It can be so annoying to have a lovely, smooth practice swing where you feel as though you could give Tiger Woods a run for his money only to follow it up with a shot that ends up going anywhere but where you intended it to go.
When playing in a pro-am or giving a lesson I think that one of the most common things I hear from amateurs is “my practice swings are great but when I get over the ball I hit awful shots”. Or “my practice swing looks and feels so different to when the ball is there”.
Why is it so?
The are two reasons why a practice swing looks and feels great, confident and free. The first is that without the ball, you are not thinking about too much. There is no tension, pressure or focus on the outcome of a shot. You are not worried about slicing the ball into the trees, topping the ball into the water or hooking a ball out of bounds. Your practice swing is free of any consequences. The second reason is that without a ball there your brain is not prioritising hitting the ball. Once you start thinking too much about how you are going to hit the ball with your perceived flaws (eg: keep the face square, rotate the hands, keep the head still etc) your natural motion is disrupted leading to you tensing up, having poor balance, and then a swing that is less than smooth, with an undesired outcome.
How to replicate the relaxed mindset of a practice swing with your actual swing:
- Picture your shot – When you take a practice swing, pick out a target (the flag, a tree, a cloud), focus on it and make a practice swing that is required for the specific shot to be played. Ask yourself: what does the shot require? High shot? Low shot? Draw? Fade? Let your practice swing replicate the shot required. Allow your mind to visualise and focus on that rather than worrying about how good your swing mechanics are. The same can be said with putting. Your putting practice stroke should replicate the tempo and pace you want hit the ball rather than making a perfect stroke. Simply put: instead of trying to make your actual swing like your practice swing, do the opposite – try to make your practice swing like the swing you need to make for the particular shot.
- Don’t wait – Once you have had your practice swing, address the ball and just start your swing. Developing a nice rhythm and tempo to your game is a great way of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. The longer you stand over the ball overthinking both the shot and your swing, your brain, arms, legs etc start to tense up. Get your yardage, choose a club, visualise the shot, practice swing, then hit the shot. Don’t overanalyse any of those things.
- No thumbs drill – A simple drill you can use to you keep your arms and hands relaxed and to produce a nice momentum to your swing is hitting shots with a 9 iron at about 50% power with your thumbs off the club. This will take the tension out of your arms and hands and help you will start developing a swing that has nice smooth momentum to it.
To build your tension free smooth swing book a lesson at michaellonggolf.com
— Michael Long
