Please, I beg you to stop. Stop trying to hit the ball! It’s not going to work, it never has, and it never will. Why would I say such a thing? I’ll be happy to explain.
First and perhaps foremost, there is no such thing as the state of trying. If I were to say to you, “Try to hand me that pencil.” You would most likely hand me the pencil. Then I would say, “No, I didn’t ask you to hand me the pencil; I asked you just to try to hand me the pencil.” Confused? Those of you who’ve seen the Star Wars movies will recognize this concept. Master Yoda’s famous quote, “Do or do not. There is no try.” profoundly applies to golf.
When you “Try to hit the ball.” you’re bringing the little professor into play. Remember him from my previous posts? He’s the voice in your head telling you to keep your head down, left arm straight, shift your weight, make a full turn, etc., etc. It’s nearly impossible to make a smooth, efficient golf swing with all that running around in your head. So what is the answer? Trust. You must trust your swing. Whatever level player you happen to be, a scratch golfer or 30 index handicap, you have to trust the swing you have. “Trying” to be something you are not is a short road to disaster on the golf course. If you trust your swing and let the ball get in the way of that swing, you have the best chance of executing the shot you desire. Notice I said, “best chance.”
Golf is a challenging game, and sometimes bad things happen to even the best, most trusted swings out there. A few years ago, I saw Steve Stricker cold shank a six iron in the US Open. More recently, Rory McIlroy topped a fairway wood 40 yards into a lake. These things happen to the best players in the world. It should be no surprise that miss-hit shots will occur to the golfer shooting in the 80s, 90s, or 100s (or 70s, for that matter). When the average golfer hits a bad shot, they tend to bear down, beat themselves up, and “try” harder. That is not a good idea. One of the great paradoxes of golf is that you must try less to get more. Accept your bad shots, clear your mind, and trust your swing on the next shot.
I’ve never met Steve Stricker. Nor have I met Rory McIlroy. But, I’m confident that after those faux-pas I mentioned above, they did not stand over their next shot with the following self-talk; “Ok dummy, you sure screwed that up. I bet the press core is writing an article right now about how you cracked under pressure. I’m supposed to be a pro; what is the gallery thinking? They can’t believe a pro could hit it so badly! What am I doing? I better bear down on this one, make sure I stay down, left arm straight, turn, etc., etc.” No! No! No! I’m equally confident they took a second to breathe, let that shot go, and returned to their regular preshot routine, trusting their swing and executing the next stroke. You would be wise to do the same.
Again, it doesn’t matter if you shoot in the 60s or the 120s. Execute the swing you have, enjoy the day, and have fun. The practice range is the place to experiment with swing changes or swing thoughts. Over time you can incorporate those changes into your swing and, with proper guidance, your game will improve.
Whatever you do, stop trying to hit the ball. Make your best swing, let the ball get in the way of the clubhead. It is your best chance for a solid, enjoyable round.
I’d love to know what you think. Please leave a comment or send me an email at doug@doughaftgolf.com.
Fairways and Greens,
Doug