The world’s best athletes perform by reacting: Tom Brady spots an open receiver and fires a spiral; LeBron James sees a lane and goes hard into the paint. Golf is different. The ball just sits there, so you must be proactive, not reactive. But your thinking mind can interfere with your natural athleticism, causing swing tension—and poor contact. To make a reactive, athletic swing, put yourself on an 8-second shot clock. Start the count when you set the club behind the ball, and keep your body moving—and the clock ticking—until you finish your swing. As soon as you sole the club…
…start waggling. Moving the clubhead back and forth gives you a feel for the needed swing. It’s a mini-warmup—a bridge between what your mind wants to do and how your body will do it. As you waggle…
…shift your weight back and forth. Mirror the back-and-forth movement of your waggle. This takes your address position from static to energetic while relieving tension in your feet, knees and hips. As the clock continues to tick…
…shift the energy of your waggle to your backswing. Start your swing without delay (remember, you’ve got 8 seconds total). Your mind should be clear—simply react to the target. Oh, and speaking of reacting, your playing partners will be saying “Great shot!” a lot more often.
Adapted from Golf’s 8 Second Secret, by Top 100 Teacher Mike Bender. Visit golfs8secondsecret.com for more.
