The Night a Half-Swing Saves You

"When you feel like you're falling apart, reduce your movement."

When things aren't going well, you tend to want to add something.
But perhaps what you really need isn't to "add," but to "subtract."

There are nights when suddenly, you can't hit anything.

A Saturday night at the driving range.

The white light of the fluorescent lamps illuminates the hitting bay, and the rhythmic sound of balls being struck echoes from the next stall.
Feeling the hardness of the mat under my feet, I take my usual address.

But today, something is different.

Even though I was hitting so well until yesterday, the balls are scattering to the right and left.

"Is my form bad?"
"Did my grip change?"
"Is my body axis misaligned?"

The search for the cause begins in my head.

I try changing my grip.
I try widening my stance.
I try focusing on my takeaway path.

The more I try to fix it, the further away the solid contact gets.

Don't you have nights like that, too?

The more you try to correct it, the more lost you become.

As you continue playing golf, there is a wall that many people hit.

It is the time when,
"It was fine until yesterday, but suddenly I don't understand it anymore."

Beginners, in particular, get anxious here.

"Am I the only one who is unstable?"
"Do I have to start all over again?"

But, to be honest, this happens to everyone.
Of course, it happens to me, too.

What we tend to do when we fall apart is try to fix this and that.

I want to find the cause.
I want to get it back quickly.
I don't want to lose the feeling that I finally started to improve.

I understand that feeling all too well.

However, when you rush and try to focus on multiple things at once, both your mind and body become too busy.

You overthink, and your body can no longer move naturally. The movement you tried to fix ends up causing another mistake.

It is truly a downward spiral.

What I struggle with most is accepting myself when I am falling apart.

I have experienced the same thing many times myself.

The worse I am playing on the course, the more I try to force a fix. If it goes right, I aim left. If I am not making contact, I use my hands a bit. If it is not going far, I swing harder.

There are adjustments necessary to get through the moment.

But if you tinker too much, you end up going home wondering, "What was the right way to do it today?"

It is scary to just leave yourself as you are when things are not going well.

That is precisely why these words remain as a reminder to myself.

"You don't have to fix everything"—Mr. B's half-swing

In last month's lesson, there was a moment like this.

Mr. B, who has been playing for eight months. That day, his ball flight was unstable from the start, and he tilted his head every time he hit.

In the middle of it, Mr. B muttered, "I wonder what is wrong today. It was hitting so well yesterday, but suddenly I don't understand it anymore."

So I said, "Let's forget what you are working on for a moment. Just try this today," and suggested only a half-swing.

Only raise it to your shoulder. Just swing through comfortably.

Mr. B, who was confused at first, let out a small voice on the third ball, saying, "Oh, I hit it." As he continued to hit about ten balls, I could see the tension leaving his face.

When Mr. B smiled and said, "Somehow, this feels better," I couldn't help but smile too.

I didn't fix anything. I just "reduced the movement."

The meaning of 'The more you feel like you're falling apart, the more you should reduce your movement'

Let's re-read this phrase.

'The more you feel like you're falling apart, the more you should reduce your movement'

When things fall apart, our instinct is to 'add.'
Add awareness, add corrections, add checklist items.

But this phrase says the opposite.
When things fall apart, you should 'subtract.'

Make your swing movement smaller.
Narrow your focus down to one thing.
Stop aiming for the perfect shot.

Why?
Because when the human body thinks too much, it becomes unable to move.
It is within simple movements that the body's natural rhythm returns.

When top-tier athletes say they are 'going back to basics' when they are struggling, it is the same thing.
Returning to something simple, rather than making flashy corrections.

Those who can 'subtract' when things fall apart can enjoy golf for a long time.

One thing I want you to try starting today

The next time you feel like you 'can't hit the ball,' try just this.

'Hit 10 balls with a half-swing'

Stop full swinging.
Try hitting with your hands at waist height, that's all.

Don't worry about distance or direction.
Just feel whether or not you swung comfortably.

If you continue this for 10 balls, you might find that the feeling of 'Ah, this is it' returns somewhere in your body.

You don't have to fix everything.
Just by regaining one sensation, your swing will start to come together.

A quiet shot that carries you into tomorrow

A Saturday night, the time when the lights at the driving range are slowly dimming.

You can hear the footsteps of people packing up, and the hitting bays are becoming quiet one by one.

On a night like that, when you can comfortably hit that final ball with a half-swing.

"This was good enough for today."

If you can put your club back in your bag thinking that, that is enough.

Even on days when things fall apart, or days when you just can't hit the ball, it's okay.

You simplified your movement and hit one quiet shot.
That one shot becomes the reason to pick up your club again tomorrow.

Let's go hit some balls together again tomorrow.⛳

How do you get back on track when things fall apart?
I'd love for you to let me know in the comments.

How do you get back on track when things fall apart?
I'd love for you to let me know in the comments.