Four ways to trust your golf swing

If only I could trust my swing”, I have heard that many times on the golf course.

Golfers everywhere are looking for the inner belief that they are going to make a good shot. This inner belief is what leads to confidence and ultimately better scores – so it’s worth working out how to do it!

It is a magical feeling when you’re over a shot and you know with every fibre of your being that you are about to hit a great shot. In these all but elusive moments the game is easy, fun and good score are just a matter of turning up!

Great play is almost always partnered by trusting your golf swing. Unfortunately golfers haven’t learned how to do this consistently.

We trust ourselves everyday, performing tasks, that if we sat down and thought about them we would realise they require more dexterity and trust than a silly golf swing.

For example, think about the trust required in driving a car. You have to obey the road rules, watch out for bad drivers, control a vehicle moving up to 100 kilometres an hour with other cars passing you within a metre or so and not to mention changing gears and all the other skills required in maneuvering the car.

I played recently with a surgeon. This doctor spends most of his days performing miracles and changing people’s lives . Put a golf club in his hands and he turns into a scared and doubt ridden golfer. He has no trust in his ability to hole a one metre putt – despite what he could do in the operating room.

So why don’t golfers trust themselves out on the links and learn to experience the confidence, fun and performance of other skills?

It’s because we don’t allow ourselves to trust. We are too preoccupied with technique and performance.

When you learn to let go and hit the ball, you are trusting your instincts to make contact with the ball. Letting go is the foundation of building trust.

Letting go requires a conscious effort (at first – ultimately this should happen subconsciously) to stop concerning yourself with swing, sand, water, trees, out of bound markers and score. Your attention must be on what you want to achieve – then to step up and do your best to achieve that goal.

Letting go and having faith that the ball will be struck well builds trust. When this allows you to hit good shots on the golf course you build confidence. Later, you will start playing better golf under pressure – more confidence surges through your body. The final step is to realise that letting go, playing without concern or worry is better than any other method you’ve tried in the past. This final step I’ve termed “removing the straight jacket” and can only happen when you can swing without fear or concern. This level allows you to become bullet-proof and your golf can reach a level you never thought possible.

I can’t promise you’ll play your best golf all of the time. This is not possible. Learning to trust and let go will maximise your chances of playing better golf. With more and more people contacting me stuck in terrible slumps, the possibility of getting out of that rut is better than any other alternative. The choice is yours.

If you’re keen to “remove the straight jacket” try the below drills;

• Hitting shots with eyes closed – Start at home in the backyard or garage. Without a ball, make swings with your eyes closed. Instead of thinking technique, place your attention on what you can feel and hear. Later you can introduce a ball and move to the putting green. Progressively hit longer and longer shots with all of your clubs. Be sure to to keep things safe (don’t hurt yourself) and don’t try and go too quickly. Enjoy the experience of swinging and feeling and hearing what happens with YOUR swing. For many this will be an eye opener (pardon the pun) that will help unlock your senses and help you experience something extraordinary.

• Test your limits – By performing tasks that might seem impossible or in away that you have not considered will help you learn and build trust. Have you ever tried to escape from a bunker with a six iron? Hit an eight iron 160 metres? What about swinging with one hand or playing in reverse? Don’t try and figure out how to do it, make an attempt and feel what is happening. By exploring your limits you are increasing the chances of remarkable, learning new things and making the game fun. Open up – think outside the square and see what new shots and skills you can learn
• Dare to be different – My advice is to ignore conventional advice if you want to remove the straight jacket. All of the coaches, tips and lessons out there can’t tell you exactly how YOU should play. The buck stops with you. Listen to your gut and have the courage to play how you want to play. Following traditional advice too closely makes you a clone. With most golfers disillusioned with their play it’s time to break the mold and play golf your way!I have learned to break the rules of course strategy and swing theory. Not only is this fun – but I am playing better than ever. I spent years trying to confirm to normality and was left disappointed. I wouldn’t swap my game now for anything, despite what the purists would say.
• Have the courage to take it to the golf course – The final step is to be brave enough to play this way out on the course. This is when it matters! It can take courage and fearless attitude but it’s well worth a few scars. It’s one thing to try something different and let go on the practice fairway, but it takes a real commitment to do it from the first tee onwards. Only the brave and those prepared to experience remarkable golf can do it. Are you ready?

The above steps have transformed my game. I hope you can glean from these words the meaning of trusting your swing, letting go and playing the best golf you’re capable of. Give it a go and let me know how you go. In the next few days I’m going to give you my absolute best golf lesson. I’m not holding back. Best that you get ready, because unless you’ve experienced letting go and trusting your swing you won’t be ready for achieving a master level of performance.

I’ll talk to you soon…