Golf is indeed a mental game

First, a little background. My handicap was around 18. Peak handicap was most probably 15. Stopped golf for past 3 years due to newborn. Started to get back around 6 months ago. Couldn't get back to my old level. Average score around 100. 

So through a friend's recommendation, I went to see Coach Brad in JCC.

Brad is kinda different from the other coaches that I had lessons with previously.  There's no camera, no video and no comparing swing angles with the professionals. Personally, I like it this way as I do not have enough time to practice as before. I just want a decent golf game to enjoy and for business. 

Everything I learnt is about feel, tension, relaxation and energy transfer. There is lots of visualization and realization of your body during the golf swing.

Without changing any technical aspect of my golf swing and using his methods, I am now enjoying my golf again. Average score back to 90s. Just played 88 last week at Red Mountain and it's my first time playing there.

Of course, Brad did tell me if I want to get better, then there will be more technical lessons and I have to commit to more practice time. I only practice at the range once a month so that's out of the question!

Golf is indeed 90% mental. So if you are struggling like me before and like me, you need to improve what you already have with little range time, perhaps all you need is just a little mental tweaking.

Brad can be found in GR under the nick punkrockpga.

couldn't have said it better ourselves. golf is as much mental as it is physical - if you start over-thinking things on the golf course or start getting frustrated and have emotions running high, that can really derail your score pretty quickly.

probably a cliche, but gotta take one shot at a time and visualize!!

Thanks for the kind words man!

I'm glad you've enjoyed the work we've don so far.

Huge credit to you for your part in the relationship and for showing up the way that you do.  By you being unattached, and open to new ideas I have space to be at my best as a coach. 

Video, angles, comparisons and technique are an essential part of my coaching and I do it all the time with my students.  But it's only when it's necessary.  For us, it simply wasn't necessary. There is a lot more to using tools like video, or trackman data than people know, including many coaches.  

Watching a video and comparing to a model, or seeing ball and club data on trackman or flightscope will help a golfer understand what's actually happening.  It's an essential first step but understanding alone is not good enough.  There is a huge difference between understanding and knowing, or understanding and experiencing.

What does that mean exactly?  

Not super easy to describe but I'll try.

This is an example only and referring to know one in particular.  Probably most of you.


You're ball flight is weak, too high, no distance.  It's obvious that there is something wrong with the way you deliver the club through the ball so we use the high speed video to see if we can pinpoint a technical error.  Video shows you releasing the club way too early and all the speed and essential angles are lost before impact.  You had no idea.

After the appropriate discussion you now understand what's happening and even understand how it should be different.  Great first step.

We practice with some slow motion swings and do it the wrong way (early release) totally on purpose with all of your attention directed to feeling it happen and for the first time, you released the club early and you do know it, because it was intentional, you payed attention actually experienced it.  

Then we shift to how we want it to be different and what it is going to be like to release the club through the ball instead of the old way.  Again starting in slow motion and totally on purpose you do it differently than the last one, you're paying attention and now you actually know it was different because you compared the two different experiences.  Feelings not just thoughts.

We move to the range to give it a real go, you take your first shot and then turn to me and ask, "did I do it?" and I say "I don't know did you?"  Not the answer you were looking for.  

You'll know you did it only if you were concentrating on doing it totally on purpose, and were paying attention to how it felt.  Experiencing it is a combination of purpose and attention to what you actually felt.  As you continue to practice with the purpose of experiencing, the transformation you are working on starts to take shape and you know it's happening because of the experience, instead of just wonder if it's happening.

So ya there is a lot of mental stuff involved even in a technique lesson.  It's certainly not easy but it is absolutely essential and I think it's why a lot of golfers struggle to make strides with their swing technique.  They understand, but they don't experience.


Wow, I did not intend to ramble like that but i'm happy with the way it came out.  

Have a good day everybody!

and thanks again monsterlonster for being a great student!