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How To Play Your Best Golf
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Automatic golf will allow you to play your best golf. Your learning system will guarantee it.
But there is a problem. And that is golfers have been conditioned to think so much about technique that when it’s absent they lose trust in automatic. This is something that I’m continually fighting.
But automatic golf doesn’t mean you completely forget about your technique. Golf technique, swing advice and corrections will always play a part in your golf development. The puzzle is knowing when and how to apply that technique.
Here’s the deal.
You must learn to automate your golf game first. You then have a solid base to work from. It’s this early patience that unlocks your natural tendencies and shows you exactly what you should work on. Doing it any other way makes improvement extremely difficult.
From here it’s a matter of making any changes instinctive and automatic.
Fully grasping the magic of automatic gives you the best of both worlds. You’re able to play your best golf consistently and still make continual improvements.
Roger Federer is an automatic and natural athlete. Automatic allows for remarkable things to happen. This could be the most remarkable point played in tennis.
Try doing this while worried about your wrist position or your back swing. Watch the video below.
I‘ve put this new golf website together. It’s a rework of my Golf Manifesto from earlier in the year. The GM gives my thoughts on learning to apply an automatic golf game and how to reach your full potential.
Check it out and feel free to share it with others. This is the first step to something bigger I’ll be releasing soon.
It took me a while to understand the automatic process. Along the way I accidentally stumbled onto the correct mindset only to not believe in it or try some other quick-fix that led to poor performance.
But I got there in the end.
One thing that assisted in my progress was having what I call an “ignorant mind”.
Where I used to worry about what other people would think, I learned to ignore those distracting thoughts and get on with my game.
Like most golfers, I would always struggle playing with better players. My mind was constantly being distracted by with thoughts like, “I hope I play well” and “don’t stuff up”.
It was this mindset that always caused me problems. As a result I would never play well in big events and this led to untold amounts of frustration.
Learn to ignore those distracting thoughts and you’ll find a breakthrough in your game. An ignorant mind makes you virtually bullet proof to pressure. You’ll also gain an advantage over other golfers who will almost always let stray thoughts disrupt their game.
An ignorant mind places you in a cocoon – oblivious to outside distractions. And it’s this mindset that will allow you to play your best golf, no matter what situation you find yourself in.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to play golf more freely, start a business or achieve some other goal. The first step is always the hardest.
Golfers are scared. We’re afraid of making mistakes, looking stupid and embarrassing ourselves. This is sad because it’s exactly what is holding you back.
“Progress always involves risk: You can’t steal second base while keeping your foot on first”, is a quote I read today. It sums up the learning process nicely.
I talk daily with golfers that have the desire to improve their play. But they’re too scared to start. They’re somewhat comfortable in their current game (despite it not working). And because starting something new is hard they don’t do it. They’re stuck – too scared to get out of their own way. Worried they might have a poor score or hit a bad shot or two.
It really is sad.
Most golf instruction, technology and swing gurus won’t help you. It has to come from you.
Decide right now how’d you like to play and then commit to doing it. It’s time to bite the bullet and take the first step. Better golf awaits.
Learning golf the traditional way wasn’t much fun. Looking back now it definitely inhibited my learning and added years to my development. I’ve come to realise that “the system” has got things arse about.
Normal golf learning goes like this:
Base the learning model on the best player of the era (or of the coach of the best player of the era)
Devise a system based on this player.
The pupil is required to remember all of the rules of the system.
Student reminded and encouraged to focus on what they are doing wrong.
Receive a number of drills and swing thoughts to fix any problems.
Get told to practice and come back again.
Repeat
This system has become so standard that golfers don’t think there is another way. I received a call this week from a guy who is a pioneer in his field. He has broken all the rules of the “system” and gone onto become a leader and have a successful career. He asked for a golf lesson so I could check his swing. When I suggested we take lunch and discuss another way he can get through his form slump he declined. He insisted he had a technical problem and needed me to “take a look”.
He can’t break the habit of traditional learning, despite proof it’s not working (he has been trying for a while now). I can’t help him.
I’m not bashing the coaches. It’s not their fault. New golf professionals are taught to follow, and not buck, the system. Every golf pro I’ve ever meet wants to help others and would do anything to assist you in playing better. They’re in a system that cannot work. For the same reasons you struggle with your game, they can’t become better teachers.
What matters is how we learn. It has nothing to do with the what. But traditionally we are overloaded with rules and regulations. Follow the system, do the drill, perfect your technique. It’s mindless garbage that makes learning boring and golf difficult.
The best way to learn golf is this: Find a way to swing that feels good to you. It’s not about your grip or your back swing. Swing the club and choose the shots that excite you. Persevere. Keep going. Most of all trust your system that it will work out whatever it is you’re trying to achieve. Don’t be scared. Swing freely and don’t worry about the results.
And then repeat.
There’s really no system. It’s not possible to devise the perfect system, write it down and get others to follow. You need to explore, have fun and keep playing.
Sometimes you’ll fail. You’ll stuff up and think you’re hopeless. This is time to move on and try a different shot or just forget about it. Making mistakes and not letting them get to you is part of the fun. It’s how we learn.
But the best bit? This type of learning comes naturally to us. At least when we’re kids. This is how we learn to do most other things that aren’t quite as important as our golf swings. We try we fail. We try we fail. But we get there in the end. We’re not concerned with how we look but whether or not we hit the target, catch the ball or are playing the game.
Golf is hard not because you’re no good, lack talent or don’t have a golf swing. You make it hard by focusing on the wrong things. You’re more concerned about about your grip, stance and swing. You’re worried about making mistakes and not swinging “on plane”.
If this post resonates with you then it’s time to turn traditional golf coaching on its head. It’s time to start playing. Forget about what your golf swing needs to look like or what swing thought you should be using. It’s time to start thinking how you’d like to play and then start moving in that direction. It’s time to restore a sense of childlikeness. It’s time to play golf.
I know people will say, “but what if my grip is bad?” or “what if I have a slice?”. These are the usual questions and come from a traditional mindset. I can only say that my golf, and those that understand natural learning, has only improved when we’ve stopped worrying about the “what”.
Focus on how you’d like to play and go for it. Traditional instruction is holding you back. It’s time for a change.
This post was inspired by this article. It made me realise I had forgotten a thing or two and the same things affecting mainstream education apply to golf learning. I played yesterday after a little spell (busy at work, injury and others) with a different mindset and produced some of my best golf of the year. Golf is fun again.
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