The psychology of golf and the golf swing
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from January 2000.
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My purpose here is to share the psychological approach to a golf shot which may unlock your golfing potential. The golf swing involves swinging a golf club around the body and striking a golf ball somewhere in the middle. I must start by saying that I believe most golfers swing the club with the sole focus of hitting the ball. As opposed to swinging the club. In my opinion this approach limits their golfing potential. The best example of this can be seen by watching people at a driving range. Notice how good their practice swings look and then look at the difference when they swing with the ball. It is understandable that you would swing the club to hit the ball, however to unlock your golfing potential I recommend mentally taking the ball out of the equation. This can be a very difficult task considering all of your interest lies in where the golf ball is going. This is precisely why we must give up our focus on the ball, so that we can gain control over the swing. Wouldn't you agree that if you gain control over the movement the body makes you will gain control over the movement of the club and therefore have greater control over where the ball will go? The reverse is generally the case. In an effort to control where the ball will go, a focus on the ball becomes so intense that a paralysis from analysis takes over and the body tenses up. The result is a fast paced out of balance swing with little control over the body, club and ultimately the ball.
The foundation to the game of golf lies in the golf swing. The foundation to the golf swing lies in the "dynamic balance" (balance in motion) of the swing. The dynamic balance is achieved through a proper pace of swing, timing of the swing, rotation of the body and weight transfer. If you ever have a chance to watch golf on television notice how many swings look quite different and yet the result is generally the same. This has a lot to do with our body build, flexibility, strength, what feels comfortable also plays a large part. There are ingredients in every golfer's swing which are ruled by physics. We will discuss these ingredients next time in "Physics and the golf swing". Robert R. Cummings is a PGA Professional at the Sunrise Family Golf Centre. The Sunrise Family Golf Centre is an experience for the whole family and aims to bring affordable golf, played in a reasonable amount of time, accessible to all, in an environment conducive to learning.
It is located at the end of Hirst road in Newlands. For more information call 947-GOLF (4653) or fax 946-0508.
