What’s your swing thought?

Leave a comment. Maybe you’ll help another golfer.

I remember going into a golf shop a few years ago and seeing a book called, “I’ve Got 99 Swing Thoughts and ‘Hit the Ball’ Ain’t One.” I recall chuckling, nodding, and since I was a fairly new golfer, it struck home. Trying to figure out a working swing thought was plaguing me. My brother once told me that from the neck up, I’m a liability. He may be right. Thinking, rethinking, over-thinking…that’s a problem many golfers face standing over that little dimpled white ball.

Researching golf swing thoughts is an interesting pastime. Turns out every pro has their favorite and they change over time. Veejay Singh for a while was using “Seventeen,” believe it or not. He claimed it improved his tempo. My friend, Vi, uses “Pepsi Cola” for the same reason. Most of the pros say if they had a swing thought it all, it had to do with helping control tempo. Under the pressure of competition, they said that tempo was the first thing to go, not mechanics of the swing. Here’s an interesting website that deals with the golfer’s state of mind.

In the 4 to 5 hours it takes to play 18 holes, only about 3 minutes are spent actually hitting the ball. The rest of the time, our brains are doing a number on us. Perhaps the pace of play could be shortened if people like me gave up on the notion of a swing thought and just did what the body does naturally. Nice and smooth. Hit the ball. One writer, found during my research, says to leave your swing thought on the driving range. Period.

How many sports can you think of that give the player the time to even barely contemplate their next move? When a baseball is hurtling at the batter, at lightning speed, the batter had better not be thinking about whether his elbow is bent at the right angle. Golf is truly unique in that regard.