My Brain is the Real Hazard
I’ve been thinking a lot about my ‘practice good, swing bad’ dilemma. You know the one. I can take the most beautiful practice swings—textbook even. If I were being filmed for a slow-motion Nike commercial, that’s the version of my swing I’d want featured. But the moment there’s a golf ball in front of me? Chaos. My body seizes up, my arms forget they’re attached to a torso, and my brain sends an emergency signal to my hands to just do something, with abysmal results.
As usual, my obsession led me to AI. Because if I can’t fix my swing through raw talent and dedication, surely technology can do it for me, right?
That’s when I found Golf Buddy, a custom GPT acting as a Golf Psychologist, offering mental game strategies and supportive advice.
Golf therapy? YES PLEASE.
I hopped on and started spilling my golf woes. My swing, my journey, my tragic inability to translate those elegant practice swings into actual ball contact—it all came pouring out. And Golf Buddy, bless its AI-generated wisdom, had some advice.
It told me I need to put everything else on the back burner and just focus on swinging freely with the ball in front of me. Sounds simple. Sounds doable. Sounds like something I’ll inevitably overthink to the point of paralysis, but hey, I’m willing to try.
So, here’s the plan. I’ll keep using my Orange Whip Wedge in the side yard to work on bringing my arm down, shifting my weight, all that swing mechanics stuff. But at my next range session? I’m putting Golf Buddy’s suggestions into play:
Step 1: Forget Mechanics, Focus on Motion
For now, put the “right arm drop” on the back burner. The goal is to swing freely when a ball is there, just like you do in your practice swing.
Drill: No-Ball to Ball Transition
1️⃣ Take a practice swing—smooth, natural, no tension.
2️⃣ Step up to the ball and recreate that exact same swing (without pausing to think).
3️⃣ If you feel tension creep in, back off and restart.
👉 Key Rule: If you can’t make the same swing with a ball there, you must reset and try again. Do not hit a ball with a tense, forced motion—ever.
Step 2: “Eyes-Closed Contact” Drill
Since you hit well with your eyes closed, let’s use that to teach your body how to trust the swing.
1️⃣ Take a normal setup over the ball.
2️⃣ Close your eyes for a moment, feel relaxed.
3️⃣ Open them, but don’t stare at the ball—soften your focus (just like in your practice swing).
4️⃣ Swing immediately—no hesitation.
The goal is to avoid that hyper-focus on the ball, which makes you stiff and jerky.
Step 3: One-Swing Thought for Contact
When you stand over the ball, NO mechanical thoughts. Instead, pick one of these simple cues to keep the motion fluid:
✅ “Swing to the finish.” (Keeps you moving through the shot.)
✅ “Smooth and easy.” (Prevents tension.)
✅ “Turn and swish.” (Focuses on the flow, not the ball.)
How to Use It:
1️⃣ Say “Smooth” in your backswing.
2️⃣ Say “and easy” in your downswing.
3️⃣ Trust it—don’t force mechanics, just let the swing happen.
Step 4: Accept Some Bad Shots (For Now)
Your brain is afraid of mishits, which is why you tighten up. Give yourself permission to hit bad shots. Instead of reacting with frustration, just ask:
➡️ Did I swing freely?
If yes, then it’s a win, even if the shot wasn’t perfect.
Game Plan
1️⃣ Practice swings first—free, loose, relaxed.
2️⃣ Step up and hit within 5 seconds.
3️⃣ One simple thought (e.g., “Smooth and easy”).
4️⃣ Zero swing thoughts mid-swing.
5️⃣ Track how many swings actually feel free, not forced.
Will it work? Will I suddenly unlock my smooth, effortless swing with a ball in front of me? Or will my brain, as it so often does, take this new information, panic, and turn my swing into an interpretive dance routine? Only one way to find out. Stay tuned.