Sunday, December 28, 2014

Golf Retreat Daily Schedule (General Outline)



Contact Steven Miller at presentmomentgolf@gmail.com or by phone at (303) 551-5924 for further information or to schedule your Golf Retreat.

 DAILY SCHEDULE

9-9:50
Morning Tea

A relaxed conversation over tea with Steve where the soul expresses itself, dreams, yearnings and visions are expressed and synchronicity is gently kick-started to start the morning.

10-10:50 
Yoga/Stretching/Meditation/Positive Visualization

Steve guides a stretching/yoga session where we relax the body and mind while noticing places where the ego tends to hold stress in the intensity of the moment.

Once the body is prepared, Steve leads a meditation practice that is centered on the breath, awareness of thoughts and loving-kindness discipline in returning to the present moment.
 
When the body and mind are centered and prepared, the focus turns to cultivating positive visualization, a sense of clearly seeing the soul’s path, sending out that vision to the Universe and letting go of the way in which the Universe will bring that vision into reality.

11-12
Present Moment Golf Instruction

Present Moment Golf instruction focuses on the cultivation of a consciously created routine (movement meditation).  Steve’s instruction centers around the 5 fundamentals of grip, posture, ball-position, alignment and waggle as the foundations of a holistic, mindful approach to the game of golf.

The student is guided on the process of creating a full-shot routine (pre-shot set up, “In the zone” swing and post-shot awareness) that honors the individual’s needs and tendencies for egoic control and manipulation (that which is unnecessary to the flowing, dancing, free golf swing…and movement through life)

Instruction starts with putting and slowly, like a slow and steady tortoise, we move farther and farther from the hole over time.  The primary focus always remains the process of the routine and training ourselves to let go of the results.

12-1
LUNCH BREAK

1-3:30
9-hole Playing Lesson

With the focus on the building blocks that have been put in place, Steve takes the student on a mindful walk in the park.  We connect with each other, tell stories, share dreams and visions, process the learning of the day and gently enjoy each other’s company.  We play the course at the level that the instruction has reached.  For example, in the first few days of the retreat, we will “tee off” from the edge of the green, playing a putting only course with long, beautiful walks in between holes.  As the week(s) goes on and the learning expands, so too does the length of the holes we play.

The Golf Retreat Includes:
·         Optional transportation to/from local airport
·         5 hours per day with Steve
o   Golf Instruction
o   Sports Psychology Coaching
o   Mindfulness/Present Moment Training
o   Life Coaching
·         Golf Green Fees/Range Balls
·         Lodging
o   RV Site or Rental Unit
§  Specific lodging availability depends on chosen location

Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Golf Retreat: A Day in the Life

What is a "Golf Retreat"?

My combination of training as a golf instructor and a mindfulness-based counselor allows me to work with people on multiple levels.  The golf retreat offers the opportunity for someone to come and work on their golf game and/or themselves more generally.

Just taking up the game?  The retreat is a perfect way to learn all aspects of the game of golf in a week-long period of time.

Dealing with a major transition in your life?  Come and work with me to clear the clutter in your mind and get centered around what is really important in your life.

Need to heal your body/mind/spirit?  Check out the Suggested Daily Routine below.  I have been following this routine since my return to the desert....and I feel great.


"The Golf Retreat"
Suggested Daily Routine

6:30am - Wake up

The loud ringing or music that is the usual way that most of us wake up is such a rude awakening. Find a gentle way to wake yourself up.  I have a gong alarm clock from "Now & Zen" that chimes on the Fibonacci sequence to naturally, slowly and gently wake me up.

Of course, you may choose to start your day later than 6:30am.  After all, you are on vacation/retreat.

6:30-6:50am - Meditation/Prayer & Stretching/Yoga

This is the important book-end of the day.  It is an opportunity to center the mind and gently wake up the body.  The muscles are going to be pretty stiff and tight first thing in the morning.  It is important to slowly and gently stretch out at first.

6:50-7:30am - Breakfast (Oatmeal, Fruit and Yerba Matte)

To start the day, I go with a bowl of oatmeal or granola cereal, topped with a banana and some fresh fruit.  For my beverage, I pass on the intense caffeine in coffee and go with the more gentle "brain food" of Yerba Matte.  Matte is a drink that is very popular in South America, specifically in Argentina.  Yerba Matte is traditionally drunk out of a gord and through a metal straw.  I learned in graduate school at Naropa University that Yerba Matte has the complete chain of amino acids that act as a superfood for the mind.  In South America, people drink Matte in a social setting.  They drink, get a surge of natural energy and talk about life.  It's a great way to start the day.


7:30-8:30am - Sauna/Hot Springs

One of the greatest benefits to staying at Caliente Springs and Sky Valley Resorts is the natural mineral hot springs at both facilities.  Recent studies have shown that spending time soaking in these hot springs helps with a number of physical issues including, back/muscle pain, heart issues, weight loss, insomnia, etc.  I follow the following regimine:
15 min - Sauna
Cool off in the pool
15 min - Sauna
Cool off in the pool
15 min - Hot Springs

8:30-9 - Prepare for the Day

Get dressed, fill your water bottles and slowly and with mindfulness, make your way to your activity for the day.

9am-12pm  Activity

The act of meditation is the practice of noticing when "monkey mind' kicks in.  Monkey mind is that repetitive chatter of the mind that is focused on the past and the future.  When you become aware that "monkey mind" is happening, the job is to return to the present moment.  Focusing on the breath is a helpful tool to reconnect to the present moment.

When I get into the "work" of the day, I focus on moving slowly and with awareness in everything I do.  The ability to bring myself back to the present is a key to having a great day and being present with those I come in contact with throughout the day.

One reason that I love teaching and counseling is that it is all about the present.  Being there and connecting with those you are working with is a key to teaching and counseling well.  If I'm not in the present moment with my students, things will feel "off".  Because I love the connection with and being helpful to people, this "off" sensation is sure to motivate me to get back to being in the moment, where all the magic of life happens.

12-2pm Lunch Break

It is so easy to get caught up in the activity of the day and lunch becomes simply a rush to cram food down your throat while you hurry to get back to all the "stuff" you have to do.

Taking a "siesta" is a natural part of a healthy day.  For me, this includes a healthy lunch (usually a salad).  Ideally, I would then either head over to the hot springs for a quick soak and a rest.  When I come back to activity after this rest, I feel more energized and fresh.  Exhaustion and stress is definitely something that makes being present much more challenging.

The modern lifestyle is crammed with opportunity to fit more and more things into the time available.  Texting and driving is a dangerous and apropos example of this.  I personally choose to simplify and put my focus on taking care of my body, mind and soul.  With all the chaos in the world today with its 24 hour news cycle, filled with intensity and fear (which is good for ratings), I believe that it is a full-time job to stay present.

In my opinion, the siesta is one of the most civilized parts of the world's societies.  A general cultural understanding that embraces the need for rest and the slow and steady pace required to be productive while still being able to stay in the moment, response-able to that which arises during the day.

2-5pm Activity

Breathe, Smile and Be There

5-7pm Dinner Break

I prepare a usual meal of meat, potatoes/rice and a vegetable.  This is the time when I relax and unwind.  It is a time of mindful activity and relaxation.

7-10pm Unwinding from the Day

I will usually head down to the hot springs for an hour or so.

I end the day with some more yoga/stretching.

I wrap things up with some reading (my strategy for falling asleep)  I find that after the hot springs and some yoga, my body and mind are very relaxed and ready for bed.

If I ever have difficulties in falling asleep, I have a series of stretches focused mostly on my hamstrings (where I tend to hold the bulk of my stress).  If I have all distractions removed and focus on stretching and breathing, I usually fall asleep soon after starting these stretches.


The above suggested schedule is simply that.  I think it highlights an emphasis on eating well, sleeping well and managing stress.  I find that if I am disciplined with a schedule such as this, I put myself in a better position to handle the ups and downs of life and to spend more of my life in the Present Moment.

If a Present Moment Golf Retreat sounds like something that would be of benefit to you and where you are at in your life at this time, please email me at presentmomentgolf@gmail.com to discuss the details of creating your personalized retreat.

Be Here Now

Steve



Sunday, September 28, 2014

A Lesson from the Ryder Cup: Feel Your Future

In yet another triumph by the European Ryder Cup team, Justin Rose shone as a truly bright star.  There was a stretch on Friday and Saturday where it seemed like every putt Justin attempted, no matter how far he was from the hole, slammed into the back of the cup without a doubt.

After the Saturday morning round, where Rose and Henrik Stenson teamed up to make 10 birdies in a row, Justin was interviewed about his performance.  Paraphrasing, Rose said, "The pressure of the Ryder Cup creates a razor's edge.  You can focus in on the feeling of making the putt or you can let your attention drift to failure"

I think that the key word that Justin used was "feeling".  Rose wasn't talking so much about a purely mental process of visualization of success, he was talking about a focus on an emotional result.  He was centering in on the feeling of joy and excitement, of the pump of the fist and the roar of the crowd that would come from a made putt.

The supercomputer of the human mind is a powerful thing indeed.  Thoughts that are connected to powerful human emotions take on another level of what can best be called magic, being in the zone, "feeling it".

Tiger Woods, at the height of his dominance, was a master of this kind of focus.  The focus was completely on drawing the roar of the crowd.  He fed off of it and his focus became truly razor sharp.  There were times when you would watch Tiger prepare to hit a shot and just by the look in his eyes and his body language you would become convinced that he was about to make that shot, as unlikely as that result might be.

I see this happening for the European Ryder Cup team.  You just have this feeling that they already see themselves celebrating as a team on the 18th green.  They are popping the champagne bottles in their minds on Friday morning and, of course, it happens in reality on Sunday afternoon.

Next time you go out to practice, see if you can focus in on the feeling you want to have after a shot.  Feel what it would be like to hit a perfect shot, before you hit the shot.

Also, next time you have one of those "knife through butter" swings or a putt rolls perfectly end-over-end, going in without a doubt, let that feeling sink in.  Hold onto those moments and take note of that emotional quality of them.  That is the feeling that creates the wonder and magic about the game of golf and is the reason we play this crazy game.

So a slight change to what Chevy Chase's character, Ty Webb said to Danny Noonan in "Caddyshack" would be, "See your future Danny, feel, feel, FEEL your future."


This is also applicable to life beyond the golf course.  Successful people who are living their dreams and making magic happen in their careers and home life often talk about creating a vision, but also focusing in on what it would feel like to achieve this vision.  They spend time every day feeling it like it has already happened.

The power of this approach is that in your internal world, you have already achieved this success because you already feel the result.  The supercomputer of the mind, and some believe, a mysterious force in the universe (which goes by many names) begins working to support this inner vision and feeling.

Even if you don't believe in a magical aspect to the universe, feeling what it would be like to achieve your highest vision of your life is healthy and good, not just for yourself, but for all the people around you.  You will be happier, lighter and move in the world with more quiet confidence, because you already feel what it is your after...and that is truly the key.  It is not the outer reality that dictates the inner feeling, but the inner feeling that shapes the outer reality.

Don't believe me?  Try it in the laboratory of your own experience and see.  


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Golf as a Mirror

Golf, a game that offers such a razor's edge difference between failure and success, is such a great mirror for ourselves. 

It is a game that requires a contradictory version of what our conscious mind conceives of as being necessary for this success.  The conscious mind (ego) believes that tension and "controlling" the outcome will allow us to navigate this treacherous landscape.  However, sadly and often times with great frustration, we find that this strategy fails us completely.

It is only with relaxation (letting go of consciously controlling the result), rotation (letting go of our conscious mind's desire to go in a straight line) and rhythm (letting the natural pendulum create the force instead of with brute or less than brute strength) that we achieve the much sought after feeling of effortless power that goes toward the target.

Because of the tremendous difficulty of the game, we are constantly offered a mirror to what is going on for us internally as we play the game of golf.





When I arrived here in Manzanita, Oregon for a few weeks vacation and location scouting for a writing project for next summer, I went and played a round of golf at the local 9 hole course in town, Manzanita Golf Course.  I thought I was fairly relaxed and centered when I started the round.  However, the first few shots told me otherwise.  Pull hook off the 1st tee.  Block off the next.  Poor contact and a lot of effort was going into my golf swing and it felt all wrong.


When I made it to the fifth hole, a short par four with an elevated tee, I paused to take in the beauty of my surroundings.  A fog was rolling in off the ocean and the cool breeze felt like such a welcome contrast to the previous year I had spent in the desert.  I felt myself settle in and get grounded.  It took a while to feel myself center and ground more fully in the present moment.  I walked, I breathed and I began to feel more relaxed.



By the time I reached the seventh tee box, I felt a surge of confidence and trust.  I swung and struck that 4 iron squarely on the face.  The ball sailed through the moist heavy air, landed on the front of the green, rolled straight at the pin, nearly went in and settled in a few feet from the hole.  The next hole was the same as my approach shot to the par 4 finished a few feet from the hole again.  It felt easy and fun and effortless.  A complete contrast to the start of the round.

I love the game of golf because it offers the opportunity for truth.  If you think you are relaxed and trusting in your subconscious mind (Big Self)/the universe/God/your higher power, go play golf and find out.  It will surely offer unbiased feedback on how that process is going for you.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Consciously Embracing Your Ideal Tempo



The Experiment

This past year I attended the Humana Challenge Golf Tournament in La Quinta, California.  I was there to soak up mental images of effortless and graceful golf swings and to conduct an experiment.  I had a theory which had been formed based on my understanding of bio-rhythms and my observations of many golf swings (professional and amateur) over the years.  The theory was that great players swing in a tempo that fits harmoniously with their personality and the speed that feels most comfortable for them to move through the world.  I had observed that there was a connection between the tempo of these players golf swings, the pace of their walking, the speed of their talking, etc.  On that day, metronome in hand, I set out to test this theory of mine on the best players in the world.

I positioned myself at the tee of the longest par 3 I could find and I brought out my mobile phone which has a metronome app on it.  I think it is safe to say that I was the only individual at the golf course that day engaged in this activity.  As each player approached the tee box I would tap the pace of their walking and record it.  Next, I would tap out the rhythm of their golf swing.  Finally, I would again tap the rhythm of their walking as they went down the fairway towards the green.  What I found confirmed my theory.  If a player walked at a fast rate, let’s say 120 beats per minute (BPM), their golf swing matched this tempo, exactly.  If a player sauntered up the fairway, at around 90 BPM, their golf swing was in this same tempo.  I did this for 20-30 professional golfers and there was only one player who didn’t fit into this neat equation.  The one player who was showing different tempos of walking and swinging was Ben Crane, a somewhat excitable player who appeared to be dealing with some jitters in the round and was not playing well compared to the field on that day. 

The conclusions I drew from watching the rhythm of some of the best players in the world on a Sunday of a PGA tournament were….

  • Great players who are playing at the top of their game move in a rhythm that is in harmony with the natural way they move in the world. 
  • Everything these players do with their body moves in the same tempo and looks like it belongs with who they are. 
  • This tempo will vary greatly from player to player and falls within the range of 80-120 BPM
  • Great players who are playing great all have phenomenal rhythm; it is the tempo that varies.
  • Taller people generally gravitate towards slower tempos (nearer the 90bpm range).  Shorter individuals generally have quicker tempos (nearer the 120bpm range).
  • More energetic individuals tend to feel better with a quick tempo.  It is how they move through life and this tempo fits the pace that they experience life.  More languid, flowing types generally prefer the feeling of a slower pace for the same reasons.
  • The pace with which we walk generally speaks to our preferences for tempo in life.  If we tend to speed walk like there is someplace to go and not a whole lot of time to get there, a quicker tempo in golf will tend to suit us well.  If we enjoy strolls that meander and have no general rush, a slower tempo in golf will fit this preference better.


Finding Your Ideal Tempo

In the modern age there are numerous smart phone apps the give us free access to a metronome.  I use one called “Mobile Metronome” developed by Gabriel Simoes for working on my own tempo and for helping my students discover their own, ideal tempo.  If you have a smart phone, I encourage you to download one of these apps on your phone.  If you don’t, a real version of the metronome works wonderfully as well.  If neither of these is possible, here are some musical references to help you find the tempo that “fits your soul” the best.

120 bpm songs (Allegro)

Are you a mover and a shaker?  This playlist is for those with some serious pep in their step.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?feature=edit_ok&list=PLxrJvSHDg9H6dgI2xayPe4DGwosl7-tr3

110 bpm songs (Moderato)

You move with purpose in life.  This playlist is for those marching along to the beat in your soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPxUukyTI2I&list=PLxrJvSHDg9H7rKbxmwRn13DaWullHvLcB

100 bpm songs (Andante)

You are walking the middle path in life.  This playlist is for those that move not too fast and not too slow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKVp-atyiVA&list=PLxrJvSHDg9H4SYgpqAIJpfaH_DrWBMzie


90 bpm songs (Andante)

Strolling through life.  This playlist is for those who saunter along with a bounce in their step.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA8UEWLUkd0&list=PLxrJvSHDg9H7cEu11nUUF7OFKRz5AXu34


Drills

Whether you use a smart phone metronome app, a real metronome or one of the musical playlists from above, I suggest that you spend some time paying attention to your ideal tempo.
  • Go for a walk and find the stride that fits your body the best.  Tap your steps into the metronome app or notice how it falls with the beat of the music.
  • Practice with a variety of beats using a metronome or music.  Notice the rhythm of the pendulum that feels most natural and effortless to you.
  • Listen to the playlists above and notice which tempo feels like the most comfortable and “homey” for you.
  • Once you determine your ideal tempo, create your own playlist of songs that fit into the ideal bpm for you and bring some headphones to the course with you.  You might be surprised how enjoyable putting practice can become when you add the harmonies, rhythm and ideal tempo of music to it.



Riding Vs. Walking

This awareness of the power of embracing your bio-rhythm also speaks to the benefits of walking a golf course instead of riding in a cart.  The rapid speed of riding in the cart does not allow the player to get into this rhythm as easily.  If you do ride in a cart, you might try to get out and walk around a bit before taking your next swing.



The benefits of working on your tempo are extensive.   When you are in rhythm, the game feels easier and more musical.  You will tend to relax more and fall into your own, natural bio-rhythm.  You might just find that with a song in your head, you will be more able to clear your mind of chatter and connect more deeply to the dance that is golf.


Sunday, February 9, 2014

My Childhood Role Model: "The Pro" Paul VanLoozen

Just about a year ago, I made the decision to take a leap of faith and move in the direction of my soul's calling.  I left behind my childhood dream job of being a Head Golf Professional in the pursuit of my adult dream job, a full-time teaching professional.  That journey over the past year has been epic in nature.  As I look back on the trials and tribulations of the path that has brought me to my current location and situation, I am so grateful for the many blessings and all the help and encouragement I have received along the way.  As I contemplate the long and winding road of my life and the connection to the game of golf, I reflect back on the man who inspired it all and the impact he has made on my life.

Early on in life I developed a strong attraction to the game of golf.  I loved everything about the game and the solitude and inner reflection that the game offered me as a "lone wolf" personality type.  While much of life overwhelmed my nervous system, the game of golf offered me a place to recalibrate myself and to come to understand and appreciate my inner world.  It was also a game built on fundamental principles of camaraderie, compassion and fairness, a combination that attracted me like the force of gravity.  No matter what path my journey has taken in this life, I have (like a force of nature) been drawn back to this game that has such a firm hold on my soul.

In my early teens, at the encouragement of my grandfather, Earl Tracy, I began the pursuit of the Evans Scholarship (a full-ride college scholarship provided to caddies who excel in scholarship, leadership, work-ethic and community service).  I began this journey by working at Edgewood Country Club in Union Lake, Michigan.  The course was a relatively short walk from my family's home and it served as a wonderful combination of a place where I could earn good money while also being around the game that I already loved so much.  As is the case for many young people around the country who are drawn to the game of golf, the Head Golf Professional very quickly became my greatest role model. 

Paul VanLoozen was a quiet and austere man with a slight build and a flowing, effortless golf swing.  He had an air of solemnity about him and carried himself as a man who took the role of shepherding a golf community as a sacred task.  I admired him and I wanted to be like him.  I bought the same clubs he played with and I strove to make my golf swing as similar to his as I could.  I have no doubt that many of my mannerisms as a teacher are most-likely still unconsciously patterned after the way Mr. VanLoozen walked and talked. 

I worked for a number of years at Edgewood CC and over time I made my way through the ranks to be the highest level of caddy and eventually even into the clubhouse for the sought-after position of bag room staff.  On that journey I was always motivated to catch the attention of "the pro".  After many years of hard work, I became a fixture at the golf course and began to have regular interaction with Mr. VanLoozen.  One fine day, after many rehearsals in my mind, I worked up the courage to ask him if he would mind taking a look at my golf swing.  He agreed and my level of excitement and anxiety reached an apex in my young life as we made the short walk from the clubhouse to the driving range for our one and only lesson.

That short time we spent on the driving range is a blur in my memory.  Although, as I write this, I find that one shot is seared into my memory.  It was a perfectly hit shot with a slight draw that landed on the target green and showed to my idol the pinnacle of my golfing ability at the time.  I will probably never be more proud of any swing I've taken in my life than the one I produced on that day.  In that one moment in time, there was a shared affinity between myself and the man I looked up to above all others.  I don't recall if Mr. VanLoozen gave me any pearls of wisdom that day.  What I do recall is that there was a feeling of appreciation and approval from my role model.  That validation was something that propelled me forward in my passion for the game of golf and is one of those moments that defines my life.

When I was given the opportunity to take the reigns of Carolina Colours Golf Club in New Bern, North Carolina as the Head Golf Professional, it was the culmination of my childhood dream.  I stood in the same role as my childhood role model and I was as proud and excited as I could possibly be to stand in those shoes.

Although my health did not cooperate with the challenges and stresses of being in the Head Golf Professional role, it was an experience that will always stand as a great achievement in my life story.  I was lucky enough to stand in the same place as my childhood idol and to carry the banner of shepherding a golf community, just as Paul VanLoozen did for many years at Edgewood Country Club.

Not only did that experience allow me to fulfill a life-long goal, it also gave me the razor-sharp clarity that I would need to take the leap and move in the direction of where my soul called and my survival demanded. 

Today I am filled with gratitude to Mr. VanLoozen for inspiring me and giving me a clear vision of what it means to be "the pro" and to all the wonderful people at Carolina Colours Golf Club for giving me the opportunity to live my childhood dream.




Saturday, January 18, 2014

Putting Process: Let Your Finish Be Your Teacher



“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
-Chinese Proverb

When students finish their in-person lesson time with me, I want them to be able to take away self-diagnosis tools so that they can always know what caused a certain result in their game.  A common mantra that I repeat to these students is, “When the teacher is not there, let the finish be your teacher.”

If we know what to look for at the end of the swing, whether it is putting, chipping, pitching or the full swing, we can assess what has just happened in that swing and we can begin to train the most efficient and repeatable movement. 

The major challenge in golf, from my perspective, is that we instinctively want to push or hit towards the target with the arms and hands.  This is almost always an instinct to go in a straight line and “help” the ball into the hole.  Unfortunately, everything about golf is in opposition to these natural instincts to think in straight lines.  The most repeatable and consistent swing in golf involves circular or arc movements.  Tell the conscious mind to create a circle to go in a straight line and watch the mind fight with every ounce of energy to resist such rebellious thinking patterns. 

Because of this innate struggle between the conscious “straight-line” thinking and the truth that the circle produces repeatable squareness at impact, we must train ourselves in a kinesthetic and disciplined way to resist these linear tendencies.  The best and quickest way to do this, in my opinion, is to always pay attention to the finish position of every swing and to use that position to train the correct body movement to produce an arc.  We want to train the body on a cellular level or through muscle memory so that our unconscious or subconscious mind can be in control of the process instead of our conscious, linear-thinking mind.

The Finish Position in Putting

Feet – Weight slightly favoring the front foot.  Balanced and quiet.
Common linear mistakes – Weight slightly back on the back foot.

Hips – Quiet.  Resistant to movement.  Stable.
Common linear mistakes – Hip movement side-to-side.

Shoulders – Relaxed, rotational and level to the ground.  The shoulders should finish open to the target.  This is where all the movement happens in a solid putting stroke.
Common linear mistakes – Movement up and down, pushing underneath in a line towards the target.  

Arms – Low, hanging from the shoulder sockets
Common linear mistakes – High arm finish caused by the shoulders dropping and the arms pushing toward the target.

Wrists – Flat top wrist (forearm to back of the hand)
Common linear mistakes – broken down (angled) wrist, angle between forearm and back of hand.  A flipping motion caused by the stopping of rotation in the body.

Head – Centered, quiet, still.  Relaxed shoulders rotating around a still spine.
Side-to-side movement with the head illustrates an overall tendency to sway with the body.

The Challenge of Learning from the Finish

*What I am about to suggest sounds relatively simple.  However, it has been my experience that it is one of the most challenging things to do for most of my students.  The reason is that we are so conditioned to be results-oriented that noticing anything else besides these results is like changing the fundamental way in which the mind relates to the overall process.  It is a massive fundamental change and one that I find 99% of students to be almost completely unable to do at first.

At the end of any swing, whether it be a two foot putt or a 300 yard drive, I suggest that you want to have the bulk of your attention on the body position and sensations of the body at the end of the swing.  Most people, even after I repeat this request to notice the finish, are unable to do it.  The mind is so conditioned to have all the energy invested in the results of what just happened that the process to get there is lost almost entirely.

I express this reality to give you a sense of the challenge of working in this way.  Even if you can start by just noticing a singular part of the body at the end, this is a major accomplishment and begins to retrain the mind in a more productive manner.

Benefits of Learning from the Finish

The relaxed, rotational and rhythmic motion required for a repeatable, effortless golf swing is compromised by the conscious mind’s innate tendency to “control” the results.  Sadly, these controlling instincts produce tension in the body in the misguided effort to manipulate the result.  When we train ourselves to react to these results and to have our assessment of our game connected almost entirely to these results, we set ourselves up for conscious tension in our swing.  It becomes a feedback loop in which the fundamental orientation of being “results-oriented” skews our perception and causes the very thing that we are attempting to avoid with every ounce of our being…a poor swing.

However, when we focus our attention more on the process that produces results and pay attention to the kind of relaxation and rotation required to get to the ideal finish position, our mind now focuses on body sensations and is forced to trust that this process will produce results.  The idea with this is that a solid process will take care of the results.  The results themselves do not carry as much intensity of thought or emotion because we know that they are just a reflection of the process we are creating and nothing more.

When your routine begins to include reflection about the finish of your swing, you create a “full shot routine”.  Now every shot is an opportunity for learning and growth.  You are able to notice subtle tension points in the body and have a good sense of what adjustments are necessary to move in a more relaxed, rotational and rhythmic direction in your golf swing.  Most people are clueless as to what they just did in their body to produce a result.  I often hear, “I have no idea what I just did there.”  That admission is the key and is the awareness of the real problem for the student.

“Know thyself” is the name of the game here in golf.  The more you are mindful of your process (physically, mentally and emotionally), the more hitting a golf ball becomes a process of self-discovery and coming into a deeper relationship with ourselves.  Trusting in and commitment to a process are the keys to learning and developing as a golfer and as a person.