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