Every now and then I find myself on the golf course feeling like I have never played before. Here are a few quick tips to think about if and when you find yourself on the course searching....

1. Loosen the tension in the grip.
It is so common for golfers to choke the club when struggle sets in. You can hit every bad shot imaginable with a tight grip. Skulls, chunked chips, skanked drivers three fairways right and so on. So relax the tension in your fingers and arms, take a deep breath, and make a committed swing. Same thing goes with the putter.

2. Keep your head still.
Bad swings happen when we are trying to hit the ball to hard. The body tends to sway off the golf ball and the head goes with it. So try to keep your head steady, turn your shoulders around the spine, and focus your eyes on the back of the golf ball. You will start putting the ball on the center of the clubface before you know it. Note: I am a big supporter of hitting the ball hard but every now and then its time to mildly reel it in.

3. Let the putter swing.
When you start loosing confidence on your short putts, say to yourself "Eyes still; Back of the hole." Keep your eyes from watching the putter go back or sneaking a peak of the ball heading towards the hole. Focus on one specific dimple on the golf ball, feel the putter swing, and stroke it at the back of the cup. Practice with your eyes closed. Its a good way to train over-anxious attention deficit eyes from wandering.

I know these are very basic simple tips and I think that is why they work. It is so easy to lose focus on the golf course especially when things start to go bad. Make yourself a short trouble shooting list with simple swing thoughts. It will come in handy during a mid-round collaspe and help you tighten those lug nuts up when the wheels are falling off.

All the best.

-ncs