- Select a clear target before every shot
- Remain committed to the target
- Remain focused on the target during the swing
- Assess your results and shot pattern
- Make simple adjustments in future targets
Golf can be one of the most frustrating sports, especially for those golfers that like to control everything.
Does this sound familiar?
You step up to the golf ball, you have a thought about your grip and then your transition to what your backswing is going to feel like.
As you are about to swing, you have a sudden swing thought about moving your hips correctly in transition.
You go ahead and start the swing and you try to move the hips in the correct manner.
Everything seems to work, except the ball flies way off line or you struggle to hit the ball solid.
What if the game of golf could be much more simple?
While we do believe in working on certain positions or movements in the golf swing, those are left for the practice tee. When a golfer is on the course it is time to become more focused on the target and play the game of golf vs playing golf swing.
Here are some keys to help you out!
Playing Golf With No Swing Thoughts: 5 Keys
My Journey: The brain can be a difficult thing to control during the golf swing, so instead we want to give it something positive to focus on, such as the target. I have found in my own journey that when I focus on getting the club towards the target and keeping the speed out front, the results of my shot are so much better. My swing thoughts are not body based, but instead on the intention of the outcome of the swing, such as speed out front or towards the target. Trying to move your hips or your shoulders or your hands in a certain manner can be a disastrous recipe for most amateur golfers!
Key #1: Select a clear target before every shot
Too many golfers just step up to the ball with way too big of a target. For example, they just want to hit the fairway or get the ball somewhere on the green. Other golfers might simply desire to hit the ball solidly.
Once you have conquered the ball striking portion of the game, it is time to focus on the targets. The targets could be a specific spot in the fairway, the green or maybe even a tree well off in the distance.
The bottom line though is that we need to pick a target. I believe this target should be selected based on your typical shot pattern.
For example, I tend to draw the ball on just about every shot. On a driver, I might aim down the right side of the fairway, depending on where the trouble is for that hole. If the trouble is down the right side, I will aim down the left center and live with a shot that overdraws into the left rough.
There is one simple rule about picking your target:
- Keep your ball in play!
Off the tee this is especially important. Pick conservative targets that allows you to keep the ball moving forward and frees you from the penalty strokes which can destroy a round of golf.
As you select a target for an approach shot, think about where a poor shot might end up and how you can recover from that shot. Are you willing to live with that missed shot and the final result?
Key #2: Remain committed to the target
Too often a golfer selects a target and then gets lost in the many swing thoughts that can creep into their mind. They start thinking about certain body movements or what their club face is doing at all points of the golf swing.
Instead, remain committed to the target and committed to the shot you are going to play. If your shot dispersion is reasonable and you have picked a quality target for your game, you will keep the ball in and be left with a reasonable next shot.
As you approach the ball, keep in mind what your target is. Maybe get in a simple back and forth motion prior to approaching the ball with the target on your mind and in your vision.
Key #3: Remain focused on the target during the swing
This will take some getting used to, but when you can focus on the target during the golf swing, your mind and body have a wonderful way to make adjustments that you need to hit that target.
Many times, we can actually gain the control back in our golf swing by giving up some of the control. It might seem too good to be true, but it is worth the shot.
As you take your backswing, the one thought is to swing towards the target and get the ball moving in the right direction. Stop thinking about your swing or the out of bounds that is to the right of the hole.
Stay committed and focused and let your body and mind react to the task at hand!
Key #4: Assess your results and shot pattern
After the shot, there are several things to consider:
- Did you remain committed to the target?
- How committed were you on a scale of 1-10?
- What was your shot pattern? (draw, fade, hook or slice)
- Does your next target need a slight adjustment?
The more we can remain focused and committed to the target, the better our chances are of hitting a quality shot. Stay with and trust the system to get your ball flying in the right direction.
Key #5: Make simple adjustments in future targets
One example of adjustment you might make is if you are over drawing or over fading a certain club or type of shot that day. If you are over drawing your driver, you might select a target that is a bit more to the right to get yourself a greater margin of error. Every round is a new journey and making those simple adjustments (not swing adjustments) helps keep the game fresh and rewarding.
Why does a no swing thought approach work?
The body and mind have an incredible ability to react to a target or a task, but is very poor at getting into certain positions during a golf swing that only last 1 second to 1.3 seconds every ntime you swing. When you can set your target and remain committed your body and mind can respond accordingly.
Golf becomes fun again and you lose the stress of trying to control every portion of your golf swing.
No Swing Thought Approach: Next Steps
I would recommend trying this at a driving range first. Pick some targets and try hitting right towards that target. Change clubs on every shot as if you were playing a golf course. You might even set boundaries for these imaginary golf holes you are playing at the range to try to build the pressure of not hitting a shot out of bounds or hitting it into a hazard on an approach shot. Try to replicate the experience you go through on a golf course while at the range.
No Swing Thought Approach: Inspiration
I love the teaching of Shawn Clement and also recently came across something that Rocco Mediate said on a podcast about the mental side of golf. He made a comment about hitting it from point A to point B in golf and relying on your shot pattern.
I took the combination of these two great instructors or players and played some of my best golf of the season. It was a stress free way to play golf and I seemed to hit many good shots time and time again.
What if you struggle with ball striking or shot pattern?
Here are some drills that can help you!
The Drill: The Low Point Control Drill
- Take some yard paint and paint a 1-2 yard long line.
- Setup with 55% of your weight on your front side.
- Try to hit the target side of the line and see how many times out of 10 you can do this successfully!
- Repeat this drill every day for a month, tracking your progress and your ability to to this successfully in trials of ten.
- You may need to start with half swing and progress to full swings.
If you are struggling, put more weight forward and work on keep your head still to help control the low point in the swing.
The Drill: Stock Shot Drill
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
Here is the drill being explained by Kyle Morris:
The combination of solid contact (low point control drill) and the ability to hit a stock shot (consistent curve) is the first step in improving the quality of your strike and the control of your ball flight.
What if you struggle with having enough distance?
You owe it to yourself to check out this overspeed training approach explained below!
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
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:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.