The next ten “Tip of the Day”s are being taken from an article by Dr. Bob Rotella for Golf Digest, titled “Inside the Golfer’s Mind.” We’re paraphrasing, changing the language a little, and condensing his typical three to four paragraphs into one or two. This is tip eight of ten: just trust.
Athleticism is often about reaction. Often you’ll hear a player say he “overthought” something; athletes are at their best when they simply “do” without a lot of conscious clutter. Golfers “in the zone” are so “unconscious” in a way that they may not notice a fly landing on their ball during their swing, a change in weather, or even – as in my case a few years ago – a huge gash on my cheek from a tree limb.
To “go unconscious,” players must trust their swing. It must be intuitive and instinctual. A mis-hit shot should not shake the foundation of trust, nor should it send a player into a tizzy of thought. Phil Mickelson shot 59 recently and hit only five of fourteen fairways. Had he stopped to ponder “what’s wrong with my swing?” on the second tee he’d have never broken 70.
Trust your swing. It’s the only thing you’ve got, after all.