Jealous of Your Practice Swing?
A student recently proclaimed during their lesson, “I’m so jealous of my own practice swing!” We have all been there.
Many golfers make the perfect motion during the rehearsal swing, and then the ball sabotages everything. Why does our practice swing often feel better than our actual swing?:
-Non-attachment to outcome. There’s no objective/measurable result for the practice swing, leaving no aftermath or consequence to cling to.
-Lower tension levels. Because there are no end results of a practice swing, most golfers experience far more freedom in the motion than when the ball is the focus.
-Not “ball-bound”. More attention is given to tempo and feel during practice swings rather than agonizing over hitting the ball.
Relax! There’s no need to be jealous of your practice swing. If you can make the motion correctly without a ball, then you are capable of making it while hitting the ball.
We are reminded to “slacken the tension borne of our efforts,” (Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra II:47) and simply commit to L.F.F.*
*Warning: Not “G” rated. Please refer to pg.164 of Golf Sūtras for an adult translation.
Dodie Mazzuca is the author of “Seamless Golf,” “Golf Sūtras,” “Daily Golf Tap-Ins,” and is the founder of Golf PROformance. She teaches golf lessons, golf schools, and performance coaching for in Santa Cruz, CA and Reno, NV.