Relax Your Way to a Lower Golf Score

Relax Your Way to a Lower Golf Score
 
Sports,Hobbies,Fitness Did you know that you can play better golf, enjoy your round more, and consistently lower your score simply by learning how to relax your mind and body? The legendary Bobby Jones said, “The enemy in golf is tension.” If tension is the enemy then relaxation is the key to unlocking our best abilities.

This idea is not a new concept in any way however in my experience as a peak performance coach it is something that is intellectually understood but not consistently applied to our game. There are two reasons for this. First, people are told they need to relax but many do not actually know how to do this. Second, many golfers are unaware that their bodies are tense when in fact they are before taking their shot. When their shot doesn’t go as planned, these golfers immediately assume it was a mechanical issue rather than tension in their body that threw off their swing.

The easiest way to fix your swing and golf at peak performance is by incorporating relaxation training into your practice regimen. Below you will find step by step instructions for a relaxation exercise called the Neuro-Muscular Progressive Relaxation. This exercise will teach you how to discover hidden tension in your body and how to rapidly release it so that you consistently swing your best.

The Neuro-Muscular Progressive Relaxation:

Step 1: Find a quiet place where you can sit back and relax for a few minutes.

Step 2: Close your eyes and start the process of relaxation by doing deep diaphragmatic breathing.

Step 3: Imagine that your body is divided into 9 regions or muscles groups.

Muscle Regions: 1. Feet and Ankles 2. Lower Legs 3. Upper Legs 4. Hips and Buttocks 5. Abdomen and Lower Back 6. Chest Muscles 7. Shoulders and Arms 8. Upper Back 9. Neck

Step 4: Start in region number 1 and focus all of your attention on the muscles of your feet. Take a deep breath in and as you do tense all the muscles in your feet as much as possible for 5 seconds while holding your breathe. Next, exhale your breath, simply release all the tension as fast as possible, and let the entire muscle group relax completely.