Pay Attention to Synchronized Breathing
One of the most influential PGA teachers of his generation, Fred Shoemaker, pointed out that the predominant approach to golf instruction encourages golfers to think “There is something wrong with my swing and I have to fix it.” He noted that this mindset often leads to an endless series of transient “fixes” and a belief that we can never get our swing “right.” He proposed an alternative way to think - “There is something going on in my golf swing, and I must become aware of it.” After teaching thousands of golf lessons, he repeatedly observed how the application of simple awareness led to swing improvements, likely by allowing the body’s natural instincts to come into play. I’ve explored the application of awareness to the golf swing and found it to be of great benefit for my own swing and for many of my clients as well.
Here's an interesting recent example. Most golfers appreciate that proper breathing is one of the keys to better golf swings. Our breathing cycle should always be calm and never forced. We should inhale during the backswing, reaching full capacity at the top, and then exhale during the downswing. Synchronizing the breath on the backswing creates and stores power which is then transferred during the exhale on the downswing. Good golfers often do this instinctively and others can easily learn. One woman I advised about this breathing pattern came back to me a few months later to report that by focusing on synchronizing her breathing in this way, without making any other changes, she had taken 10 strokes off her score and was now getting close to breaking 100. The benefit of proper breathing is not just for people trying to break 100. The best players in the world are very aware of synchronized breathing.
On a recent late March day in Rhode Island, I teed off in 43 degrees with 15 MPH winds. I decided that it might help me find some rhythm in the cold blustery conditions by focusing my awareness on my breathing. As I watched my breathing attentively through the entire swing, I became aware of a barrier that somehow I was not aware of before. Because of my deviated symptom (a very common problem) I noticed some impairment in the flow of breath on my backswing. As a result, I was not really filling my lungs with the energy to create a platform for a good downswing. So I started to experiment with breathing in through my mouth instead of my nose - and what a difference it made! I found more energy, better rhythm, and an easier time setting my swing at the top.
I'm writing to share the value of synchronized breathing and especially to alert other golfers whose breathing may be impacted by a deviated septum. This is just one example of what can be gained by the focused application of attention. There are many other aspects of the swing that can benefit was well. For example, try paying attention to the weight of the clubhead during the entire arc of the swing and take note of how much more integrated your swing starts to feel.