Trackman Talks: The Mental Game Big Three (episode 1)

Why intention matters

You cannot access skill without intention.

While the driving range is often filled with swings, the golf course essentially demands shots.

Golfers frequently focus on technical aspects of their swing, but coaches should guide them towards understanding that skill is the ability to follow through with your intention. Trackman technology is excellent for developing skills, but the larger challenge for most golfers is how to then access those developed skills on the golf course.

The "Mental Game Big Three" miniseries, of which intention is the first part, aims to connect the mental side of golf with performance data.

The power of a simple question

A fundamental question that organizes performance and triggers the brain to organize movement around a task is, "What does a good shot look like here?"

Without a clear mental picture, golfers are essentially guessing — hoping the mechanics work. Asking this question forces the brain to find a solution, creating a map in the brain for which the body can then begin to organize around.

Without this clear intention, the body will always struggle to organize movement. Coaches who fail to ask about a player's intention risk forming opinions based solely on aesthetics, which is a dangerous game. The body on its own is a genius at organizing movement around a clear intention.

Coaching application: Shifting from swing to shot

Coaching should involve a fundamental shift from focusing on the swing to focusing on the shot.

1) Using Trackman Shot Tracker to visualize intention

Trackman Shot Tracker is a valuable tool to help players visualize and clarify their intention.

Coaches can show players historical shots or ask them to hit specific shots (e.g., a draw starting 10 yards right of target) and then display the shot tracker data. By asking questions like, "Was that the shape you wanted?", coaches can help players connect their initial intention with the actual outcome.

Trackman provides objective measurements of ball flight and club delivery, offering truth without opinion.

2) Prioritizing intention over technique

It's crucial not to start a lesson by telling players how they swing, but rather by understanding what they’re trying to do.

It's important to ask players about their goals for a session and what skills they want to develop before offering technical advice. Coaches can reimagine their role as swing coaches and steer more towards becoming shot coaches, emphasizing that the purpose of a golf swing is to create a specific shot.

Without knowing a player's intention, any assessment made by a coach is almost guesswork.

3) Encouraging purposeful variability in practice

To develop skill and control, players should be encouraged to create purposeful variability in practice.

Practical drill: Intentional misses

This can involve drills like intentionally hitting the ball off the toe or heel, or starting it 10 yards right, or launching it low. Successfully executing these intentional misses demonstrates genuine control, showing the player isn't "just swinging" – they're making decisions.

This type of practice helps develop the ability to influence the club, similar to how golf legend Seve Ballesteros learned to play with a single three-iron on a beach, developing all kinds of different shots.