I had a year of the driver once… once. I was unaware that I was in the midst of a process that would allow me to hit the ball further and straighter than anyone else. I was just frustrated that I was not hitting it well, and was determined to fix it within my current movement pattern and set-up. I hit a lot of golf balls… a LOT of golf balls.

It was the Winter of 2006-2007. I was freshly immersed in the South Florida climes again, and was on course to play professionally. I’m wired to perfect things. After one painful day on the range, my hands, wrists, and forearms were exhausted, inflamed, and swollen. I made the commitment to concentrate on perfect contact before I worried about anything else. I needed to take this one step at a time. I throttled back on the speed and started paying attention to my set up and movement with perfect contact. Consciousness with each swing gave me feedback I used for the next impact.

Patterns formed. Associations emerged between the results and the intention. I repeated what felt powerful within a purely contact-driven experiment. I noticed the way my intention translated into swing-sequence, which translated into movement and then the ball. In order to repeat a pain-free impact, I had to pay close attention to everything. I didn’t pay attention consciously, but subconsciously. “Total consciousness” came later. It was incidental to the need I had to avoid pain within the process.

Pretty soon, the patterns of movement I had developed were yielding noticeably better impacts. And the application of speed was easier once my intention for perfect impact was realized. The structures I created in my swing to hit it perfectly, once formed into fluid motion, also allowed me to move as fast as I wanted to hit it as far as I could. It was pretty simple. A specific intent led me to my goal and well beyond. By the time I reached my goal I was already working toward another more specific one.

In the meantime, I had become an absolute machine from the tee. My set-up was exactly the same every time. My swing thought was the same every time. My structures were the same every time. And my speed was producing tremendous length. And I NEVER, EVER missed my target by more than a few yards… Not EVER. Imagine being able to swing as hard as you can knowing you’ll hit it perfectly. Have you given it a thought? I hadn’t.

As a result of my performance, I was recruited by playing fellow competitors to play with them in numerous partner events. I was told I was hitting the Driver as far as anyone in South Florida. I won’t talk about my putting. Somehow, I had arrived at my driving destination without even thinking about it.

I guess it’s true… If you enjoy what you are doing, it’s not work. The point is, have a goal, hurtle yourself into a process of reaching it, then create a specific intention out of the pain you experience along the way. Let the pain guide your brain.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy