John Hamarik's Tips of The Trade - Ten Great Tips to get you Playing Better Golf.

Ten Great Tips to get you Playing Better

TIP #8: Tension

IF we all knew how to rid ourselves of tension then we could patent the idea and make millions. Tension is the root of all evil in the golf swing!

Instead of trying to find the perfect golf swing that everybody says will cure all of your tension problems, learn how to deal with tension itself. Find out what it is that causes the tension. I know that when I drink too much coffee in the morning before a round of golf I definitely get the jitters and it usually doesn't wear off until seven or eight holes later.

Whatever is bothering you, just go over to the driving range and just take the driver out and just start ripping it!! That ought to release some tension. Or use visualization techniques to release the tension. Imagine that you are in the Bahamas and all of your cares are washing away in the sea. Add positive affirmations and your're back in the zone.

What about when you force a certain shot on the golf course? For example, when you are in the greenside bunker and the pin is right up against the bunker and knowing that it is impossible to get the golf ball close to the hole you go ahead anyway and force the shot out of the bunker. If you try to get the ball close to the hole, instead of just trying to get the ball on the green. You usually end up back in the bunker and having to hit again.

Because you have to hit again, you get a little up tight about the fact that your playing partners are witnessing your terrible performance out of the greenside bunker plus, your even more disgusted with yourself because you know that you are a pretty good bunker player. Just getting the ball out of the bunker can save you from self-destruction. The worst that could happen is you would two-putt with a calm attitude.

After long and countless hours of 110% of pure effort towards achieving a perfect computer-model golf swing, I have desired to learn that an 80% effortless swing will more than fullfill and produce the goal of getting the golf ball in the cup. Which is the objective of the game. Tempo reduces tension. To focus on only trying to hit the golf ball 80% of my effort enables me to reduce any tension in my golf swing. As the 80% effortless golf swing calmly forces me to free up my muscles I then begin to swing more according to my own mental and physical capabilities.

Different people have different tempos. Some are fast and some are slow . Use whichever one works for you!