I have just finished posts on My Seven Step Swing Checklist. The one KEY ingredient to all of the seven steps is "Relaxation". It is a natural tendency for most of us to try to muscle or power the ball toward the hole. I did it for many years with sporadic success. I was tired of hitting one good shot in five and not scoring the way I knew I was capable of. I am an avid reader of Golf Magazines and have more than once come across articles stressing the relaxing of the muscles, especially in the hands, forearms, shoulders and chest used during the golf swing in order to attain better results. I decided to go to the range and see if I could try this relaxed method of the golf swing. It was an immediate improvement. Once I incorporated "Relaxation" into my golf swing the percentage of successful strokes increased proportionately with the greater distance achieved. I was amazed at how much farther and accurately the ball traveled with my new found relaxed swing method. Let me pause here for a minute and explain my definition of "Relaxation". Relaxing during the golf game and golf swing, does not by any means mean to fall asleep while addressing the ball. It does mean however, to rid your self of stressful thoughts and tense muscles to whatever degree possible. It means to let the club drop into the power slot naturally and let the speed of your swing thru relaxed muscles help you to achieve the desired result. I found that the club released and accelerated more on line when I maintained a light grip and little upper body stiffness or tension than if I tried to power the ball toward the target. The only thought that should be in your mind is the proper execution of the swing to produce the desired result for the particular golf shot at hand. Whether it be a drive off the tee or a finesse shot over a bunker to a tight pin placement just focus on executing the shot and achieving the result you want.

I was always very competitive at sports and wanted to hit the ball the best and the farthest in baseball and golf, which is a natural inclination when you are used to competitive play. The tendency for many of us is to try to rip into the ball with all the power we can muster. In baseball you can get away with it more easily, but the speed and timing of a relaxed swing even in baseball will achieve better and more consistent results than tight muscles and a forced swing. This is most especially true for the golf swing. "Swing easy and hit hard", that is my new motto ! There are different methods for relaxing before and during a golf round. During the round I have found that a deep slow breath ( inhale and exhale on about a seven second count for each ) as I line up my shot from behind the target will help promote a relaxed swing for me. I then make one rehearsal swing utilizing that technique and then step up and hit before over contemplating the swing. Too much time over the ball allows negativity and too many thoughts to creep into your mind and almost always results in a poor shot. The player who is confident in his / her abilities will address the ball, perform their set up routine and proceed to swing without taking an inordinate amount of time over the ball. Practicing the various golf shots you will come across during any particular golf round will also help build confidence when that situation actually occurs during play.

Another technique I have utilized as of late to reduce stress and tension is derived from a product called Maxximind. It consists of musical tones and AudiNeuro Technology on recorded CD's which provide the most relaxing sounds to promote a stress free, relaxed and peaceful mood. It works best with Stereo headphones and a quiet, dimly lit atmosphere with the least amount of outside interference possible. I normally listen to them the night before my golf round or in the early morning before I leave for the course. They work great for me and I would recommend them to anyone who is trying to relax, whether for golf or just to chill out and listen to some soothing sounds to reduce stress and promote relaxing of the body and the mind. All it takes is about 20 to 25 minutes a session and as I am taking in these melodic sounds I visualize myself in some beautiful setting, maybe on a Hawaiian Island, another island paradise or anywhere that promotes a soothing, calm and serene atmosphere for you. If you would like to try Maxximind click on the right side of the page below Blogroll and check out the demo. Happy Golfing and Relaxation To All !