I haven’t had the best start golf wise to 2015.
Played my last game Boxing Day 2014 (seems like 5 years ago). Then hurt my back – stupid nerve and disk not wanting to play ball.
Then got sick. Not sure what I had but golf was the last thing on my mind (have now got an appreciation of how debilitating migraines can be).
And just when I thought I was getting back to normal I got sick again. Apparently it’s a virus going around. And to top it all off I got an infection with a stupid wisdom tooth.
Enough complaining. I’m feeling a lot better.
Last night I went down to the bottom paddock to whack some balls (after spotting my clubs hiding in the corner of the garage looking completely unloved). It’s the biggest holiday they’ve ever had and they needed some dusting off.
The body was definitely a bit stiff and slow (I’m getting old) and the first shot wasn’t too good. A nasty shank.
Then Pesky chimed in, “You’re going to struggle with this. You haven’t played in a while and there’s no chance you’re gunna be able to hit the ball that well”.
Good Ole Pesky. He’s always there to remind you…
He likes to protect and keep you safe. Except his words are unwarranted most of the time – unless you’re in grave danger, like being chased by a wild animal.
I turned my focus to the club and ball. I wanted to hear the strike. Didn’t think about HOW to hit the ball or where it was going to go. This little drill keeps you in the moment and helps keep Pesky off your shoulder.
Then I focused on the feel of the golf swing. Again, there was no concern on where the ball was going or what my swing was doing. I was a silent observer, just being aware of what the swing felt like to me. I was able to hit some shots and have a general overall sense of my golf swing. My focus shifted from my hands to my legs to my feet to my hips. I let my attention go where it wanted to. Nothing scripted. No technical thoughts. No gimmicky bullshit.
I was rewarded with 15 minutes of fun. The pure feeling of golf club whacking the ball. The sounds. The sights and the feeling.
15 minutes was enough for me. I felt my back get a little tight and I didn’t want to overdo it. But I was pleasantly surprised to see most of the shots fly true. No more shanks or duffs. Awesome! Certainly a lot more rewarding than busting my gut and hitting all sorts of shots with fear, concern, worry and anxiety. And then going home feeling frustrated and annoyed that I had lost my swing.
Here’s the thing.
I don’t think we lose our golf swing. It’s always there, just waiting to be let out. But golf is stupid. And learning can be messy. To unlock the magic you’ve got to place your focus elsewhere. You have to stop trying and you certainly shouldn’t worry about the result, both before and after you swing.
I call this “playing the game” and is ideal way to approach golf both on the golf course and off.
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