Swing thoughts on the practice range are an unquestioned strategy. They simplify a complex situation. They speed the learning process. And they help develop trust in your swing. How about during a match? Do swing thoughts help there? What are the best swing thoughts to have?
While instructors differ on which are the best swing thoughts during a match, they all agree on one thing: Thoughts like Keep your elbow tucked in, Finish with your belt buckle facing the target, or Keep your head still only foul up your swing when playing. In fact, many golf tips on swing thoughts reject the whole idea.
Its not that these thoughts are bad. Theyre not. Theyre right on target. Entire golf lessons are designed around them. And theyre great in practice. They keep you focused on what youre doing.
But eliminate them during a match. Why? They focus on swing mechanics and thats something to avoid when actually swinging a club. Check any golf instruction manual. They will tell you the same thing: You cant command your body to work in a certain way when hitting the ball. Trying to do so creates more problems than it solves.
Instead, focus on your target. That, after all,...