How many hours have you spent (wasted) trying to correct a golf swing fault? I know that when I first starting learning this game it was really just an endless succession from one swing fault to the next.  I’d apparently fix one, but the compensation patterns that I adopted to do so would lead to another…and another…oh friggin’ brother!

I began to study this frustrating issue from a neuro-muscular (brain-muscle) standpoint.  And then it all began to make sense.  It was somewhat de-moralizing, but at least it made sense.

What I discovered is that our bodies and our brains put together what is called a “motor engram”.  This is basically a movement pattern that becomes programmed into our computer (brain).   You develop motor engrams all the time for repeated tasks.  For example, most everyone can stick their car key into their ignition without one bit of thought.  Your body/mind has a motor engram that knows the height and angle for the key to fit perfectly, without you thinking about it.   Get a new car, however, and you’re going to miss quite a few times.  At the very least you are going to have to think about it, until you establish the new motor engram.

That’s exactly what happens in the golf swing.  Your body/mind has a motor engram of “golf swing”.  And then you go and change the position of the ignition!  Of course there is going to be trouble.   And here is the really sad news - science tells us that it can take up to 10,000 repetitions of a movement to UNlearn a motor pattern and RElearn a new one.

So there you have it…when an instructor or golf magazine tells you that it takes TIME and PRACTICE to change your bad habits, they have science on their side.   Fortunately for all of us, there is a better way.   The emerging field of energy psychology (EP) can quickly and easily accelerate your golf swing changes.

EP can “clear” negative feelings and emotions by “tapping” on certain points on the face and body, while focusing on the feeling.   What I realized is that the major problem with implementing new golf swing mechanics is that they usually felt awkward, uncomfortable, weird, etc.

So EP can eliminate those feelings, by-pass your current motor engram and dramatically reduce your learning curve.   Instead of 10,000 repetitions, your golf swing can feel comfortable and confident in 1 minute.   By getting past your imperfect motor engram, your learning curve will be dramatically reduced.   Change is good.  Change at lighting speed is even better.

Stephen Ladd is a Golf Performance Coach pioneering breakthrough energy psychology techniques, and the creator of Renegade Mindset Techniques for Golf. Visit http://www.RenegadeMentalGolf.com for free reports, videos, newsletters and an 8 part email mini-tutorial!

This brief article reveals three mental golf tips utilizing a cutting-edge technique known as “tapping”.

What is Tapping?

“Tapping” is a do-it-yourself form of acupuncture, except you don’t use needles. Instead you simply “tap” on a few “clearing points” while focusing on and saying (to yourself, if appropriate) the negative feeling or emotion.

For the sake of simplicity, the following tips will only use a single point, referred to as the “collar bone point”. However, it is not the exact collar bone, but rather the two bony notches at the base of your neck. It is about the spot where you would knot a necktie. Just “tap” this point with an open hand approximately 10 times as instructed in the tips below. It’s that simple…

Tip # 1 – “Tapping” in your Pre-shot Routine

Tap while focusing on any negative feeling or emotion you might have about the upcoming shot. If you don’t have anything in particular, just use the term “tension”.

Take a deep breath and say to yourself “Let it be easy”.

Step up and swing the club.

Tip # 2 – “Tapping” in your Post-shot Routine

What…you don’t have a post-shot routine? That’s the subject for another article. For now we’ll keep it simple and divide your shot results into either positive or negative.

1. If the shot ended up where you intended (Positive) –

Simply tap and say “Exactly”, “Spot on”, “Nice”, or any other positive phrase indicating to yourself that you manifested the intended result.

1. If the shot did NOT play out as planned (Negative) –

Tap and say “Anger”, “Frustration”, or whatever emotion the less-than-perfect shot brings up.

Take a deep breath.

Say to yourself “This is more what I had in mind”….

And then take another easy practice stroke and visualize the ball going exactly where you intended.

This is very important because it will plant in your subconscious mind this more positive result.

Tip # 3 – “Tapping” for Anger Management

Is there any activity on earth that people love to hate more than golf?

Any time that you feel anger on the course, just tap and say “anger”, “pissed off” or whatever best describes your feelings (and is somewhat appropriate given your environment).

Take a deep breath.

Don’t be fooled into believing that something so simple can’t be effective. Try it out for yourself and then make your own decision.

Stephen Ladd is a Golf Performance Coach pioneering breakthrough energy psychology techniques, and the creator of Renegade Mindset Techniques for Golf ™. Visit www.RenegadeMentalGolf.com for free reports, newsletters and products to catapult your game to a new level today!

Hi folks,

Here are a few simple tips to help you improve your golf game. Remember that attitude is king in golf. If you approach all new ideas with an open mind and are willing to try new things, your game will improve!

Preparation. Yes, I know. When you start your round, you’re sure that you are prepared. But are you really? Take a minute or two to think through the round. if it’s a familiar course, run through the holes quickly in your head. The key is to start your game in a calm and anticipatory state of mind.

Get in a few practice swings before you tee off! Pretty basic, but how many people (you may be one of them) just grab a club, walk up to the tee and start swinging? Not only is this a recipe for a terrible opening drive, but hand and wrist injuries as well.

Use the same routine as you approach and address the ball, every time. As I mentioned in my past post, consistency is king in golf, so don’t keep adjusting and fiddling with your set-up and swing.

Pick the right club! Again, basic stuff, but stop assuming that this time, you can carry the water with the 9 iron! Use as much club as you really need, not as much as you hope you’ll need!

If you are on a new course, and plan to play there again in the future, pay attention to the layout. Check out the course map, take note of the hazards, the yardage of each hole, the tricky greens, etc. Being comfortable with a course is part of the game and once you gain familiarity, the next round will be much more relaxing and your score might just improve!

Golf can be a difficult game, as we all know. The best gift that the casual golfer could receive would be to shave a few strokes off of their game. Unfortunately, the net is loaded with videos, sites and e-books claiming to cure your bad habits or correct your swing in a couple of easy lessons. Well, that rarely ever proves to be the case.

The real key to a good golf swing is consistency. To be able to repeat the same motion again and again is the true “secret” and the difference between a good golfer and a duffer. A consistent swing will cut more strokes off of your game than any gimmick, gadget or tool that exists, period.

The game is more fun when you know, almost all of the time, that your swing will be predictable and consistent, time after time. When you are standing at the tee, looking down the fairway past the water hazard and at the green in the distance, knowing that your shot will sail over the water and not drop into it…that’s when the game stops being a chore and an exercise in frustration and becomes fun again.

Once you can count on your swing being steady and consistent, then you can pick up strokes where it really will take your game up a notch – the short game. But until you can keep your ball in the fairway and out of the woods, you will never have the chance to work on perfecting that short game. And if you did, it would be a waste of time without a consistent swing.

And that is the secret; learn to repeat your golf swing again and again. That’s how the pros do it, that’s how the low handicappers do it and that’s how you have to do it as well. Not much of a secret is it? Well no, but the best techniques rarely are!