Reflection

It's late, my tee time is 0830 after a busy week, so not a long post tonight, but I couldn't let the week pass without reflecting a little on last week's round. I'm still proud of what I achieved & I'm itching to try to get to the same place, perhaps even further and/or more often tomorrow. I really started to understand exactly what focusing on the process meant and how to get there.

Certain holes stand out. I played a nice drive on the 8th, a shortish par 4 with penal bunkers in front of the green with the flag tucked behind one. I hit a 3/4 9iron in with a fade, but it just ran to the back of the green, 20ft away from the flag, before nearly holing my 1st putt & tapping in. On the subsequent hole, I had pull hooked my drive, and ended up 130 yards out on the wrong side of the fairway. I took my 6 wood, made a half swing and hit a low ball that ran to pin high. Not a shot I'd ever played with that club, but one I knew I could hit & it happened exactly as I'd envisioned. Hit a couple of towering draws with clubs I'd been under-confident with (6 iron & 5 wood) after I'd realised I was getting caught up in the result of the shot to it's detriment thus putting the past into the future.

Trying to measure how many shots I was focused on process really helped, as did committing to a target of 75% on Twitter (67%, for the record, a good solid start). Knowing I'd have to fess up made me really commit to doing this.

I'm reading Extraordinary Golf and I've tried the club throwing drill in the past with good results. I was very impressed with the picture series he shows (will talk more about this later if anyone would like) which illustrate how good a swing we make instinctively when focusing on transferring energy toward the target, rather than the ball being the target ("backswing obsession" may be another manifestation of this). I'm now focusing on swinging to transmit energy to my target. To do this, you need to pick a target & know where it is in space in relation to your position.

I was also struck by the change in my practice swing. Instead of being an "ornamental" flail at the ball, it became a much slower more deliberate movement where I really rehearsed the swing I intended- something I've tried to do before, but by only trying to slow the swing rather than focusing on the process- really mistaking an "Effect" for a "Cause". This is the way forward for me, and I'm really excited. Process target is still 75%. Will let you know how I get on.

PS: I'm so process over results now that I'm not going to tell you I came home in 44 for another 3rd place finish, or that I won my first cash because the boy that came 1st wasn't in the Sweep. I'm not that guy ;-)