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It's easy to get lost in the minutia of the golf swing. We think about our hands on the club, the rotation of the body, the alignment of the feet and the position of the hands at the top of the back swing. In working with some of the best players in the game, however, there is one thing that has become abundantly clear. When they're playing well, they see the playing field better than their competitors. They see their golf swing, visualize good shots and don't see the trouble on the hole. All they see is the ball, the motion and the target. I've had many discussions with Hall of Famer Amy Alcott. She has repeatedly told me that she saw things before they happened. She would visualize where she was going to stay and how she would drive to the course. She would look at the leaderboard and figure out how she thought players would perform. She would look at her pairing and imagine how the dynamics of the group would work out. As the round progressed, she would get into contention and, more often than not, what she envisioned in her mind became reality on the golf course. Conversely, when players are failing, they're not seeing what they're doing. They aren't seeing their shots. They become fixated on the trouble and succumb to the pressure. In a perfect scenario, when we're working with tour professionals, the process starts during practice rounds. You have to tune your eye so it knows what to look for. An important phrase for us is "Big Picture Topography." This means not just looking at a fairway or a green, but looking at the surrounding topography such as mountains, hills, bodies of water and natural drainage. The player sees the golf course and visualizes a play for every hole. We like to see how these "big picture" elements will impact the ball. This becomes especially important on the holes that might be a little dicey in the mind of the player. Invariably, every course has two or three holes where the layout just doesn't fit the eye of the player. This is where visual awareness can really calm the player and help them navigate the hole. Tour player John Cook calls it piecing it all together. It's knowing that you play the dogleg left, par-4 10th hole at your course by hitting a 3-wood down the right hand side of the fairway. It's knowing that the green will hold a shot and slopes toward you. It's knowing that the wind comes out of the left and will hold your shot up if you play a draw. Successful players trust the visual map that they see in their eye. I watch a lot of young players with great swings and great motions, but their eyes aren't clued into everything that could affect the shot. They don't know where it's supposed to go and where it's going to end up. Invariably, the struggling player either couldn't visualize the shot or didn't trust their ability to pull if off. We try to get our players to discard bad thoughts and move on. This process allows us to refocus on the next shot and move on through the round. Our eyes are powerful. They create images and allow us to see in great detail the world around us. All we have to do is keep them open. If you want to look for ways to play better, use your eyes. They are the most important part of a golfer's anatomy. SG Jamie Mulligan is a PGA professional the chief operations officer at Virginia Country Club. |
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