I'm afraid I let the male population down (again) this morning. All I had to do was to get the honey from the cupboard to put on my porridge - but could I see it? Just as I was about to blame the kids for putting it back in the wrong place, my wife appeared behind me, reached in and picked it straight up. It was right in front of my eyes and I hadn't seen it!

In a pathetic attempt to defend myself, I mentioned an article I'd read in The New Scientist a while back about how this situation can happen. The problem was the squeezy honey pot was upside down! (so someone had put it back in the wrong place...) I had opened that cupboard with the expectation of seeing the pot in exactly the way it usually is. My brain was looking for that specific image and because there was no match I couldn't see it.

But... this doesn't just apply to vision, the same process occurs for movement. Before you go into your stance, take your grip or prepare to swing, you'll have a concept of exactly how it's going to feel and set yourself up to play your shot in that way. If something puts you off, like a sudden gust of wind, a loud noise or a fly landing on your arm, you'll stop and go back and start putting everything familiar back in place again.

Unfortunately, if there is something in your routine that isn't technically correct, you'll not 'see' it because you're happy that you're feeling familiar sensations you associate with your shot. You may be tightening your lower back, your grip on the club or stiffening your ankles (none of which will help) but because you're setting yourself up to play in your usual way you won't notice.

I coach many golfers, runners, tennis players and people from all sports that don't 'see' that many of their habitual actions are not helping their performance, and may even lead to injury. The answer? To get into the right state of mind so you can expand your awareness to notice exactly what you're doing and how you can improve your preparation. I have many practical tips on how this can be done in my book 'Golf Sense'.

Back at breakfast, I was told to stop being a smart a*** , sit down and eat my porridge :0)

Also see:-
When Right Is Wrong: Overcoming Problems With Your Golf Technique   
And The Most Vital Golf Skill Is ....?

When you buy any piece of electrical equipment you get a manual, although I an never understand why they put the unpacking instructions inside the box! To be able to use your DVD, TV or washing machine properly you need to read it.

Yes I know many of us (especially us men) will assume we don't need to read all that rubbish and learn it on the hop - but how many times have  your children shown you how to do something much easier with one push of a button that you didn't know about?

So what about your infinitely more complex body? Are you using that correctly to perform the technically challenging movements of golf? Unfortunately your body doesn't come with an instruction manual. Yes, you you can buy an anatomy and physiology book but it won't show you how to use it - just as your car maintenance manual can't actually show you how to drive a car!

I work with many golfers and sports people who have unknowingly developed all sorts of poor movement habits because they've lost what I call the 'natural art of movement'. Sadly, many of us as adults no longer have the poise and ease of movement we had as children. We take these less than efficient bodies out onto the course and put them through some pretty complex tasks. If you're playing below your best or suffering from aching muscles in places you didn't know you had muscles, it's invariably because you not using your body well.

I see huge improvements in a player's performance when they unlearn the bad habits that prevent them moving with ease and let their natural movement flow again.

How do you know if you're using your body as well as an instruction manual might suggest? Try my Ultimate Golf Fitness Test and you might discover something really quite interesting that could be the start of a whole new approach to your game ;0)
 

I took my children wakeboarding today (it's sort of waterskiing but you're pulled around a lake by a pulley system) It looks great fun and I'm tempted to give it a go myself next time.

One thing that fascinated me was how some people can do exactly what the instructors told them to do - whilst others were at a loss to carry out the instructions. The hardes part is the 'take off' - if you can stay on your board for a few seconds the rest is a lot easier.

One man in his 40s spent a total of about 10 seconds out of two hours on his board. He literally could not stay on it for 1/2 a second simply because he did the exact opposite of what the instructor asked him to do. He just had to keep his legs relaxed and his arms straight - sounds pretty straight forward but he tensed his legs and relaxed his arms. This means he stood up as soon as the board was launched making the board dip below the water and stop dead whilst he was hanging on to a handle at the end of a fast-moving rope - end result, you fall flat on your face.

He wouldn't be human if he didn't become frustrated -especially as his kids soon got the hang of it! But the harder he tried the more he did exactly the wrong thing. He just simply could not carry out the instructions.

Before we get all superior I know I'm capable of exactly the same behaviour and I'm sure there'll be instances when you do the same. The problem is we can't see it for ourselves. So when you follow your pros advice or instructions from a book how do you know you're doing what you should be? A video can be quite an eye-opener! Many players don't initially recognise themselves on the screen because it doesn't look how if feels. For example, when you think you're keeping your back straight you may be slumping. So if you're struggling with your swing or putting but think you're doing exactly what you should be - you may in fact be doing something completely different!

Also see
Overcoming Problems With Your Golf Technique
The Ultimate Golf Fitness Test - It's Not What You Think!

Adam Fonseca (aka The Chicago Duffer) has written an indepth review of my book - see full review here. I was unsure how it was going to be accepted out in the wide world seeing as it's quite a bit different from many golf books - but I've been really pleased with the reviews to date.

All you need to do is tell me about the best shot you've ever played - just click on the comments link (above right) and type away -you can be as descriptive as you like. Closing date is 6th September 2010. The best entry will get a signed copy of Golf Sense - see details of the book here.

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase ‘golf is 90% mental’ or perhaps something like ‘it’s all in the mind’. Golf psychology is very popular and Dr Joseph Parent and Dr Bob Rotella have written some excellent books on the importance of attitude and the golfer’s mind. You can also buy some fine books on golf fitness and how to strengthen the muscles you need to swing, putt or chip.

But, are we in danger of splitting golf training into either ‘mental’ or ‘physical’ and failing to make the most of all that practice and playing?

I believe the problem comes from the labels ‘mental and ‘physical’ because in reality you can't have one without the other. Where does the mind end and the body begin? We all talk about the effect of the mind on the body but what about the other way around? It doesn’t matter how much you’ve prepared your mind for a big game, if your back is giving you some trouble you’re not going to play your best!

I’m a great believer in what I call 'interactive awareness' – it does sound a bit grand but in reality it just means being aware of what you’re thinking and doing at any moment. Okay, you may be saying ‘well of course I know what I’m thinking and doing’ but you may be surprised by just how much passes you by on and off the golf course. I see many golfers who add many unnecessary actions to the technique and are completely unaware of them. These actions affect their technique hugely but they remain oblivious to their influence. For example, they may tighten their neck, shoulders and lower back as part of their preparation and a dozen yards as a result.

If you don’t know you’re doing something you can’t control it and therefore you may never achieve the full distance from your drive. Let’s look at an action that you’ll do many times a day and see if I can prove my point.

Try my Ultimate Golf Fitness Test – you might find the result a little surprising :0)

I see the article on The Times newspaper by Peta Bee (The Core Stability Myth 10/08/2010) has stirred up this old debate again. The article called into question the thinking behind core workouts quoting a number of top specialists including Stuart McGill saying that too much emphasis is placed on this group of muscles. Not surprisingly the fitness world and Pilates instructors have reacted in numbers claiming the article has misinterpreted the findings etc.

Personally, I think it's coming down to semantics. I believe the whole issue is a red-herring and is more a matter of coordination and not just about a specific group of muscles. See my articles on Are Golfers Wasting Their Time With Golf Strength Programs? and Does a golfer need strong core muscles to play good golf?

I love this quote from Mr Hogan -

"Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing."

It sums up perfectly how habit can set traps that prevent us from playing our best golf. Also see When Right Is Wrong: Overcoming Problems With Your Golf Technique

One of the most annoying things for any golfer is inconsistency. One day you play like a dream and the next you're dreadful. It doesn't even have to be on different days. How many times have you blown hot and cold on the course during the same round?

Whilst there are many reasons why you may play like this I believe there is one thing you can do to improve consistency, and that is, to improve your awareness skills. The more you're aware of what you're doing when preparing to play, the more you'll be able to control. I coach many golfers who unknowingly tighten this or that muscle during their preparation. They might do it for one shot, and then not for the next. This brings an inconsistency to their preparation and therefore to the shot. The important things here is that they're unaware they're doing it. If they don't know they're doing it they can't control it!

Using simple techniques such as being aware of your breathing or the ground under your feet can help to get you into a quiet state of mind to notice more of what you're doing. When you can do this you'll have more control over your actions and give you a better chance of playing the shot how you really want to.

See how you can apply this teon the course at a simple golf swing tip.
 

Right from an early age we're led to believe that to achieve anything we have to work hard. Obviously we can't just sit back, do nothing, and then expect to become great golfers but I see too many players who try too hard in the belief that more is good. The concept goes that 'to get better I need to be doing more or adding something extra to progress' . However, I often see improvements when players take something out of their game. In their attempts to improve they've added layer upon layer of small technical changes to their swing or putting technique and have invariably complicated the whole matter. If they have a technical fault they've just pasted another tweak over the top of it until the house of cards is in danger of collapsing when one too many is added. Then suddenly there is a crisis of confidence as they feel its all gone wrong.

So why not ask yourself this question - is it something I'm already doing that's limiting my ability? And if so, stop doing it and see what happens.

Read more at What Makes A Great Golfer