Got Nerves? Get Breathing
One of the most overlooked tools we all have at our disposal to help with nerves on the course is our breath! It is the greatest tool available to help us get calmed down and refocused.
But the biggest question that comes up…when do I breathe during the golf swing? Before? During? After? Hold it? Blow it out in middle of swing? Breathe in during backswing and out as you swing through? Ugh!! That is just too much to think about… ‘Calgon take me away’!
Generally speaking, most golfers breathe out at address, breathe in during backswing and out during the downswing. This just seems to be the natural way most golfers breathe. Some pros will tell you that they breathe out slowly during the downswing and follow through. But let’s not get too focused on breathing or we could simply forget to swing!
My Take On the ‘Swing Breath’
Breathing is something we need to do and we certainly can use it to our advantage without too much thought.
Early in my career, there were times I just could not figure out why I was ‘tight’ during some shots and loosey-goosey on others. One off season I decided to take some martial arts classes for fun. Hey, maybe it would help my inner-self, create strength and flexibility and of course, protect myself from all the fans that swarm me week in and week out at every tournament– J
Well, I had that ‘Ah-ha’ moment one night in my rented apartment while doing laundry. Our instructor was teaching us about how to generate power into our opponent by exhaling at ‘impact’. As I wanted the clothes go around and around it hit me like a brick—‘why can’t I do this in the golf swing’?
I was so excited I set my alarm for dawn to head to the course. Once there I pulled out my trusted love—8 iron—and addressed the ball, took a deep breath in, let it mostly out and then began the swing. What I did after that was amazing…I gave a hard exhale at impact and the ball flew like a Babe Ruth home run! I never felt so relaxed and powerful. I continued this will all my clubs throughout the day and it was a huge revelation and success.
Mind you, most of you may already know this, but it is nice to revisit something so simple. Think about it…Monica Seles is famous for her ‘exhaling’ at impact and through the tennis shot. Bubba Watson has a little muffled exhale at impact. I could talk about so many athletes that utilize this was of creating more power thought the ball.
What I realized is that I was taking a breath in and holding it to swing—those are the moments I felt tight and just not comfortable. When I exhaled through impact the rest of my breath and didn’t have a chest full of air, I was loose and ready to go low against old man par.
Simple Exercise to Give it a Go
Here is a way to check out how this can help your swing and create a more powerful and consistent swing:
Take out your favorite iron and address the ball. Now take a deep breath in, hold it and swing while holding your breath. Feel stiff and tight? Too much air in your lungs can generate expanded chest wall and ribs that can snowball into tension through your shoulders, neck, arms and hands.
Now, address the ball again and take a deep breath. When you are ready to take the club back, exhale and then start your backswing. As you come through, allow the rest of your breath to ‘blow out’ through impact to the finish. Did that feel more relaxed?
Try this on all your clubs and especially your driver. Once you get the hang of it, you will find a more relaxed and powerful swing by simply breathing better.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned, breathing can really be overlooked since it is something we really do without thinking. To this day, I take a deep breath in, address the ball with my last waggle, let the breath out and then swing and the remaining air in my lungs is released through impact. I can tell you that you will not have the tension of old in your neck, shoulders and arms.
Give this a try and let us know at Bunkers Paradise how it works. We love to hear from you.
‘keep smiling and always believe’
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