Monthly Archives: September 2012

What Causes a Missed Shot?

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Golf is a game of misses.  Ben Hogan said that in a round of golf where he had 36 full swings, he only hit two perfect shots.  A perfect shot means the shot went the desired distance, direction, and trajectory.  Two out of 36 shots is less than ten percent!  More than ninety percent of Ben Hogan’s shots were misses.  Similarly, Tiger Woods said that he had two to four perfect shots per round.  Again, that is approximately ninety percent of his shots were misses.  Of course, the misses of Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods are much better than our misses.

What causes a missed shot?  The answer to that question is actually very easy.  Here is the answer that you have been waiting for:

A missed golf shot is caused by a swing rhythm that is too quick.  

That is it.  It is not more complicated than that.  Now when you hit a bad shot, you can be certain that your rhythm was too quick.  What happens when the rhythm is too quick?  The result is the incomplete gathering of energy.  The body will react subconsciously to try to make up for the less energy by moving the body, the arms, and hands in a jerky motion.

A quick rhythm is caused by pause at the top of the back swing that is too short.  A quick rhythm does not allow the upper body and the right upper arm to completely gather the energy that is required for a good shot.  My blog article, “How to Feel Rhythm,” describes how to feel the correct pause.  A rhythm that is too quick by even one millisecond will result in a bad shot.

If you have a rhythmic swing and still have a bad shot, the cause is allowing the right hand to try to hit the ball or to try to lift the ball in the air by using diagonal or horizontal motion.  My blog post, “How to use the Fingers,” describes how to engage the fingers to prevent the right hand from trying to hit the ball or trying to lift the ball in the air.

My blog post, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” describes how to use vertical motion to snap the right upper arm down and feel the club snap down and up towards the target.  Using diagonal or horizontal motion means the golfer is focused on hitting the ball which prevents the focus of executing a graceful golf swing.

Correcting a bad shot is not about focusing on what you did but instead about focusing what you did not do.  When you hit a bad shot, ask yourself:

  1. Did I feel the pause?
  2. Did I feel vertical motion of the right upper arm?
  3. Did I feel the constant engagement of the fingers?

The answer will always be NO to one or more of the questions.  Not doing any one of the above actions will cause the loss of synchronization between the right side and the right upper arm.

One of the good aspects of the game of golf is you will have a chance to create a good shot on the next swing if you can focus on feeling the pause, the engagement of the fingers, and feeling the vertical motion of the right upper arm.

Patience is the key to allow yourself the time to do the correct motions.   My blog article, “Patience in the Golf Swing,” describes the patience required to execute a successful golf shot.

The cause of a bad shot is no longer a mystery.

 

How to be in the Moment

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Golf is a mental game.  You hear people say that in order to be mentally strong you need to “be in the moment”.   What does it mean to be in the moment?  What do you need to do to be in the moment?

Being in the moment means you are totally focused on the current shot. You are so focused that distracting thoughts are blocked.  This is easy to say, hard to do.  We have been taught to think of the bad outcomes and try NOT to do the wrong thing.  The most common distracting thoughts are Don’t Hit it in the Water, Don’t Hit it in the Bunker.  There are also positive distracting thoughts (I need this to win the club championship, I need this to make birdie, I need this to break 80).

A consistent pre-shot routine is an effective method to consciously focus on the shot. The pre-shot routine is a process that is done automatically before each shot. When done correctly, an effective pre-shot routine puts into the mind the precise motions that you must do before you execute your shot. When I say automatically, I don’t me unconsciously.  The mind consciously focuses on doing the same routine. When you focus on the routine, it becomes automatic. But this takes practice.  Very few people have a pre-shot routine and even fewer people practice their pre-shot routine. The driving range is the place to practice the pre-shot routine, but you rarely see anyone practicing their pre-shot routine.

Assuming you have a consistent pre-shot routine, what else can you do to be in the moment?  You can play mind games to block distracting thoughts. The mind game is a way of removing pressure from a shot. Playing in a tournament has more pressure than playing a non-tournament round of golf.  Teeing off on the first tee has more pressure than hitting on the driving range. Trying not to hit it in the water or bunker carries a lot of pressure. Attaching meaning to the golf shot puts tremendous pressure on the shot.  You must play a mind game with yourself to take the pressure off of yourself.

The most amazing mind game was played by Tiger Woods in the 2008 US Open.  He needed to make a twelve foot putt to tie Rocco Mediate.  He took the pressure off by telling himself he did not care if he made or missed the putt!!  He only cared about making a pure stroke.  This is what being in the moment means.  He did not care about the goal (to tie Rocco); he cared about the process (hitting the putt the desired speed and direction).

Lydia Ko a 15 year-old amateur won the Canadian Women’s Open on the LPGA.  She was leading after three rounds and was paired in the last group with Jiyai Shin and Stacy Lewis.  She did not think about being in the lead or winning the tournament.  She said she just wanted to “keep my rhythm”.

Here are some suggestions on taking the pressure off of your shots.

  • Visualize you hitting the shot and visualize a positive outcome.  Since the shot was successful, your execution of the shot is just a replay of the shot.  Like rewinding a recording and replaying it.  The pressure is off because you already made it.
  • Pretend you are in an environment where you have hit great shots.  When Tiger Woods teed off on the first tee in the British Open, he said he was hitting it really well on the range so he pretended he was still on the range.
  • Tell yourself it is an easy shot.  When Tiger Woods needed to make a six foot putt to tie Bob May in the PGA Championship, he told himself, “This putt is so easy my mother could make it”.

As you can see using a mind game to take the pressure off of your shot requires a disciplined mental approach.  But it takes as much mental energy to use a mind game as it does to think about all the things that put pressure on the shot (I need this to break 80, don’t hit it in the water, I hope I pull this shot off).  It is your choice on how you use your mental energy.

Top Four Distractions in Golf

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Golf is a mental game.  Distractions are an integral part of Golf.  When a golfer stands on the tee box and looks at the hole, more than likely the golfer is thinking about the hazards (sand bunkers, water, rough, and trees).  Any time a golfer is distracted, the chance of a successful shot is virtually zero.  A distracted golfer is not in the zone.  A distracted golfer is not being in the moment.

From the myriad of distractions in the game of golf, I  am going to discuss what I think are the top four distractions in golf.  Two of the distractions is associated with the golf ball.  Two of the distractions are associated with our upbringing.

Golf Ball Distractions

Why is it that a golfer’s real swing is so different from a golfer’s real swing?  I see this all the time on the golf course and the driving range. The reason is the golf ball is a big distraction.  Golf is the only game that we play with a ball where the objective is not to hit the ball. George Knudsen, one of the greatest ball strikers, said that “golf is a stationary ball game in which we make a motion towards a target. The ball simply gets in the way of the motion”.  This concept is easy to say, very hard to do.  Why?  Because any time a golfer sees the ball the natural tendency is to either hit the ball or lift the ball up in the air.  These two tendencies, help the ball and hit the ball, are two of the top four distractions.

“Keep your eye on the ball” is the worst thing a golfer can do because the golfer  will be distracted to either try to help the ball into the air or try to hit the ball.

Distractions from Our Upbringing

What we have learned in order to be a successful adult does not work in golf.  From the time we enter school, we are taught to “try harder”.  When you want to get the best grade on a test, you did the extra credit problems.  “Trying harder” and “do a little extra” is very natural for us adults. We do this automatically.  Unfortunately, trying harder in golf never works.  When you do the extra credit problems, you get a higher grade.  In golf, when you do a little extra, you get a failing grade.  Trying harder and doing a little extra are the two distractions that are learned from our upbringing.

These four distractions are very powerful and prevent golfers from executing proper golf swings. This is why a consistent pre-shot routine is so important.  Focusing on your pre-shot routine will focus your mind so you can block distractions.  If you do not consciously put something in your mind you will be distracted.

Focus on your pre-shot routine.  Focus on your rhythm.  Focus on a balanced swing. Focus on an efficient swing. This is the best way to minimize the top four distractions.