Modelling Golf with NLP

by Terry Rowles NLP Master Practitioner

Are you too old to learn to play good golf? Isn’t it interesting how quickly children can learn to play? Have you read all the books, watched all the videos and are still not improving at the rate you would like to?

With this article I will propose a way of making explicit the phenomena of the instant and accelerated improvements that occur at some point in most golfers lives. Many of us have experienced this to varying degrees, you may know the story, you visit a professional tournament or you play with a better player and suddenly you notice aspects of their game spontaneously appearing or influencing your game - without you consciously making any changes. Isn’t that interesting!

It reminds me of a personal example in a different context. Recently I was lucky enough to ski with ex Olympic downhill champion Franz Klammer. I myself am by no means a great skier having learned as an adult. But whilst skiing behind him it lifted my skiing ability to a significantly higher level. When following his lead I mirrored his motion, meaning that I put my entire body the same position as his essentially “followed his lead” Interestingly I could feel his rhythm and movement in my body, which greatly simplified the process of learning to ski, suddenly my skis were making the same sound, my movements felt like his looked and there was a grace to the whole process that wasn’t there before. The intriguing point is that I didn’t have to think what my skis, or knees or anything else was doing. Now when I ski all I have to do is imagine that I have Franz in front of me or I can even ski AS IF I am Franz and my skiing goes to a higher level. Wouldn’t that be great if we could apply it that experience to golf? Well, I think that we all can...

For example, almost without exception the most effective learners at our clubs are the junior members, the ‘naïve’ analysis free learning state that young people utilise to learn should be an example to adults (Picture of good child swing). They observe good golfers in action and are immediately able to imitate or ‘model’ the movements that are demonstrated to them with ease. This is an excellent example of modelling and unconscious learning. However, as we mature we gradually replace this ability with conscious information gathering and analysis. Most clubs have at least one member who could write a dissertation on swing technique but is paralysed when he comes to ‘play’ golf despite his ever-increasing amount of technical knowledge. This, on the other hand, is an example of conscious (and less than effective) learning.  This distinction between conscious and unconscious learning is an important one in improving your game.

Using your unconscious mind to assist your learning is like using a broadband Internet connection in comparison to a congested dial-up connection – your conscious learning approach. So how can you use this to improve your approach to learning and improving your golf game? I would recommend you follow these four simple, yet powerful steps:

1. Identify someone to model: You could go to a professional tournament or choose somebody you know who has the qualities that you are looking for. It is important to be in the presence of the model as modelling from the TV is not effective.
   
2. Unconscious assimilation: Observe and most importantly ABSORB. You must be able to feel their stance, swing, rhythm, breathing, balance etc in your own body AS IF you are in their shoes. NB To do this you need to be absorbing WITHOUT knowing specifically what you are noticing ie talking to yourself in your head about what you are doing. Stay silent.
   
3. Imitate the model:  Practice “AS IF” you were the model - what do you notice? How did the swing look to you?  How did the club sound in the air or how did the impact sound, how did this make you feel?  What else did you notice in the execution of the shot? (Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you satisfied that you have what you were looking for).
   
4. Test it: Take what you have learned onto the course and replicate. You should be able to feel AS IF you are playing in your model’s shoes. What is the difference when it works effectively, are you more fully associated with your model? Only after you are able to replicate the skills should you take note of the difference that made the difference. This last step is the key for you...

This is similar to a modeling process that has been successfully used in many contexts and was invented and used by the founders of the field of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). John Grinder and Richard Bandler.

I personally believe that many great golfers have developed their fine golf skill using such an approach – although as with most high level of performers they may not be able to describe their approach. So if they can do it, so can you!  If you need an example of a good modeller then look no further than Tiger Woods. When he came onto the tour he actively modelled the leading players in each of the games departments e.g. Faxons putting and Olazabals chipping.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, the quality of your learning is not directly related to your age or any other perceived limitation, however it is related to our approach to learning. This article is essentially about learning how to learn - and the most important aspect to accelerated learning is to use an effective learning strategy such as modeling. This is something that we have done as children. Take every opportunity to observe and imitate excellent performers, minimizing your brains analytical influence. Observe and assimilate what great players do. When taking lessons from your pro insist on demonstrations for you to model what they are talking about. When watching great players pay more attention to what they do rather than what they say.

Then who knows you may surprise yourself with the speed of your improvement.

About Terry Rowles

Terry Rowles is one of the best young coaches in the world today. He worked for David Leadbetter for over 6 years, where he assisted David in teaching some of the best players in the world including Nick Faldo , Ernie Els and Greg Norman. Terry was the Director of the largest Leadbetter academy in Europe, where he was responsible for coaching other Leadbetter coaches.

Recently Terry has been pursuing other avenues of excellence to improve his coaching – through combining NLP (which he studied with the founder John Grinder and Inspiritive)  with in the physical side of golf Biomechanics (which he studied with the best, Paul Chek.) Terry conducts coporate Golf days for major companies taking executives out on the Golf Course.

Terry Rowles 's Profile