The tips of the golf gurus

Leading golf gurus worldwide were asked about the “one piece of advice” they would give to amateur players. Among those interviewed were Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter and Jim McLean. Their answers were published in GolfDigest magazine in 2010. We have summarized the advice of the golf experts.

Play low clubs

Butch Harmon believes that amateurs never play with enough (high) clubs. Just because their 7 iron went 150 yards once, they think they have to use a 7 iron every time they are 150 yards away. The average golfer should always use a longer iron. If it is a 6-iron distance, take a 5-iron and so on. You would have a slightly better sequence in your swing and hit the ball better. McLean recommends amateurs to start with short swings and build the game from small to big.

Hank Haney advises: “Diagnose and analyze your game and then develop a plan to get better. David Leadbetter emphasizes to work on the pitch. Average amateur golfers are truly unfortunate pitchers. If they could learn to hit 50 to 60 yards (approx. 45 -55 meters) balls, this would help. Pitches are essentially mini golf swings. If they could learn to hit such balls solidly, align the club, rotate in a river, release in sync and swing through, it would help the whole game.

The mental side

So much for the golf technique gurus and their “one piece of advice” on the technical side of the game. From the camp of the Golf-Mental Trainers one can summarize the following.

Bob Rotella the guru among America’s sports and especially also golf mental trainers describes the following five “mental keys” for golfers:

1. Visualize the shot you want to make.
2. Follow your personal pre-shot routine consistently.
3. Focus absolutely on the target.
4. Trust your swing.
5. Accept the result of the shot you have just made (however “good” or “bad” this result may be).

Source: Golf Digest June 2008.

A closer look at these points reveals that there is an apparent contradiction, particularly between point 3 (Concentrate absolutely on the target) and point 5 (Accept the result of the stroke (whatever the result).

Other mental trainers, such as Tim Gallwey (“Inner Game of Golf“), call this state “relaxed concentration”. Whereby Tim Gallwey puts the actual focus of his work more on achieving this state. Here he focuses on the inner dialogue and the treatment of disturbances and inner blockades.

While another golf guru Dr. Joe Parent (“ZEN Golf”), for example, concentrates on the process and reduces the five points to three process steps and the so-called PAR formula (Prepaire – Act – Response to Results). Sabana Crowcroft (“Kagami-Golf”) in turn works a lot with visualization, the zone and the methods of the Inner Game.

Whether we read about the PAR formula, the five mental keys, the soft focus or relaxed concentration or the zone – it is basically about the same experience and inner attitude to “play from the inside out” and to be less in the way of oneself and to be able to play to one’s full potential.