I am going to share with you a few of the mental and physical secrets I have used for many years to develop world-class competitive junior and adult players.

 

Consistent performance can only come from a consistent set of actions. These include an effective mental pre-shot routine and having a repeatable feel for the required mechanics of your shot.

 

We begin every shot by first clearly picturing what our intended shot looks like and second what the swing we need feels like, including its carry distance and where it stops. It does not matter they are the same number of practice swings every time. It only matters that you find the exact feel and execute your real shot the same way.

 

                                                           The 8 O' Clock Positon

 

SETTING UP FOR YOUR SHOT INTENTION 

Develop a set up routine where you can smoothly move from your pre-swing ritual into a stable and well-aligned set up. Focus on having a balanced and engaged feel throughout your entire body.  

 

BEGINNING A CONSISTENT SWING MOTION- DOWN THE HALLWAY 

Once your set up feels good the next important swing quality is to develop a repeatable backswing method that permits your club head to travel on a functional swing path while at the same time activating your entire physical system.

 

                                                     Halfway Back You're In Business

Try putting your swing into motion by rotating your torso, allowing the shoulders, arms and club to move away together. Avoid lifting the club at the start of the backswing. 

 

Defined as when our forearms are parallel to the ground the wrist will be fully hinged and the club shaft pointing straight up from face on view. From the down-line view, the shaft will also point just inside the swing path or target line.

 

At this point you will have also completed the weight shift with 70-75% of the pressure you feel in your feet inside your trailing foot. NOT 80 to 100%.

 

 

                                                                    Finish The Backswing

 

Complete your backswing using your shoulder rotationnotby lifting the arms!

It will likely feel like a half swing to you, but this is the big key to a more powerful and consistent swing.

 

Turning your rib cage and shoulders going back has created a more functional lower body as well, so we can simply begin the change of direction by crunching our core and pelvic area as if we intend to sit down and back into a chair!

 

This squat-like move will help us stabilize our foundation and core to help our upper body and arms rotate faster and achieve a consistent hand and club path. 

                                            Follow Through And 'Shake Hands With The Flagstick' 

As we swung back along the hallway we should swing down and through the ball feeling that we are pointing the club and arms down our target line to shake hands with the flag stick. 

 

Your best performance is awaiting you!

 

It comes down to feeling your sequence of motion combined with a consistent mental process.

 

See it, Feel It, Trust It! 

 

For the past twenty years Rob Houlding has followed his passion for helping others enjoy the game of golf. He has become renowned by teachers worldwide for his approach to junior player development.

 

Rob has won multiple awards recognizing his contributions to the game at the regional, provincial and national levels within the PGA of Canada. He is also an accomplished player, earning an associate membership on the PGA Champions Tour in 2003 and winning the PGA BC Seniors Championship in 2007.

 

Rob’s students include Nick Taylor, Adam Svensson, Jisoo Keel, six members of Team Canada, several Tour players and a world #1 ranked amateur.  Prior to the golf industry, Rob spent 17 years as a Hospitality management executive, specializing in management training and golf club operations before dedicating his time to coaching golf. Rob and his family live and work in Vancouver, BC, where he operates a full time golf academy. www.robhouldinggolf.com

 

Images courtesy of wn.com, Rob Houlding with Adam Svensson