Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009
While I continually practice using mental golf techniques and other Positive Golf ideas in all aspects of my game, I also pick one area for particular focus as my Positive Golf Improvement Project for the year. This practice gives structure and focus to my improvement efforts and helps to keep me from getting overwhelmed and "scattered" with too many improvement activities. It also helps me to stick with it and stay on track throughout the season. My wife, a beginning golfer, also picks a Positive Golf Improvement Project for particular focus each season as well. You can read about our previous projects in the archives of this blog. This approach has helped both of us experience more success in achieving our desired changes and improvements to our games than when we took a less formal approach of just saying what we wanted to improve but not having any structure to it. I have referred to the term "smart practice" in this blog before, which is practice with structure and purpose; a similar term of "smart improvement" can be applied to the approach of using a Positive Golf Improvement Project.
As we have chosen and carried out these golf improvement projects eash season in recent years, the format has evolved into an approach that incorporates all the key elements of Positive Golf that assure more effectiveness and success, including Positive Goals and a Positive Plan that incorporates both mental and physical elements. You can download a template for this approach by CLICKING HERE. Here are the Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2009 put together by my wife Christy and me using this template. I will post updates on our progress throughout the season and include any new insights and ideas we have learned along the way. We encourage other golfers to use this approach as well and we invite you to share your feedback and experiences on this blog. When you implement a Positive Golf Improvement Project for one key area of your game, you are sure to see the "ripple effect" of positive improvements showing up in other areas of your game as well!
My Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009:
Positive Goal:
To achieve a greater degree of balance throughout my golf swing so that I have more solid impact.
Positive Plan:
Physical Elements---
- Practice using better posture in the address position, with straighter, cleaner angles.
- Practice placing the ball a couple of inches back in my stance, so that my hands are more ahead of the clubhead.
- Practice feeling a consistent level of weight pressure on my left foot during my swing.
- Practice moving more weight to my left side by shifting my head, upper body, and hips (as a unit) an inch or two to the left so that I feel an increse of weight pressure directly over my left foot.
- Practice the "rotation drill" to get the feel of the preferred motion that promotes balance.
- Practice the high right hip/right leg "stability post" position by first swinging in slow motion. Strive to feel like my midsection is rotating up to the hip rather than on to the leg.
- Practice in front of a mirror to compare what I'm feeling with what I'm seeing.
Mental Elements---
- Continue to practice letting go of the idea that I need to use extra effort to hit at the ball.
- Practice tuning in to the feeling of a stable lower body foundation as I swing down to impact.
- Practice using the mental image of a totally connected elastic body.
- Remind myself that all motion is primarily rotational in nature, as opposed to lateral or sideways.
Affirmations---
- I tune in to feeling the movement of my hips and legs.
- I allow myself to rotate my weight as I follow through in the swing.
- I trust that my swing is held on a set track that is in harmony with my body rotation.
- I tune in to feeling a stable lower body foundation.
Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009 for my wife, a beginning golfer:
Positive Goal:
To develop a tempo in my swing that is smooth and consistent, versus a jerky hitting at the ball that results from trying too hard.
Positive Plan:
Physical Elements---
- Practice swinging in slow motion.
- Pratice the "playground swing drill" to get the feel of an effortless swing rhythm.
- Check the grip pressure before each swing and tune in to keeping it consistent without extra tightening.
- Practice the "gravity drill" of letting the hands and arms drop down from the backswing with no extra effort and no extra grip pressure.
- Practice using a consistent pre-shot routine that includes one or two relaxed practice swings.
Mental Elements---
- Practice reducing self-doubt and putting "distance pressure" on myself.
- Practice letting go of the idea that I need to try to hit the ball with extra effort and focus instead on the idea of allowing the natural swing to happen.
- Practice tuning in my awareness to noticing and remembering the feel of the effortless swing motion.
- Before swinging, think "relax, slow down, swing smooth."
Affirmations---
- I release the need to control the club.
- I release the idea that more physical effort alone creates more power.
- I release the belief that I must keep trying harder to hit the ball farther.
- I am tuned in to a greater awareness of a natural swinging motion.
- I relax, let go, and let it flow.
Here's to great golf improvement!
Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com
As we have chosen and carried out these golf improvement projects eash season in recent years, the format has evolved into an approach that incorporates all the key elements of Positive Golf that assure more effectiveness and success, including Positive Goals and a Positive Plan that incorporates both mental and physical elements. You can download a template for this approach by CLICKING HERE. Here are the Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2009 put together by my wife Christy and me using this template. I will post updates on our progress throughout the season and include any new insights and ideas we have learned along the way. We encourage other golfers to use this approach as well and we invite you to share your feedback and experiences on this blog. When you implement a Positive Golf Improvement Project for one key area of your game, you are sure to see the "ripple effect" of positive improvements showing up in other areas of your game as well!
My Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009:
Positive Goal:
To achieve a greater degree of balance throughout my golf swing so that I have more solid impact.
Positive Plan:
Physical Elements---
- Practice using better posture in the address position, with straighter, cleaner angles.
- Practice placing the ball a couple of inches back in my stance, so that my hands are more ahead of the clubhead.
- Practice feeling a consistent level of weight pressure on my left foot during my swing.
- Practice moving more weight to my left side by shifting my head, upper body, and hips (as a unit) an inch or two to the left so that I feel an increse of weight pressure directly over my left foot.
- Practice the "rotation drill" to get the feel of the preferred motion that promotes balance.
- Practice the high right hip/right leg "stability post" position by first swinging in slow motion. Strive to feel like my midsection is rotating up to the hip rather than on to the leg.
- Practice in front of a mirror to compare what I'm feeling with what I'm seeing.
Mental Elements---
- Continue to practice letting go of the idea that I need to use extra effort to hit at the ball.
- Practice tuning in to the feeling of a stable lower body foundation as I swing down to impact.
- Practice using the mental image of a totally connected elastic body.
- Remind myself that all motion is primarily rotational in nature, as opposed to lateral or sideways.
Affirmations---
- I tune in to feeling the movement of my hips and legs.
- I allow myself to rotate my weight as I follow through in the swing.
- I trust that my swing is held on a set track that is in harmony with my body rotation.
- I tune in to feeling a stable lower body foundation.
Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009 for my wife, a beginning golfer:
Positive Goal:
To develop a tempo in my swing that is smooth and consistent, versus a jerky hitting at the ball that results from trying too hard.
Positive Plan:
Physical Elements---
- Practice swinging in slow motion.
- Pratice the "playground swing drill" to get the feel of an effortless swing rhythm.
- Check the grip pressure before each swing and tune in to keeping it consistent without extra tightening.
- Practice the "gravity drill" of letting the hands and arms drop down from the backswing with no extra effort and no extra grip pressure.
- Practice using a consistent pre-shot routine that includes one or two relaxed practice swings.
Mental Elements---
- Practice reducing self-doubt and putting "distance pressure" on myself.
- Practice letting go of the idea that I need to try to hit the ball with extra effort and focus instead on the idea of allowing the natural swing to happen.
- Practice tuning in my awareness to noticing and remembering the feel of the effortless swing motion.
- Before swinging, think "relax, slow down, swing smooth."
Affirmations---
- I release the need to control the club.
- I release the idea that more physical effort alone creates more power.
- I release the belief that I must keep trying harder to hit the ball farther.
- I am tuned in to a greater awareness of a natural swinging motion.
- I relax, let go, and let it flow.
Here's to great golf improvement!
Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com
Labels: golf improvement, golf swing improvement, mental golf
posted by Rick Semple at 9:25 PM
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