Dear golfer,
Some people go searching for the perfect golf swing in the belief that this will give them a continuous stream of confidence and low scores. I don’t think this is the case and is a huge misconception in the golf world.
Simply, I don’t think the ‘perfect’ golf swing exists and even if it did you would still have to deal with confidence issues and playing under pressure. This is when you need a ‘perfect’ strategy.
My golf swing is far from perfect. I can hit some great shots from time to time but I can also hit my fair share of shockers. Learning to play more automatically has helped reduce the severity of the bad shots, but they definitely still exist.
Playing yesterday in the February monthly medal I was keen to shoot a good score. The problem was that I didn’t feel great. I was nervous and my golf swing wasn’t giving me too much confidence. I don’t know why – but this was how I was feeling.
In years gone by I would have over analysed, tightened up and played conservatively. For the most part that approach never worked that well. Yesterday I made the decision to free up and let go. I set a goal to play as instinctively as possible, no matter how nervous or how bad my golf swing felt.
The end result?
I played a solid game of golf. I scored a 70 off the stick (two under) and won the monthly medal on a count back. I over came some terrible shots early on, scrambled well and by the 18th was more than pleased by the result (although I was disappointed in making a bogey on 17 after a great drive 😉 ).
The biggest thrill for me is not winning. It is being able to stick to my plan on a day when I didn’t feel well. By the end of the day the confidence returned. I also get a surge of confidence and enthusiasm for being able to “hit my way out” of my self-doubt. This gives me the self belief that I can play well even if my golf swing is off (which is going to happen) and when I just don’t feel that great (which is also going to happen).
Searching for the perfect golf swing is a honorable mission. Learning to play golf and have a strategy for dealing with reality (like self-doubt, nerves, fear and a less than perfect golf swing) is a perfect mission. The choice is yours.
Good golfing,
Cameron Strachan