Golf_ The Mind Game - Marlin M. Mackenzie [27]
This chapter focuses on the use of music, color, and images to uncork the bottled swing.
Music and the Golfer’s Swing
Having noticed that athletes become transformed when music is playing in the practice arena and that music seems to change the rhythm and power of their movements, I investigated how golfers use music to enhance their game, and then developed a technique—the M & M Process—to integrate music and movement. This process, described in detail a little later, consists of having athletes select music that elicits or reinforces a just-right mood or state for performing well. Their movements, mood, and the music become “all of a piece.” As a result, they move into the “zone” and play more consistently.
Since the golf swing is rhythmical, and since most golfers have a comfortable tempo for playing an entire round, it makes sense to use music to create a just-right state for both. Let’s see how some golfers have used music to enhance their game.
The Use of Music to Maintain Swing Tempo
A former client of mine uses music to correct a tendency to play too fast after a few bad shots or when he feels rushed by a foursome behind. When he rushes his shots, he bypasses his normal preshot preparatory pattern. Consequently, his arms and legs become tense and the coordinated movement of his swing becomes quick and jerky. Naturally, his shots turn out to be less than what he is capable of hitting.
To correct this, he identified several different songs that reflect his preferred playing pace and swing tempo. When ever he had a bad shot during practice, or whenever his normal playing pace was interrupted, he deliberately played one of his favorite songs. He listened to those songs while wearing a Walkman during practice rounds to get them anchored. The songs slowed him down and smoothed out his swing. Now, when playing in a tournament, the music automatically plays in his mind when trouble occurs.
Using Music to Quiet the Mind
Many golfers have developed the bad habit of giving themselves silent verbal instructions when they set up to the ball and as they’re swinging. These instructions are okay before setting up to the ball, but there’s nothing more disruptive to the mental regulation of the complex golf swing than internal talk during the setup and swing. You don’t talk while anyone else is swinging; so be quiet on your own swing. Listening to music is a marvelous way to stop your internal voices so that your unconscious mind can assume control of your swing.
Ann Dickimson, a middle-handicapper, had difficulty with her tee shots because a constant flow of internal negative chatter bothered her. Don’t slice, stay out of the trees—that sort of nonsense. Naturally, she even arrived at the first tee in a state of high anxiety.
She quickly corrected her mental state on the tee by humming to herself a phrase from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The music put her in a good mood and eliminated all internal talk during her setup and swing. Her tee shots became long and straight. She regained confidence and her anxiety stopped.
On a slightly different note, a number of golfers use music to regulate their pace for walking between shots and for preshot mental preparation. PGA touring pro Fuzzy Zoeller whistles while he’s looking over a shot. Mike Sparks, a PGA pro at Ridgewood Country Club, sings “The Battle of New Orleans” when he’s playing well.
A friend of mine primes himself to swing the club smoothly and approaches the game in a playful mood when he hears, in his mind, the Benny Goodman band playing “Sing, Sing, Sing.” He changes the words of the song to “Swing, Swing, Swing.” What could be more appropriate for golf?
The M & M Process
The M & M Process is a systematic way of using music to regulate your golf swing. It consists of matching specific elements of music with your entire swing or with specific parts of it. Here’s how to do it.
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