of golf for a foursome takes approximately 4 1/2 hours or 15 minutes per hole as a rule of thumb. Once you become a seasoned player, the novice or new golfer who is unknowledgeable and discourteous to their fellow players will irk you more than you may think, especially if they take an inordinate amount of time with each shot. This is usually done by someone who has not learned to play properly.
When a golfer first learns to play it can take some time before he or she can make solid contact with the ball to advance it with reasonable distance and accuracy toward the hole. As discussed in my previous posts but worth repeating; if you cannot make contact with the golf ball after a few swings then pick up the ball and drop near your fellow players and proceed to try again. Also if you have a lost ball in the woods, etc. do not take an excessive amount of time to find it. You can allow yourself a drop in an area where you are clear to play the ball toward the green or intended target because your score is not important at this stage of your game.
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The Golf Swing - My Seven Step Check List - Step 7 - “The Follow Thru”
Published by Mike on Tagged UncategorizedWe have now covered six of the seven steps in My Seven Step Swing Check List, The Grip, The Set Up , The Waggle, The Backswing , Tempo, The Downswing and now the last step, but especially not the least in importance, is the Follow Thru or Finish. All the steps are important but if the follow thru is not done correctly it can negate the proper execution of the other steps of the swing. As the downswing is approaching impact with the golf ball make sure the acceleration of the club remains constant. This will be accomplished with acquiring a good tempo with your golf swing. Also on the downswing, as discussed in the last writing, continue the path of the club through the ball on a slight inside to out path and aim at the one o’clock spot as suggested. As you continue thru the hitting zone after impact keep the club as low as possible on this line and head should remain behind the ball. The hips should continue opening to the target ,( about 3/4 or more at this point ) and the weight should continue to shift onto your left side. If the follow thru is executed correctly the club and your arms will form a line pointing at or slightly right of the target line and both will be near parallel to the ground as your right shoulder starts to pass under your chin. The hands should pronate (turn over) to the left just after the club passes thru the impact zone. If you turn the hands over too quickly you may hook or draw the ball too for left and not achieve the result you were looking for. This is the part of the swing that takes practice and experience to master. Once you get the timing down you will almost always be successful if you execute the rest of the steps correctly. TIP : If you are consistently slicing the ball to the right side you may want to consciously turn your hands over to the left as you reach impact, which should help correct this problem. Another cause of slicing the ball to the right is not finishing the swing by staying on your right side and not letting the right foot come up onto the toe ( See info noted below regarding swing finish ). Note: This post is directed to the right handed golfer and should be reversed for the left handed player
As your swing continues and your right shoulder is passing under your chin the head can start to come up but the spine angle should remain intact as long as possible as you finish the swing. Your hips should now be almost fully open and perpindicular to and facing your intended target. NOTE : Another key move at this part of the swing, that is lacking in most beginners and even some seasoned players, is that they stay on their right foot and never finish the golf swing. This means that the weight shift was never completed and the hips never rotated properly, thus causing lack of both distance and accuracy.
The proper execution of the follow thru would include the right foot pivoting up onto the toe ( which would mean that the weight transfer from right to left was complete ) , the torso would be facing the target and the entire body would form some resemblance to a reverse C if you viewed it from a side perspective. The club would be wrapped around your neck and shoulders and this pose should be maintained until the ball lands in the fairway or on the green. Holding this position will help promote the proper swing finish by making it part of your muscle memory which will translate to a more accurate and repetitive finish to your golf swing.
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