What Makes A Good Golf Swing Thought (Video) - by Peter Finch
What Makes A Good Golf Swing Thought (Video) - by Peter Finch

When you are deciding the type of swing thought that you want to be taking out onto the course, you need to decide what is a good swing thought and then what is a bad swing thought. Now I’ve already spoken about how a swing thought should be associated with target. A good swing thought should also be associated with something within your swing and maybe something which is associated with rhythm and tempo. Those types of things are less damaging on the course in thinking very, very technically.

Now an example of what a bad swing thought would be because this is the point of the game that you really need to stay away from. A bad swing thought would be something very technical. So I’ve already spoken about thinking about playing. Well how about we talk about keeping the club face a little bit more pointed down to the ground on the way back. So a relatively harmless one in relation to some but still a swing thought that you don’t generally want to be having on the course. If you included into this keeping that club face down at the ground because you don’t want to hit it right into the trees then that is a very, very bad swing thought. If you associate a swing thought with an action or a type of shot which you do not want to see, all your brain is going to hear that is hit it right into the trees. It is amazing how often your brain will react and do exactly what you think is going to happen. And if you’re using a technique which is deliberately aiming to stop you hitting in a certain direction that already means that the thought and the feelings of hitting it in that direction are seeded within your mind. If you have not done the work and the practice to try and get that fixed on the driving range, do not take those swing thoughts out onto the course. It will give you more damage in the long run. So good swing thoughts, very, very simple, focused on target and if anything else they’re focused on the rhythm and the speed of your swing. All those things will not do much damage. In an absolutely ideal world and this nails down to the point of it, the best swing thought that you can have on the golf course is just target and not thinking about technique at all, what is known as getting into the zone. This is very, very hard for a lot of people to do but that is the best swing thought to have and if you can reach that level then you’re going to have the best round of your life. 2016-10-07

When you are deciding the type of swing thought that you want to be taking out onto the course, you need to decide what is a good swing thought and then what is a bad swing thought. Now I’ve already spoken about how a swing thought should be associated with target. A good swing thought should also be associated with something within your swing and maybe something which is associated with rhythm and tempo. Those types of things are less damaging on the course in thinking very, very technically.

Now an example of what a bad swing thought would be because this is the point of the game that you really need to stay away from. A bad swing thought would be something very technical. So I’ve already spoken about thinking about playing. Well how about we talk about keeping the club face a little bit more pointed down to the ground on the way back. So a relatively harmless one in relation to some but still a swing thought that you don’t generally want to be having on the course. If you included into this keeping that club face down at the ground because you don’t want to hit it right into the trees then that is a very, very bad swing thought.

If you associate a swing thought with an action or a type of shot which you do not want to see, all your brain is going to hear that is hit it right into the trees. It is amazing how often your brain will react and do exactly what you think is going to happen. And if you’re using a technique which is deliberately aiming to stop you hitting in a certain direction that already means that the thought and the feelings of hitting it in that direction are seeded within your mind. If you have not done the work and the practice to try and get that fixed on the driving range, do not take those swing thoughts out onto the course. It will give you more damage in the long run.

So good swing thoughts, very, very simple, focused on target and if anything else they’re focused on the rhythm and the speed of your swing. All those things will not do much damage. In an absolutely ideal world and this nails down to the point of it, the best swing thought that you can have on the golf course is just target and not thinking about technique at all, what is known as getting into the zone. This is very, very hard for a lot of people to do but that is the best swing thought to have and if you can reach that level then you’re going to have the best round of your life.