Concentration and Execution

Golf is a sport that tests our patience. If you are a short tempered individual, a poor golf shot can likely have a negative effect on the rest of your round. Having the right mindset can go a long way when it comes to lowering your scores. Yes, you have to physically swing the club based on the parameters of the PPGS, but it's your mental game that will separate you from the majority of golfers who just can't settle their emotions on the course.

Alan Silverman is almost 75 years young, and he says that he's able to play as much golf as he wants, thanks to the PPGS. I'm not surprised that Alan's back pain has stopped, but after reading his comments, I'm a little concerned that he's overthinking, which is leading to his errant shots. Their has to be a relationship between concentration and execution. Once you envision the shot you want and understand everything you have to do in order to pull it off, it becomes all about the execution of the shot.

Don,

I have been thinking of writing to you for years to thank you for your obvious dedication to the game of golf and your outstanding ability as a teacher. I have an advanced postgraduate degree and have been exposed to many teachers, instructors and professors over the years. A characteristic I associate with the best of teachers is the ability to explain a solution in multiple ways. Some students may have the light bulb go off after the first explanation and others not until the fourth or fifth. For those who understand early on, the additional explanations serve to solidify the understanding.

Your daily videos are priceless. We all tend to lapse into old habits and to forget (not always a senior moment). Your dailies refresh our memories. Some of the greatest golfers in the world visit their swing coaches on a regular basis and some even have their coach on the bag. These golfers have the best swings (according to some so-called experts), practice almost continuously and are committed to the game of golf for their livelihood. WE HAVE THE SURGE!!

Since utilizing your swing, I no longer have to limp off the course every month or so with back spasms. I feel as though I could almost play forever at almost 75 years of age.  I play to an index of 8, break 80 regularly and shoot my age several times a month. My problem is my short game which costs me up to 10 strokes a round - my short game is a work in progress and is improving. My thought is that my problem is a lack of concentration, which brings up my question:

Before I am ready to swing, I have decided what type of shot I want, including the shape, trajectory, distance, landing area, etc. I have taken my practice swings up to a T-finish and have the "feel." I pick my target, take my stance, assure my alignment and my commitment to swing with no thoughts of the mechanics. My only thoughts are to "swing the feel" and hit the ball to the target. WHERE SHOULD BE MY CONCENTRATION?

David Duval and Annika Sörenstam appear to be looking down the target line before they even hit the ball. On slow-motion replays, some of the pros seem to be watching the club hit the ball. On some shots, I want to hit the ball closer to the heel (in rough) and sometimes out towards the toe (fairway bunker). Do I concentrate on a spot on the ball, on a spot on the clubface or do I just concentrate on keeping my head (neck or sternum) behind the ball until contact. I know that my lack of concentration is my major problem, especially with my short game.

I am aware that there are blind golfers and that there are trick shot artists who can hit an apparently perfect shot with their eyes closed.

I am one of many of your students whose playing partners refer to as "boring." In the last 200 rounds, I have hit almost 75% of fairways, a feat for which I have only you to thank.

I look forward to a daily in which you address the topic of concentration.

Sincerely,
Alan Silverman
Hayward, CA

It's important to concentrate, but I think once you've got the shot you want to hit in your head, execution should take over. The key here is to not overthink. Take a couple practice swings. Really get the feeling of the swing that you want to make. Feel the swing, then step up to the ball and swing the feel you just had. 

Keep it vertical!

The Surge

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