Golf Swing Thoughts (Overview)

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

The topic of golf swing thoughts is rather intriguing.  I think many of us have experienced something similar to this situation detailed below.

Have you ever experienced this?

You played your best round of golf in a long time.  You had a great swing thought or maybe two that had you hitting solid shot after solid shot.

You were able to hit quality drivers and laser focused irons.  The ball rolled perfectly off the putter and you shot an excellent round for your game.

You left the course thinking, “I found it.”   It being the swing thought or two that you can use for the rest of your golf journey.  

The next time you arrive at the course, you attempt to use the same one or two swing thoughts and they don’t work!

What just happened?

The great mystery of swing thoughts and the overall debate of whether or not we should actually use swing thoughts when playing.

Golf Swing Thoughts (Overview)

Typically golfers will focus on 1 of 3 things during the golf swing:

  • The Target
  • 1-2 Swing Feels
  • 1-2 Swing Thoughts
On this hole, there is out of bounds to the left. My focus would be to hit the ball down the right center and keep my focus on the group of trees down the line. If I have too many swing thoughts or swing fears, disaster will follow more often than not!

Option 1: The Target

If you talk to most high level golfers, when they are playing their best, the swing is effortless.  They are more than likely seeing their target and making a quality swing that sends the ball flying in the direction and with the right amount of curve.

The shot is hit the right distance and they head off to the next shot.  They are free of thoughts about past poor shots or the difficult shots upcoming within the round.  They have confidence in their swing and are hitting the ball where they look and intend the ball to fly to.

Golf is almost effortless at this point and everything feels in sync and the shots are flying at the target.

In the past several years, I have come across Shawn Clement who is a major target focus advocate.  He wants the golfer to assess the shot, establish a flight plan, determine an intermediate target and one off in the distance, create the setup that allows the golfer to hit the shot and keep the mind focused on the target throughout the swing.

I have played some wonderful, swing though free golf with this approach.  It is rather liberating and can help the golfer play more stress free golf and stop worrying about if they are in the right position at each level of the golf swing.

You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.

Bobby Jones

Here is a video to get an idea of what Shawn Clement teachers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBeP98jE7PI

Option 2: A Swing Feel

There are also plenty of golfers who play the game by feel.  They may focus on certain positions when practicing at the range or during practice rounds, but once the actual round begins or the tournaments starts, the focus is on the feels that they have established during the training sessions.

Recently, in a podcast I heard a golf teacher explain that Bryson DeChambeau, even with all of this technical work with a launch monitor, is searching for feels that produce certain numbers on the launch monitor.

He is then able to know what feels produce a draw, a fade, a high shot, a low shot and so on.  He is able to take those feels to the golf course and hit the shots he is seeking.

I have also heard Mike Malaska, one amazing golf instructor, talk about establishing the feel in the pre shot routine.  The golfer then takes that feel to the shot and assess how the feel worked out at the shot before leaving the spot where the golfer hit the shot.

What does a good golf swing feel like?

My current feel that I am playing with is all in the left hand.  My thought/feel is that the club face is controlled by the back of the left hand.  I have been able to play some quality rounds with this swing feel.

The most ironic part about swing feels is that many golf instructors will tell us that feel is not real in the golf swing, but is producing something that might work.

In the long run, the feel like start producing different outcomes and the golfer is headed off to find another feel that will work.

I’m about five inches from being an outstanding golfer. That’s the distance my left ear is from my right.

Be Crenshaw

Mike Malaska – Talking through with Be Better Golf:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyCYUaThyg4

Option 3: 1-2 Swing Thoughts

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.”

Arnold Palmer

We have all played with a swing thought or two and have played our highest level golf.  We get excited and the thought creeps into our minds that we have “found it.”

What we believe we have found is the swing thought that we can use for the rest of our golf journey.  We are excited, we head home, go about our normal business and return to the golf course the next day or two.  All of a sudden that swing thought that we thought we “found” no longers works and we are back to playing our average golf.

In my experience, most swing thoughts will last from anywhere between 1-8 rounds or about a week max.  I believe what happens is that we get overboard with the swing though and the move that is working becomes too much and we start to overdue.

I have heard a professional golfer explain that the golf swing is like a shower, sometimes you need a little more hot water, but too much hot water will burn you.  So you need more cold water, but too much cold water makes for a miserable shower,

Our work on the practice range is about making the swing better, finding the swing thoughts or feels that then taking it to the course with a focus on the target.

Too many swing thoughts? Here is a solution for you!

Common Golf Swing Thoughts

  • Keep your head down
  • Get a complete turn
  • Keep your right elbow tucked
  • Get your hands through the shot
  • Hold lag
  • Shift your weight
  • Turn your hips
  • Stay behind the ball

Swing thoughts can be dangerous if you try to use someone else’s swing thoughts.  Instead, if you are going to use swing thoughts, make sure they are swing thoughts you have worked through at the driving range or during a practice session.

Should I Use Swing Thoughts?

Only when you are practicing.  I believe that when you are practicing at the driving range, you will want to focus on a swing thought or two if you feel like you need to improve the mechanics of your golf swing.  However, too often, the reality is that our poor shots are caused from a lack of commitment over the swing.

The best option for golfers is to test it out.  Play 3-5 rounds with focusing on a swing thought.  Play 3-5 rounds with focusing on a swing feel.  Then play 3-5 rounds with focusing on the target with 100% commitment to every shot.

Recently, I have adjusted to focus on the thoughts and the feels during practice sessions, but getting 100% focused on the target with 100% commitment to the shot.  I don’t need any last minute thoughts of “don’t hit it left” or “make sure you hit it far enough.”  These are the thoughts that creep into the mind during the swing that result in poor shots.

The golfer then heads off thinking he or she needs to fix something mechanically, when the reality is that it is not mechanical, yet it is a result or poor commitment to the shot.

Recommend Podcast on Commitment and Swing Thoughts

I always wanted to get inside the head of a professional golfer.  The closest thing I have found is the “Be the Right Club Today” Podcast with Hal Sutton and Chase Cooper.  Hal, a 14 time winner on tour and a major champion, spends a great deal of time discussing the mindset of successful golfers. 

Overall, Hal and Chase both believe in committing to shots and less thoughts about the swing or trying to fix something mid round.  Swing your swing and hit your shot with 100% commitment.  The cause of most poor shots is due to self doubt and a lack of commitment.  You can’t control the results, only the decision making process before the shot and the commitment level throughout the swing.

The view on a golf course can often distract us from our true focus. Find your target, commits to the shot and make it happen!

When Are Golf Swing Thoughts Bad?

If you have too many swing thoughts (remember the swing only last 1 to 1.3 seconds) or when a swing thought starts taking away from something else in your swing. For example, if you are worried about something in the beginning of your downswing and fail to finish your swing, you are going to have poor results.

This is why if you focus on the target, you are moving towards your target and towards your finish and not focused on something happening behind you.

Final Thoughts: Keeping the Swing Athletic

When someone plays baseball they aren’t thinking about their grip, the location of the bag, the location of their shoulders, what their hips are doing, when their hands are releasing and their follow through. Instead, they are focused on a task. When in doubt, keep your swing athletic and target focused. Your mind has some amazing ability to take on the task and help you be successful. Stop micromanaging everything in your swing and give up some control to gain control.

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

Recent Posts