Results-Driven Golf Swing

Golf is a game where you are always trying to improve. You are always trying to fix something in your swing, or stand a little differently, or try a new club, etc. So long as your last shot wasn't perfect, you're looking to change something.

Often as golfers we get stuck in a rut. This might occur over the course of one round or perhaps lingers on to multiple rounds. More often than not golfers point the finger at their swing, the mechanics of how they go from their setup to finally striking the ball. I played a couple rounds over the weekend and ran into just this scenario. I was playing below average for the entire first round and about half of the second. I had gone to the driving range a few days earlier and was struggling with a little bit of hook at that time as well. During the rounds everyone in my group kept trying to offer different ways to grip the club, take my backswing, set up my stance, and a number of other areas all trying to help me get rid of this hook.

I suspect this is the normal course action for most golfers. You are not performing the way you intend, and not reaching your desired target, and so you start looking for to the physical aspects of your game to change. However, this is the backwards way to approach change!

The first thing you need to do before making any physical changes is to realize and remind yourself that no matter how you swing, your ultimate goal is to hit the ball to a target you choose. Make sure that you are selecting a target before you take your swing! I even find myself setting up and going through all the aspects of my swing and leave finding my final target area as a last step. That's wrong! You should step up to the ball and pick an exact location you'd like the ball to hit the ground. Don't step up to the ball and think that it's ok if you aim for a 30 yard x 30 yard area. You need to select an exact spot on the ground where you want the ball to hit and tell yourself that you are going to make the ball land there, before you start going through the mechanics of your swing in your head.

I bet you'll find that many times this is all you need to "fix" your swing and get you going with positive results. When I got about half through the second round I played, I decided to block out everyone's suggestions on how to fix my hook. I simply stepped up to the ball, determined exactly where I wanted the ball to make contact with the ground, and took the normal comfortable swing I was used to. And my game improved!

Now obviously if there is a major flaw in your swing that is preventing you from hitting a decent shot that no matter what you say to yourself you will still have problems. But, if you're in a rut and you can't really figure out what the issue is, it may be worth stepping back and ensuring that you are selecting a target and telling yourself that your main goal is to hit the ball to that target.

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