The Three Rs of Golf

 Present Moment Golf

www.presentmomentgolf.com

I am always looking to find truisms in the game of golf.  The question I often ask myself is, what are the most common features of all great golf swings I have seen.  This contemplation has led over the years to a simplification of things down to three core tenets of a beautiful, effortless golf swing that produces great amounts of power and accuracy.  I refer to them with my students as "The Three Rs".

Relaxation, Rotation and Rhythm

Relaxation

Impact between a golf club and a ball is an intense moment of truth.  In these moments, the human body tends to be hard wired to react in a tense fashion.  At an extreme end of things, think of the anticipation of a car crash.  Similarly, you may also notice how your shoulders can end up by your ears during moments of great stress in life on and off the golf course.

Golf offers us a mirror for working with this tendency for tension, anxiety and doubt that is hard-wired into our DNA for moments of survival.  The trick in golf....and life, is to truly convince our body and mind that the impact with the golf ball or the argument with our significant other are not life and death situations.

I think most of us know that we have to relax to play golf well.  Most of us realize that pretty early on in our relationship with the game.   However brief and fleeting those experiences of relaxation and mental clarity may have been, we all constantly come up against the reality of our need to let go of attempting to control the outcome with tension.

If we relax, our muscles become more elastic, more athletic and it becomes easier to harness the effortless power of our unique move into the golf ball.  If we tense up, we have to work very hard to create any kind of power source.  That also tends to be where injuries take place in the game.

Golf is a game of "know thyself".  The question I encourage you to explore is, what helps you to relax into the moment of impact?  I find that creating a routine that involves an emphasis on shaking out the tension in the body before the swing (referred to often as "the waggle") is a helpful habit to form in preparations for making your swing.  Make it your own.  What does your signature waggle look like?

Rotation

Golf is a game of contradiction.  Our minds are convinced that if we move in a straight line and push towards the target that this action will surely cause the ball to go in a straight line towards the target.  If you have played golf at all, you know that the above statement is the exact opposite of the truth and is the cause for much of our struggle and frustration with the game of golf.  In order to hit the ball in a straight line we actually must rotate in a circle.  This reality is what makes the game of golf a wonderful mystery and joy, while also causing a significant amount of mental anguish when we doubt this simple reality.

In an efficient and beautiful golf swing, we turn around the axis of our spine and the lead leg.  The spiral image in the Present Moment Golf logo speaks to the natural power that is inherent in this spinning form.  If it is efficient enough for the galaxies of our known universe, it is efficient enough for our golf swings.

Many golfers sway in their swings.  This side-to-side movement produces a roller coaster ride where the head bobs up and back, drops down at the ball and then rises back up on the other side.  It forces the golfers to produce all the speed of the swing with the weak muscles of the arms, to drop back down just the right amount and also requires a perfectly timed snap of the wrist at the bottom of the arc to get the ball going toward the target.  It is inefficient, unreliable and sets up a much higher potential for injury as well.  That being said, many golfers play the game with some amount of the above mentioned "roller coaster" form.  The reason most golfers sway is the very strong illusion that the mind holds that says straight line equals straight line.  That seems logical.  However, because golf is played on an angle and we are standing to the side of the ball, all that "logic" is wrong.

Back to our first R, relaxation is the key, especially in the arms and shoulders.  Those muscles must be relaxed and not tensed up to "hit" the ball if you hope to use rotation as your ally.

You know you are rotating in your swing if you end up balanced like a flamingo on the heel of your front leg and your arms and shoulders are relaxed and down in the sockets in your finish.  That position ensures that you are turning and you are using the big muscles of your core to turn instead of the weak muscles of your arms to hit.

Rhythm

Check out my article on Rhythm Versus Tempo: Golf as a Dance

http://golfandlifelessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/rhythm-versus-tempo-golf-as-dance.html

Tempo (the rate of the beats in time) varies from player to player.  What doesn't vary is the ability of a good player to stay in their own unique rhythm.  Find your tempo and dance to your rhythm on the golf course.

Of course, it will be a lot easier to dance in rhythm if you are relaxed and turning around your center.  Thus, we have the trinity of the 3 Rs of Golf.

When you lose your way on the course, simply bring yourself back to these three core principles.  Primary to all of these is...."Relax".  Breathe, let go, trust and dance in a circle.


To schedule a Golf Retreat with Steven Miller, M.A. please visit presentmomentgolf.com

Present Moment Routine Outline

A number of my students have requested an outline of the fundamental elements of the Present Moment Golf routine.  The building blocks of the PMG process-oriented, full-shot routine are:

PRE-SHOT

GRIP
-Hands connected, working as one unit
-Hands balanced, palms facing
-Top hand creates a lever, making the club buoyant (easy to hinge up)
- Bottom hand cradles the club, supporting the hinge (like holding a baby bird)

SIGN YOU HAVE A SOLID GRIP 
- EASE OF HINGE, CLUB HEAD EASILY RISES WITH WRIST HINGE

POSTURE
-Weight on balls of feet
-Slight bend in knees (shock absorbers)
-Chest up, shoulders relaxed and back
-The bend down to ground happens primarily in the waist

SIGN YOU ARE IN A SOLID POSTURE
-WITH ARMS HANGING STRAIGHT DOWN UNDERNEATH THE SHOULDERS THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN THE HANDS AND THE BODY

STANCE VARIATIONS
-Feet close together - encourages rotation, compromises stability
-Feet wide apart - offers stability, makes hip rotation more restricted
-Flare lead foot open - helpful to get the hips to rotate through the shot, especially for those with flexibility issues in the hips.

BALL POSITION
-Back hand hanging in the center of the chest
-Shaft of club leaning very slightly toward the target 

ALIGNMENT
-Body (feet, knees, hips and shoulders) square and parallel to the ball/target line
-Pick intermediate target (approximately 3 feet in front of the ball)
-Look at the target with your eyes level to the ground while staying in your posture
-Practice with an alignment aid to help train your eyes to see what being square looks like

WAGGLE
-Flowing movement
-Shake out tension in problem areas (where you tend to tense up in the swing)
-Personalize it, make it your own
-Rhythmic
-Minimal time over the ball
-A trigger to initiate the movement (forward press, breath while relaxing the shoulders, etc.)

VISUALIZATION
-Positively envision what you want to do/the result you want

THE SWING

RHYTHMIC/FLOWING/DANCING
-Putting/Chipping - Tick, Tock
-Pitching/Full Swing - Waltzing 1,2,3...1,2,3

TRUSTING/FREE FROM THOUGHT

POST-SWING ANALYSIS

NOTICE YOUR FINISH  
The first step in developing the ability to stay in the moment is to train yourself to let go emotionally of the result and to focus your attention on the body sensations that caused the result.  Your finish will tell you many things and will serve as your best teacher.

WEIGHT ON FRONT FOOT
-Pitching/Full Swing - Front heel like a stake in the ground
-Putting/Chipping - Favoring the front foot slightly

LEVEL ROTATION
-Full Swing - Shoulders relaxed and level to the ground, belt buckle facing the target
-Putting - Shoulder relaxed, level and rotated

NO FLIP
-Full Swing - Shaft of club end up behind your head, shoulders relaxed and down
-Pitching/Chipping/Putting - Flat lead wrist

TRAIN THE BODY MOVEMENT YOU WANT
When you notice that you didn't finish in the place you wanted to, adjust your body to the desired position and take some practice swings to train yourself to get to that finish.

*The outline above offers a general presentation of the fundamental principles that make up a solid routine.  Students are encouraged to make a routine their own.  Embrace motions and actions that help you to relax and get into the kind of a finish position you want.  Golf is a game of know thyself and the routine needs to be something that fits you individually.

*We first must consciously create our routine.  We start with an outline such as the one above and we work on simplifying that routine and bringing rhythm and relaxation to that whole process.

*If you want your routine to be available to you when you play, you need to practice that routine consistently.

If you'd like some support in the conscious creation of your routine, contact Steven Miller at Present Moment Golf to schedule a week-long Golf Retreat.  Current locations include Palm Springs, CA, Boulder, CO and Manzanita, OR.  There is also an option to bring The Golf Retreat to your location.

Website - www.presentmomentgolf.com
Email - presentmomentgolf@gmail.com
Phone - (303) 551-5924
 
 

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

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

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.  

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.

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.