If you’ve played golf for longer than a single season, you’ve probably encountered the disappearing swing syndrome. It happens to everyone, regardless of skill level, without warning.
To quote the late Bobby Jones in his masterful book, Secrets of The Masters:”one always feels that he is running from something, without knowing exactly what nor where it is.”
Most sports offer some assurance of continuous improvement through good mechanics and committed practice. But there are no guarantees in golf.
Consistency begins with acknowledging that you have no control over the outcome. In order to reduce the impact of the disappearing swing syndrome, the second step entails learning how to consciously manage your attention.
Most once-a-week golfers believe that forgetfulness is to blame; you must have forgotten to lock your left elbow, shift your weight, cock your wrists, or any number of other things, according to my observations of over 11,000 students…
Even though all golfers have masochistic tendencies, beating yourself up only makes the problem worse. Trying to explain the collapse typically results in an endless cycle of error-finding and correction, which eventually manifests in the aforementioned blow-up hole.
Contrary to popular belief, the problem isn’t memory loss; rather, it’s trying to remember every minute detail of proper technique. The secret to a quick recovery is re-directing your attention to the feel of your best shots.
The idea that golf is a game of feel is well known to all players. Your attention has a by-product that is how you feel. The more you feel good, the more likely you are to make your best swing. What you focus on has an impact on how you feel.
A round of golf typically involves walking or riding between shots for at least one-third of the time. Take advantage of the time to reflect on past successes and recall the prevailing mood.
Have you ever encountered a student driver who made you wait? When they move so slowly, do you ever wonder why? The student is making an effort to pay attention to everything, including oncoming traffic, traffic lights, when to apply the brakes, etc. They still don’t have the capacity to tell attention from awareness.
Any golfer can consistently perform at their highest level by concentrating on desired outcomes rather than replaying past errors, regardless of skill level. The biggest fallacy in conventional golf instruction is expecting students to constantly remember their errors rather than having faith in their inherent ability to simply hit the ball!
Thanks for reading.