Golfers have never had more information about the golf swing than they do today. With just a smartphone or computer, you can study the movements of the world’s best players, watch thousands of instructional videos, and learn exactly how to move the body and the golf club.
But what if all the information is actually what makes you a worse golfer?
As a PGA Professional, I have dedicated much of my career to understanding the biomechanics of the golf swing. I use 3D motion analysis, force and pressure measurement systems, high-speed video, and launch monitor technology to help golfers improve. In that time, I also learned something that may surprise you. The more a golfer understands their swing, the more opportunities they have to interfere with it. And that’s where the problem starts.
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Stop playing the golf swing
All too often, golfers have a great practice session but struggle to translate that success to the course. When they hit the first tee, they suddenly have all kinds of swing thoughts in their heads. Naturally, a poor shot ensues.
The problem when this happens is not necessarily your mechanics; is that you stopped reacting to your target and began to consciously control your movements.
There is a huge difference between development a golf swing is to play a golf shot. The difference between great players and everyone else is that the best players understand when to work on their technique (that is, consciously think about what they are doing) and when to trust those movements that have been ingrained on the practice tee.
Get “into it”
GOLF Top 100 Master Jamie Mulligan, who coaches Patrick Cantlay and Nelly Korda, uses a concept that he believes every golfer should understand. He calls it “in it,” which means he fully commits to the shot and then lets the club do the work without trying to help or manipulate the motion.
It’s easy for golfers to try to help the golf ball do what they want it to do – but that’s rarely a successful strategy. This is where being “in it” comes into play. After choosing your target, choosing your shot, and committing to your intention, your job is to start the swing and let the muscle memory from your practice take over.
You’ve developed your golf swing during practice, but you need to trust your golf swing once you’re on the course. Confusion of these two environments is one of the biggest mistakes amateur golfers make.
Find “the party”
Mulligan uses another expression that perfectly describes what golfers are looking for, called “the party”, which is the ideal combination of seeing, feeling and trusting. These three components provide a simple framework for better performance.
Here’s how they work.
See it: Before each stroke, visualize a clear picture of what you are trying to do. Imagine the starting direction, the trajectory, the curve and the landing area.
Hear: Identify a sensation that helps you produce the intended shot. It can be your rhythm, the rotation of your body, or the freedom of your arms. Remember, what a golfer feels and what they actually do are not always the same thing. A useful sense does not need to describe the movement perfectly, it just needs to produce the desired result.
Trust: This is where most golfers struggle. They visualize the shot and resume the movement, but when it’s time to execute, doubt takes over. Trust means accepting your preparation and allowing the movement to take place without additional interference.
When you can see, feel, and trust, you’ve found the party – and that’s when golf becomes less about controlling a swing and more about playing the game.
How to practice
During your next practice session, try this simple drill built around the concept of the Mulligan match.
First, choose a specific goal and visualize your expected dance flight (see). Next, take a practice swing with just one feel that helps you hit your intended shot (feel). So, enter the ball, commit to your goal, and swing without any additional thought (confidence). After that, evaluate your process and results before trying more shots.
The goal of this drill is not to hit every shot perfectly. It is to develop the ability to make decisions, commit to them, and adapt to the results. If you can do that on the practice tee – and then take it to the course – you can play some really great golf.
Nick Biondi is an award-winning PGA of America Professional and is the director of instruction at Radley Run Country Club in West Chester, Penn. You can find more advice from him at @biondigolf.
