Golf is the most difficult game you will ever play.  The biggest challenge of the golf swing is not trying to hit the ball.  After all, the ball is NOT MOVING!  The biggest challenge of the golf swing is not the swing itself.  After all, an eight year-old child can produce a beautiful golf swing.  I have said before that golf is a mental game and yet most golfers do not embrace that fact.  The fact that golf is a mental game is not the biggest challenge of the golf swing.  But it is related to the biggest challenge of the golf swing.

The biggest challenge of the golf swing is TO REMEMBER.  Remember what?  The biggest challenge in the golf swing is to remember what works.  What works in a golf swing is a combination of the setup, rhythm, and efficient motions that make the golf ball go the desired distance and direction.  I am sure you have the experience where a swing thought or tip from a teaching pro, a friend, magazine, or the golf channel has resulted in consistent golf shots.  But how long did the tip last?  I am sure not very long.  Why did the tip stop working?  The tip that was working stopped working because you forgot the tip.  You forgot TO REMEMBER!  You must remember to focus on the swing thought on every swing in order to create good shots.  Focus is the key word, not think.  Focus refers to visualizing the shot and feeling your swing thought you must execute to create a good shot.

Distractions

The biggest obstacles that prevent you from remembering are the many and varied distractions in the game of golf.  Since your brain can only focus on one thing at a time, if you are distracted you will not remember.

What are some of the distractions?

Attitude – how you feel about yourself, the weather, the course you are playing, the hole you are playing, the shot you are playing, etc.  A negative attitude will always be a distraction.  You must learn to adopt a positive attitude on the golf course.  A major distraction is assuming you no longer have to focus:  “just let muscle memory take over.”   It is a myth that muscle memory does not require focus.  In fact the only way muscle memory works is when you focus.  When golfers are “in the zone” they do not think but their focus is extremely sharp.  That is why they become oblivious to what is happening around them externally.

Greed – Once you start hitting good shots, the natural tendency is to want to do more.  If you try to do more, you are no longer focused on remembering the swing thought that produced the good shots.  You are now doing something extra in your swing. Doing something extra is doing something different, not the same.  This is one of the biggest distractions in golf.  Rarely is the word “same” used in golf.  You rarely read in the magazines or hear it in the discussions about the golf swing.  Once you have something that works focus on doing it the same for the next six months.

Golf Course – Just because the swing thought you are using works on the practice range, this does not guarantee that the swing thought will work on the golf course.   This is because your brain knows you are no longer on the practice range and you are in a different environment: the golf course.  The golf course is a big distraction.  Mentally, it is so different from the practice range that it is like going from the Earth to Mars. Try to not keep score for a few rounds while you are getting accustomed to remembering to focus on your swing thought on the golf course.

Golf Ball – Most golfers do not embrace the fact that the game of golf is a mental game and not about hitting the ball.  You have probably seen players that have great practice swings when they are focusing on the swing thought that produces good shots.  When they step up to the ball they suddenly use a different swing!  They use a different swing because they are trying to hit the ball!  The golf ball is a huge distraction.  When you step up to the golf ball you must remember to focus on your swing thought.  You will be aware of the ball, but the focus is on your swing thought.

Hazards – The reason golf course architects put hazards on the course is to create distractions.  They know that a hazard will distract the golfer to not focus on the swing.  It only takes a tiny distraction to cause an improper swing motion.  The key is to ignore hazards and focus on visualizing your shot landing on fairways and greens.  Golfers in “the zone” only see fairways and greens.

The Value of a Pre-shot Routine

All good players have a pre-shot routine.  Most golfers discount the pre-shot routine as trivial and unnecessary.  In fact a consistent pre-shot routine is needed to remind you to remember.  If you do develop a consistent pre-shot routine, the chances are high that you will remind yourself to remember the swing thought that produces the good shot.

Remember to focus on your swing thought.