For Better Golf, Catch Your Breath
In our constant search for better golf and lower scores, we inevitably turn our attention to the 1.5 seconds it takes to swing the club… and perhaps those intense moments before we take the club away. But what if I told you there is something you can do away from the swing itself – in those long interludes between shots – that could have a massive effect on your execution?
I’m talking here about breathing. Not many of us give much thought to how we breathe; it’s simply something that goes on automatically while we place our attention on other things. But make no mistake, the way we breathe has the capacity to affect performance. Ancient disciplines like martial arts, tai chi, yoga… all recognise the importance of breathing correctly when it comes to executing movement, and all have stood the test of time. Golf is of course less familiar with the relationship between breathing and performance, but elite players including Jordan Spieth, Bryson deChambeau and Madelene Sagstrom are starting to buck that trend. So how are these players benefitting from learning how to breathe?
The first way breathing can help us is by keeping us present. Golfers are notorious time-travellers, projecting forward to the hope and fear of shots to come, or back to things we wish we’d done differently. Of course neither is any help when it comes to focusing on the shot at hand. ‘Stay in the present’ may be one of golf’s most hackneyed performance tenets, but the very phrase contradicts itself by promising future gains if you manage to do it. But breathing is something that can only happen in the here and now. When we place our attention on the breath, we create a resting place for our mind in the present moment, one where you can check in and catch yourself projecting back into the past or forward into the future. Breathing brings us back to the present.
Relating to this, the second huge advantage we can give ourselves by taking control of our breathing is improved focus. Everyone reading this article has a level of golfing skill. Of course we want to develop those skills, and improving our game is one of its biggest thrills. But when we go out to play, our only job is to access the skills we possess here and now. Most of us do not have the ability to do that because our minds are way too busy, grinding away, trying to process competing thoughts and ideas. When we get like this, the dialogue between brain and body is impaired and our ability to access our skills is compromised. When we bring our attention to the breath our mind calms down, the brain gets quieter, the mind-body connection becomes stronger and our ability to create the movements we want is enhanced.
Thirdly, and more generally, better breathing between our shots quite simply puts us in a much calmer and more relaxed state. When we see the time between the shots as an opportunity to practise what is in effect walking meditation, we can take full advantage of the game’s ability to chill us out. This means that, at the very worst, you’ll enjoy the experience of playing golf more. But with its ability to improve performance through improved focus, better breathing is unquestionably a win-win.
Which all begs the question, what do I actually mean by better breathing? Well, in the short term you can do no better than simply placing your attention on your breathing between shots. This in itself will help you relax, focus and access your skills. But if you want to look further into this, let me direct you towards the work of breathing expert Andy Matthews, founder of NeuroPeak Pro. Matthews, who has worked with Jordan, Bryson and Madelene amongst others, has a fine website that will give you a grounding in fundamental breathing techniques. The three main areas he focuses on are:
1 Posture – essentially standing in a way that allows your lungs and diaphragm to do their jobs properly.
2 Muscle control. The focus here is on drawing deeper, longer breaths from the belly – as opposed to the shorter, tighter breaths from the chest that can arouse feelings of stress and anxiety.
3 Breathing rate. Most us breathe too shallow and too fast at the best of times, let alone when we are facing a tricky pitch over a lake. Slowing down our breathing is key to remaining calm.
I would definitely urge you to explore your own actions in these areas, and to think more about the way you breathe in general. The concept that what we do as we walk to the ball can affect what happens when we get there can take a little time to sink in; but when it does, you will have gained another valuable weapon in your quest for better golf.
