Let's talk about putting.
Let's use the power of our imagination to pattern our unconscious mind,
Being at one with the ball,
Correctly holding the club,
Assessing the grass,
And calculating the slope and distance before sinking the putt.
First,
Let's really relax.
You may practice this standing or sitting.
Take a deep,
Full breath in,
And a long,
Slow breath.
A full,
Deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow breath.
And again,
A deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow breath.
Let your shoulders,
Let your body sink into the surface supporting you.
See the ball in your mind's eye,
Resting on a grain,
Any grain.
Be like the ball,
Relax,
Breathe.
Our unconscious mind has the power to make all the calculations you need.
Every moment of your day it automatically analyzes,
Calculates,
And adjusts your body when you walk,
Run,
Sit,
Jump,
Lie down,
Stretch,
Reach,
Touch,
And hold someone or something.
It knows your possibilities and impossibilities,
Sometimes better than you.
So today we are going to trust it to use its vast knowledge to help us relax.
Now,
Once more,
Take a full,
Deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow breath,
And see in your imagination your ball resting on a grain,
A golf grain.
It may be a particular grain,
On a particular course,
Or just any practice putting grain.
Breathe easy,
Take in the whole picture,
The ball,
The grass,
The pin,
The whole.
Let your whole body read the grain,
The slope,
The point at which the grain breaks towards the pin,
The grass.
Breathe in the vision.
Now see yourself.
Take your putter and hold it in your hands.
Be aware of the shape of it,
The feel of it,
The weight of it.
Rest it easy,
Diagonally in the palm of your non-dominant hand.
Close your thumb and fingers into a relaxed,
Firm grip.
Place your other hand in position,
Relaxed and easy.
Practice the swing,
Using your shoulders,
A fluid pendulum,
Backwards and forwards,
A smooth action,
Backwards and forwards.
Now,
Address the ball,
Your club in place,
Behind the ball,
Relaxed but steady in your hands.
Breathe,
Take in the whole scene again,
The ball,
The grass,
The pin.
Let your whole body read the grain,
The slope,
The point at which the grain breaks towards the pin,
The grass.
Breathe in the vision.
Now,
Make the perfect swing,
The perfect connection,
The perfect speed,
The perfect direction.
Watch the ball roll with perfect symmetry into the hole.
Smile,
Breathe,
Relax.
Place another ball in the same position.
Address the ball,
Your club in place,
Behind the ball,
Relaxed but steady in your hands.
Breathe,
Take in the whole scene again,
The grass,
The pin.
Let your whole body read the grain,
The slope,
The point at which the grain breaks towards the pin,
The grass.
Breathe in the vision.
Now,
Make the perfect swing,
The perfect connection,
The perfect speed,
The perfect direction.
Watch the ball roll with perfect symmetry into the hole.
Smile,
Breathe,
Relax.
Let's repeat the same shot one more time.
Address the ball,
Your club in place,
Behind the ball,
Relaxed but steady in your hands.
Breathe,
Take in the whole scene again,
The ball,
The grass,
The pin.
Let your whole body read the grain,
The slope,
The point at which the grain breaks towards the pin,
The grass.
Breathe in the vision.
The perfect swing,
The perfect connection,
The perfect speed,
The perfect direction.
Watch the ball roll with perfect symmetry into the hole.
Smile,
Breathe,
Relax.
It's time to move the ball to a new position,
Perhaps further away or closer,
Perhaps on a sharper gradient.
Place the ball in position.
Practice the swing,
Using your shoulders,
A fluid pendulum,
Backwards and forwards,
A smooth action.
Address the ball,
Your club in place,
Behind it,
Relaxed but steady in your hands.
Breathe,
Take in the whole scene again,
From this new angle,
The ball,
The grass,
The pin.
Let your whole body read the grain,
The slope,
The point at which the grain breaks towards the pin,
The grass.
Breathe in the vision.
Make the perfect swing,
The perfect connection,
The perfect speed,
The perfect direction.
Watch the ball roll with perfect symmetry into the hole.
Smile,
Breathe.
Practice until it becomes automatic,
Until it becomes an unconscious action and you can apply it with perfection,
Beyond your imagination.
Practice on different holes,
At different times,
In different days,
In different conditions.
Practice until it becomes automatic in your mind,
Until it becomes an unconscious action and you can apply it with perfection,
Beyond your imagination.
All the best.
Remember,
The more you practice,
The closer you become to being a master.
Until next time,
Let's practice.
