First, after a bad shot or when we are not performing to our standards, our natural tendency is to speed things up. In a state of frustration or stress, many golfers typically will think less about club selection, rush through their pre-shot routine, and worst of all speed up the tempo of their swing. If this sounds like you the best thing you can do in these situations is slow yourself down. Start by deliberately calming your breathing, walk a little slower, take more time before addressing the ball, and so on. This slower pace will naturally help to relax the mind and body so that you can go back to playing golf rather than stressing out.
Second, we play golf for enjoyment. Slowing down gives you the opportunity to take in the beautiful landscaping, soak up the sun, and enjoy the company of friends. Every golfer must always remember that any day on the golf course is better than a day in the office so make sure you take pleasure in every moment of the round. Here is a helpful hint. The more you enjoy yourself on the course the better you will play. Smiling, laughing, and taking your time are all ways to stay loose and relaxed on the course which will enhance your performance. A local pro once told me that relaxation is the cure to fix any swing so slow down, relax, and play your best.
Finally and the most important reason to slow down on the course is for the neurological benefits or what it does to your brain, specifically your brainwaves. Scientists have established that there are a minimum of 4 distinct brainwaves that the human mind experiences every day; Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta. Without getting into a long discussion on brainwaves let me provide an extremely simplified explanation of them for purpose of this discussion. Beta waves are the brainwaves we experience when we are fully alert, aware, and awake. On the opposite end of the spectrum there are Delta waves which are the brainwaves produced when we are unconscious or asleep. Alpha and theta are the in between states associated with relaxation, driving a car on auto-pilot, mediation, self-hypnosis, the optimum performance zone, and so on. The ideal brainwaves to maintain during a round of golf are alpha waves. Alpha waves enable a golfer to play in the optimum performance mode or simply performance without conscious effort or thinking. More will be discussed about the optimum performance zone in future blogs. For now let me conclude by saying that by deliberately slowing down your actions on the course, you will naturally begin altering your brainwaves from beta to alpha, which will put you in the zone.
Don’t take my word for it, but instead follow the example set by one of the best to ever play, Ben Hogan. The 4 time US Open champion was observed during the mornings before tournament rounds intentionally doing everything extra slow. He reduced the speed of all his morning activities, such as driving to the course and when warming up, in order to be super relaxed mentally and physically for the tournament. Perhaps Hogan had no idea what he was doing or maybe he was simply way ahead of his time, but by reducing the pace of doing things he was actually slowing down his brainwaves so that he would be able to perform in the optimum performance zone. This method obviously was very successful for Hogan so perhaps it’s time to try it out in your game. Next time on the course simply slow down and you will find yourself playing your best golf. Until next time…happy golfing!
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