Too many swing thoughts kill your golf game. Here’s how to avoid it | Instruction

Golfers have never had more information about the golf swing than they do today. With just a smartphone or computer, you can study the movements of the world’s best players, watch thousands of instruction videos, and learn exactly how the body and golf club should move.

But what if all that information is actually making you a worse golfer?

As a PGA Professional, I’ve dedicated much of my career to understanding the biomechanics of the golf swing. I utilize 3D motion analysis, force and pressure measurement systems, high-speed video, and launch monitor technology to help golfers improve. In that time, I’ve also learned something that may surprise you. The more a golfer understands about their swing, the more opportunities they have to interfere with it. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Stop playing golf swing

All too often, golfers will have a great practice session but struggle to translate that success to the course. When they step on the first tee, all of a sudden they have all sorts of swing thoughts in their heads. Naturally, a poor shot ensues.

The problem when this happens isn’t necessarily your mechanics; it’s that you’ve stopped reacting to your target and started consciously controlling your movements.

There’s an enormous difference between developing a golf swing and playing a golf shot. The difference between great players and everyone else is that the best players understand when to work on their technique (i.e., consciously think about what they are doing) and when to trust those movements they’ve ingrained on the practice tee.

Get “in it”

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jamie Mulligan, who coaches Patrick Cantlay and Nelly Korda, uses a concept I believe every golfer should understand. He calls it getting “in it,” which means getting fully committed to the shot and then allowing the club to do the work without attempting to help or manipulate the motion.

It’s easy for golfers to try to help the golf ball do what they want it to do — but that’s rarely a successful strategy. That’s where being “in it” comes into play. After you’ve selected your target, chosen your shot, and committed to your intention, your job is to start the swing and let the muscle memory from your practice take over.

You develop your golf swing during practice, but you need to trust your golf swing once you get on the course. Confusing those two environments is one of the biggest mistakes amateur golfers make.

Find “the party”

Mulligan uses another expression that perfectly describes what golfers should be searching for, called “the party,” which is the ideal combination of seeing it, feeling it, and trusting it. These three components provide a simple framework for better performance.

Here’s how they work.

See it: Before every shot, visualize a clear picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. Picture the starting direction, trajectory, curve, and landing area.

Feel it: Identify one sensation that helps you produce the intended shot. It might be your rhythm, the rotation of your body, or the freedom of your arms. Remember, what a golfer feels and what they’re actually doing aren’t always the same thing. A useful feel doesn’t need to describe the movement perfectly, it just needs to produce the desired result.

Trust it: This is where most golfers struggle. They visualize the shot and rehearse the movement, but when it’s time to perform, doubt takes over. Trust means accepting your preparation and allowing the movement to happen without additional interference.

When you can see it, feel it, and trust it, you’ve found the party — and that’s when golf becomes less about controlling a swing and more about playing the game.

How to practice

During your next practice session, try this simple drill built around Mulligan’s concept of the party.

First, choose a specific target and visualize your intended ball flight (see it). Next, make a practice swing using a single sensation that helps you hit your intended shot (feel it). Then, step into the ball, commit to your target, and swing without any additional thoughts (trust it). After that, assess your process and results before trying more shots.

The objective of this drill isn’t to hit every shot perfectly. It’s to develop the ability to make decisions, commit to them, and adapt to the results. If you can do that on the practice tee — and then take it to the course — you’ll be able to play some truly great golf.

Nick Biondi is an award-winning PGA of America Professional and is the director of instruction at Radley Run Country Club in West Chester, Penn. You can find more tips from him at @biondigolf.