You're Correct!

Swing thoughts are key to good golf because if you are out on the golf course for four to five hours at a time, there is a lot that can go well for a golfer and a lot that can go disastrously wrong. It is the golfers mind set and discipline which helps maintain or change the fortunes on the course.

Having a suitable and consistent thought process, whether it be integrated in the pre-shot routine or as the golfer walks the fairways, will help concentration and the swing in general. Too many swing thoughts may be something that holds a golfer back from showing off their true potential because the more swing thoughts a player has, the less time and analysis goes into the actual shot in hand, such as checking for distance, wind direction, bunkers or pin position. Amateurs golfers especially will often approach the ball, pull out a club, set up to the ball without really focusing on alignment and the shot but then begin to think:

• Grip?
• Posture?
• Straight arm on takeaway?
• Shorter swing?
• Rotate the hips?
• Move the weight to the left side?
• Follow through?

These seven swing thoughts within a one second golf swing can only have a detrimental effect.

Many golfers will approach the ball, grab a club and swing it aimlessly and wonder why they havent hit a good shot but also argue that their swing thoughts ruin their game. Finding balance is the important aspect of having swing thoughts, a maximum of one or two thoughts are enough to take on the course. They may change round on round if the player is in a transition period, or a player may maintain the same ones for as long as the player feels comfortable using them. Integrate your swing thoughts into a pre-shot routine and they will assist in improving your consistency.

Having no swing thoughts can do more harm than good because if no thought has gone into the players swing then no thought has probably gone into the shot at hand which will therefore cause inconsistent shot strikes, and poor direction or shot selection.

Thinking about the whole swing is golf suicide! Too many thoughts in the brain whilst swinging a club in a fast motion make it physically impossible to think and react at the same time. If the player is in fact able to do this, then their swing is too slow and the velocity lost will result in shorter shots.

Swing thoughts on the driving range are essential to a player trying to improve, even having two, three or four thoughts is fine if the thoughts are related to what they are working on. However, the player now needs to take some of these thoughts on to the golf course. Use the practise range to whittle them down to one or two thoughts and then step on to the first tee with confidence.