His stance is perfect, grip pressure just right, he glances at his target 250 yards down the fairway, and then does a little waggle. A practise swing to remind his body of what to do.
The driver slides smoothly back in a low arc and as he reaches the top, the image of the water dominating the right side of the fairway whispers in his ear.
He swings down hard with his hands, mechanics forgotten, out of order, forced, and slices the ball into the water.
All because of the last thing he did. He focused on the water.
He started the swing correctly, the way he was supposed to (posture, grip, alignment, his pre-shot routine – all done right), but his ball went into the water.
Too often in life we focus on the negative outcomes in our lives. Our perceived failures. It’s okay to take stock, adjust fire, and try again. Just be careful of the order.
Focus most on the desired endstate and let the waters of your failures flow under the bridge and down the river.
Let them go and focus on the target.
Like the beginning of a dirty joke, he looks around to see who was watching. He pulls out a second ball, tees it up, and starts the process anew.
His grip is firm yet relaxed, he breaths, looks at his target, does a little waggle, and the image of a rake in the first cut of grass just right of a fairway bunker fills his mind’s eye. His target.
He swings smoothly, balance and power feeding the swing from his feet, his hips, the rotation of his body, and he releases the club as it travels on a slightly inside-out path impacting the ball with a crack. The sound echoes, bouncing back and forth between the rows of pine trees bordering the secluded tee-box.
The ball flies through the air with a high piercing trajectory speeding towards the rake, and over the rake. Ball and player alike are astonished as the ball carries the bunker and lands fifty yards past it, now only 105 more yards separating it from the green.
All because of the last thing he did. He focused on the target.
He started the swing correctly, the way he was supposed to (posture, grip, alignment, his pre-shot routine – all done right). Then, he relaxed and he focused, and his swing was a success.
