"Soften" Your Swing

Most high-handicappers have a few things in common:

1. A white-knuckled strangulation grip on the club during
address...
2. Gnashing teeth while simultaneously holding the breath on
backswing (a great skill to have while snorkling, but not so
much golf)...
3. A sudden and severe tightening of the all muscles during the
downswing and impact...

Okay... the solution is to (as the pros say) "soften" your
swing.

Watch any world class sprinter. What's he doing just before the
race? He's loosening his muscles, isn't he?

You have to do the same in the golf swing. It's a chain
reaction that starts from the ground, then moves through the
pivot into your arms, down the club shaft into the golf ball.

The idea is to STORE power until the exact right moment. Let
the "chain reaction" work it's magic (don't rush it for pete's
sake), and keep your muscles soft so that power can be
delivered to straight into the ball.

Pow! It'll feel effortless too.

In the end, I'm not just talking about loosening your grip
pressure, but releasing the tension in your shoulder area and
neck. Yes... you need a structured swing but not all the
tension.

So here's what you should do before you drive the ball:

1. Do a quick body scan... notice where you're holding your
tension...
2. Take three deep breaths (but please, not so deep that you
pass out). Remove all the worry and tension out of your
muscles...
3. Keep your swing soft and slow. Allow the pivot do all the
work.

The sprinter knows relaxed muscles fire stronger and more
effectively -- and now you know too. Let that chain reaction of
power happen in your swing and keep it all soft as a baby's
butt.