The road to THE ZONE

Golf is a difficult game.

Not only must you develop a set of skills, you must also practice a way of thinking that supports those skills.

But overthinking interferes with performance in any activity that requires a high degree of both physical motion and instinct.

We use practice to develop muscle memory. And on very special days, we find ourselves in a flow state known as The Zone. We don’t focus on the outcome. Instead, we let our muscle memory and instincts guide us.

I hope the YouTube videos in this edition of Finding the Tips help you find your way to The Zone.

In this issue

• Taking on a forced carry

• Why most golfers can’t hit the ball straight

• Complete drive guide 2024

Taking on a forced carry

Facing a full shot over water is daunting. You either hit it over the water or you’re in the hazard.

Buddhist teaching says this: “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”

In other words, when you accept that your situation is difficult, it no longer is.

So, if you examine a forced carry over water or a hazard and decide you’re willing to take on the challenge, Florida PGA professional Mike Dero offers these tips to help you hit the pressure shot successfully.

First, lean on your pre-shot routine. As you do that, let your inner voice confirm that you have the shot that’s needed. Be positive in your thinking.

Second, because this is a forced carry, choose an extra club. Better to be a little long and face a long putt or a chip, than to be a little short and in the water.

Third, trust your swing. Relax your arms and remind yourself to complete your back swing. Give yourself the time to swing to the top.

In fact, take a practice swing or two where you feel the top of your back swing, and then smoothly transition to the downswing.

For me, I like to feel the club get “weightless” at the top of the back swing. Then I feel like I have permission to start the downswing and make a crisp shot.

Mike Dero says: “Keep your rhythm, keep your timing and trust your swing.”

Great advice!

Why most golfers can’t hit the ball straight

Steve Pratt says that most of the people who see him for help with their golf swings complain of not being able to hit the ball consistently at the target. Instead, they hit it left or right of the target.

To hit the ball on target again and again, you need to develop control of the club face. Steve says there are common issues with our swings that make it difficult for us to hit the ball toward the target.

First among those issues are swing planes that are too vertical. Steve explains that the golf swing needs to have some horizontal tilt. He helps his students ensure that they move the club on a swing plane, or wheel, that has some tilt.

Secondly, he wants his students to learn how to use the forearms and wrists to correctly “throw” the club head around the tilted circle that is the correct swing plane. He demonstrates a baseball type swing, throwing the club head while keeping the toe of the club pointing up.

Once you get comfortable doing that, tilt the swing plane down and get used to that active release of the club. Then hit some balls.

You’ll hit it straighter and farther.

Complete driver guide 2024

Giles Gill is one of my favourite YouTube golf coaches because he gives you all the information you need. You don’t have to wait for a second video or sign up for a premium package.

In this instance, he gives us the complete guide to hitting the driver, from setup to backswing to transition to impact and finish.

Along the way, he also offers drills to help us engrain the motion of the swing into muscle memory. And if all that is not enough, Giles also gives us linked timestamps in the video description so you can refer back to the specific section of the guide when you need to review.

I’ve saved this video to my favourites.