Breathing Technique Drill: Enhance Your Golf and Get in the Zone

Breathing Technique Golf Swing Drill: Get In The Zone

This breathing technique golf swing practice drill is from the Golf Practice Planner.

Name
Breathing Technique Golf Swing Drill

Category
Golf Mindset Practice Drills

Difficulty
1 out of 10

Time
5 minutes

Props
Your lungs

Overview
Turn off your conscious brain, and activate your subconscious brain when in the heat of competition. The quickest, easiest, and most effective golf drill you will ever be given is to control your breathing. If you can control your breathing, you will definitely improve your golf.

When you get tense on the golf course, you find yourself holding your breath. That will cause the muscles to tense up, and that is death to the swing.

Breathing with intention of release and calmness taps into the frontal cortex of our brain. This helps us stay calm, measured, and controlled.

This drill will show you the best way to breathe before and during a swing.

Steps

Step 1: Watch
Watch the video.

Step 2: Behind The Ball 
Stand behind the ball. Take three deep inhales through the nose and exhales through your mouth while visualizing the shot.

Step 3: Exhale During The Swing
Breath in over the ball, and when you start the backswing exhale slowly. This swinging on an “exhale” was a trick the great Sir Henry Cotton used. He taught it to many of his fellow pros, including Sir Nick Faldo. The exhale is the most effective way of releasing tension. It’s impossible to have the body too relaxed during the swing. The more relaxed you are during the swing, the more your body will respond intuitively to the target.

Step 4: Keep Score
Hit 10 balls. Give yourself one point every time you remember to “exhale” during the shot.

Course Game: On the course give yourself one point every time you remember to “exhale” during the shot. This includes every shot (drives, irons, chips, and putts). Keep a tally on your golf scorecard.