The Carrot File

Once again Grayden has set my mind going with his carrot peeling exercise. His latest comments and insight appear here and require further comment.

Is thinking about peeling a carrot going to help your golf game? Here’s my take.

I’m reminded of going to a party in my hey day. I was able to walk into a room of strangers, meet them once, and then remember their names.

But there was a problem with this.

It took work. I had to be concentrating from the moment I entered the room and I needed to be on the ball. The bottom line is that while it was interesting, I wasn’t really at the party. I wasn’t having fun.

By being so focused on people’s names, I missed out on other interactions and conversations that make party going so much fun. I didn’t have some magical ability to remember names – I had to work hard at it.

And this is where the carrot thing seems to fail. It’s hard work and quite possibly getting in the way of making the game fun.

The golf swing is complicated. It’s a tough skill and automatic golf works because it gives you a system for making execution as simple as possible.

So here’s my main point: You can play golf in any number of ways. You can go to the golf course with lots of baggage and have your mind full. Or you can simplify the process and let your subconscious do what it’s designed to do. The choice is yours.

And just maybe Steady has summed up my thinking and the automatic process perfectly:

I have found that automatic golf ain’t rocket science. Get behind the ball, stick with your decision, count, get set and swing.

If you can come up with a better description I’d like to hear it.

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5 Comments

  • Grayden Provis

    Reply Reply June 30, 2010

    OK. But how about slicing an onion?

    But seriously, I think you’re right. As I said before my brain can’t cope with more than counting anyway. Count, hit, enjoy. Thanks Cameron and Steady. On the money as usual.

  • Steady

    Reply Reply June 30, 2010

    Hi Tribers,
    Grayden you have fallen for pesky’s number one tactic ie lets scrutinise and analyse to the enth degree. This is a distraction and does not help you score. I’m so glad someone other than myself has tried to improve Cam’s way of playing golf. I did and all I got was frustration and crap scores. Thank God for my PE training and natural learning insights.
    It is imperative that you stick to your decision, counting and swing. Easy simple non distractive ( if distractive is a word ).
    Cheers I hope this helps.
    PS Grayeden I will be in Freo/Perth from the 20th of October to the 27th hopefully we will catch up and teach each other a few things.
    Cheers Steady

  • Grayden Provis

    Reply Reply June 30, 2010

    Look forward to it. Cheers Steady.

  • Richard Asher

    Reply Reply July 1, 2010

    I’m starting to come round to the idea that you’ve just got to let the body do its thing when on the golf course. I’ve started ‘letting go’ and keeping no more than one swing thought, and it does seem to be helping. The question remains, how should I practice? Presumably it’s OK to get technical on the range, as long as you can put it all out of your mind on the course….

    • Cameron

      Reply Reply July 1, 2010

      @Richard: Yes definitely. Once you’re out on the course you’ve got to play. I’ll shoot you some more info on the best way to practice.

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