There are a lot of distracting thoughts in golf. One of the best ways to block distracting thoughts is to use a swing thought as you make your swing. If you consciously put something in your mind, you have a better chance of blocking distracting thoughts. The swing thought becomes an integral part of the pre-shot routine. Essentially, the pre-shot routine reminds you to use the swing thought. Remembering to use your swing thought is the last part of the pre-shot routine. This makes using the pre-shot routine even more important.
You must spend time on the driving range to find and effective swing thought. The swing thought is not only used to block distracting thoughts, the swing thought also stops you from thinking too much about swing mechanics. When you find an effective swing thought, your swing will just happen without thinking and the ball will do what you envisioned.
Here are a few examples of swing thoughts that golfers use in order to block distracting thoughts.
Start the Back Swing
Low and slow – This is a swing thought for the golfer whose tendency is to jerk the club back on the back swing. Start the back swing coil low and slow will make the swing more rhythmic.
Very slow – This is another swing thought for the golfer who has a quick back swing. The intent is to change a quick and violent swing into a rhythmic swing.
Push back with the left arm – This swing thought promotes a one-piece take away to start the back swing. This means the upper body will start the swing instead of using the arms to start the back swing. Using the upper body to control the swing has a better chance of keeping the right side and upper right arm synchronized.
Establish a Rhythm
Use a song – Find a tune that matches your personal rhythm. This swing thought is a good way to focus on a rhythmic swing. Use the tune to begin the back swing and continue to use the tune to a balanced finish. A suggestion is the first few notes of the Blue Danube waltz: dah dah dum dum.
Use a word – This swing thought is a word that you can repeat to block distractions and to make the swing automatic. Think of the word once to start the back swing and use the word a second time to start the down swing. Think of a name like Sean Connery.
Enhance the Focus
Watch yourself swing – This swing thought requires strong visualization skills. Just before you start the back swing, the golfer feels an out of body experience where the golfer leaves the body and is watching the golfer make the swing.
Be in a comfortable and confident space – This swing thought takes a strong mind to visualize a place where the golfer feels confident and comfortable in order to execute the swing. This space could be a non-descript place or a real place where the golfer feels comfortable and safe. In the golfer’s mind, the current environment disappears and is replaced by the comfortable environment.
Replay a favorite shot – This swing thought requires the golfer to remember a shot in the past that had a great result. The golfer visualizes the past shot and just uses the same swing for the current shot.
The above examples show that the swing thought can be any thought that blocks distractions, prevents thinking about swing mechanics, and promotes a rhythmic and balanced swing. It can take a while to find a thought that works. Also, a swing thought can suddenly stop working and another swing thought must be found that is effective. Golf is a mental game and an effective swing thought can help win the mental game.
How Many Swing Thoughts
The discussion of this blog article has been about developing a swing thought. Most golf instructors say one or two swing thoughts are enough for the average golfer. Jack Nicklaus has said that “most golfers can think of one, maybe two things during the golf swing. I can think of five or six and do ‘em!” That is coming from the golfer that has won 18 majors and has been runner-up in 19 majors. Jack also said this in a Golf Channel documentary that was produced in 2019, when Jack was 79. This means that the golf swing is so unnatural that even the best golfer of all time needs to always focus on the swing thoughts. The swing does NOT become a habit, the mind focusing on the swing thoughts become a habit.
So, is Jack Nicklaus so exceptional that only he can have more than one swing thought? That is certainly possible. Or, should the average golfer have more than one swing thought? Have the teachers of golf minimized our mental capacity? In fact I have six swing thoughts, and I consider myself an average golfer. Here are my swing thoughts:
Back Swing Thoughts
- The back of the right ear stretches up to trigger the start of the back swing
- The middle of the right triceps stretches up to coil the upper body over the lower body
- The stretch up of the area of the right index finger, just above the palm, creates the momentum to finish the back swing.
Down Swing Thoughts
- The area in front of the right ear stretches to the right to trigger the transition from the back swing to the down swing
- The right front hip bone stretches down while the left front hip bone resists.
- The slight snap up of the left front hip bone snaps the right front hip bone up
I make sure I “do ‘em.” It may seem like a lot, but the swing motions are not done at the same time, they are done sequentially like a dance choreography. Although the time it takes to do the motions is less than one second. I feel this sequence of swing thoughts gives me the best chance focus on the swing motion and execute a consistent golf swing.
I encourage the average golfer to find a series of swing thoughts that will allow the mind to focus on the swing motion instead of being distracted by what is in front of the body.