Hiding in Sunshine

Contents

Before You Start Reading

Let’s Get Interactive

Introduction

Part 1: Liberating Your Swing Potential

Movement and the Big Six

Misconceptions

My Journey From ‘Knowing’ To ‘Not Knowing’

Conforming to Traditional Technique

Where do our natural abilities go when we play golf?

Why the club doesn’t swing on a straight line

Learning from adversity

Quick Therapy

Part 2: Increasing Your Confidence

The Worst Word In Golf

The Way We Talk To Ourselves

Course Management

Managing Your State

Setting Realistic Objectives

Positive & Negative Boxes

Why We Top The Ball

The Importance of Finishing Well

How My Game Has Developed

Summary

Ten Practical Steps to Improving Your Golf

Gillon Graph

Suggested Reading

"These days it seems like a lot of people write books based on theory. They sound good, they promise a lot but in the end they tend to disappoint. They fail what I call the ‘real world’ test. Are they written by people of genuine real world experience who have been at the coal face day in day out actually working with their ideas? Most have not.

The book that you are about to read passes that test with flying colours. This is a book written for YOU the golfer by a coach who has clearly spent his life passionately involved in coaching and the processes involved in helping you to play better golf. And perhaps more importantly to get more enjoyment from the game. Read this book with an open mind. Allow yourself to leave some of your past conditioning behind and enjoy the opportunity to view the game from a totally different and exciting perspective. Put your golf in the safe hands of Brian Sparks and I feel certain that you will move your game to a level that you perhaps didn’t consider possible."

—Karl Morris, European Tour Mind Coach to Darren Clark and Lee Westwood

Brian Sparks has done a very nice job in helping golfers with the most important aspect of the game-the mental side.

—Tim Gallwey, Author of the Inner Game books on Tennis, Golf, Skiing, Music, Work, Winning & Stress

Until I read Positive Impact Golf’ I was a good athlete in most sports but I was so frustrated by my inability to play good golf that I only played when I had to. That all changed in a matter of a few weeks by applying the book’s simple message of a more natural swinging motion. It demystified a lot of the technical stuff I had learnt and I now love my swing and the way I hit the ball. I have also reduced my score by 12 shots a round!

—John P Strelecky-International Best-Selling Author-’The Big Five for Life’-’Leadership’s Greatest Secret,’ ‘The Why Cafe,’ ‘Life Safari.’

Positive Impact Golf’ has given me a golf swing I didn’t think existed. I’m straighter, more consistent, have gained 15 yards in length and am now down to 7 handicap. Amazingly, all this with less effort, less thought and more relaxation. Heaven!

—Joe Sach-33 year-old BA Pilot

More and more sports coaches are realising that the mental and emotional state of a performer is in many cases more significant than their technique for their success. This calls for a new approach to coaching. Brian’s new book illustrates and emphasizes this well and should be read by teachers and players alike.

—Sir John Whitmore, PhD-CEO Performance Consultants International & Author of Coaching For Performance

Rarely does a book on coaching remember that all those reading may not be the same! Brian successfully communicates his knowledge from a lifetime of playing and coaching the game and from studying at first hand the best coaches in the world, whilst ensuring that you are fully involved in your own development. It stands alone as a great story of the experiences of a tournament professional and coach and for those seeking personal progression in their careers and performance. Positive Impact Golf’ will not only help you achieve your potential but will transform your experience of the learning process.

—Karl Steptoe, Psychologist & PGA Professional

I was once invited to spend a day with David Leadbetter and a group of a dozen Pro’s. David got us to change our swings dramatically; it was as though he could see into our mechanics and force us to change our bad habits. The difference with Brian is that he can see what is going on in both our body and our mind. It is this ability to find what causes us to make un-natural or ineffective movements that is at the core of how he helps golfers find their own natural and correct swing. This discovery provides them with the awareness to develop the solution in a natural, reliable and permanent way. Positive Impact Golf’ combines technique and psychology in the easiest and most effective way I have ever witnessed.

—Philip Sparks, PGA Professional & Qualified Golf Course Architect

Since reading a small part of Positive Impact Golf’ published as a report on the 6 Key Basics I am hitting the ball further and straighter. Everything else I had read before seemed to suit young athletes and not me. I am 78 years old, have 2 new knees and have recently reduced my handicap from 20 to 18. I can’t wait to read the whole book!

—Bill Haffenden-Retired (Bromley UK)

"Positive Impact Golf’ is more about finding the real’source’ of any problem, and not making a judgement from any visual impression when a golf swing deviates from a so called ‘textbook’ swing. This is about quickly breaking down the pupil’s misconceptions about the golf swing and then, once free of some of these ‘tension building’ theories, helping them to create a relaxed and more natural swing.

22 years ago, I was a successful tour player. I then had a very dramatic loss of form, and have struggled hopelessly ever since. I have had many lessons, but each time, I not only didn’t improve, but got considerably worse. About 3 weeks after my first lesson with Brian, I am not only back at my best, I also understand why, and my swing is 100% natural, and amazingly, I have done it all without any conscious effort, or even a swing thought."

—PGA Pro Richard Fish, finished 2nd on the 1988 Safari Circuit to Vijay Singh

Acknowledgements

My thanks to:

Bee, for your love, support, encouragement, patience and understanding during my selfish writing period.

Michel Perroux, as the major influence in my life to understanding the limitations of traditional teaching methods and showing me the tremendous value of positive thinking.

John Ayress, for inciting me to go public and for your invaluable help with proof reading.

My sisters Pat and Brenda, and my brother Philip, for your belief in me.

Peter Allen, for your input, friendship, encouragement and unique way of looking at the world.

Roger Mace, for giving me the opportunity to make a career in golf and opening my mind to a professional attitude at such a young age.

John Norswortliy, the first golf coach who inspired me to see golf in a less technical way.

Timothy Gallwey, such a major influence on the way I coach.

Kjell Enhager, Ernest Jones, Bobby Jones, Fred Shoemaker, Dr Joseph Parent, Dr Bob Rotella, Sir John Whitmore, Michael Murphy, and Stan Utley for the content of all their books.

John P. Strelecky, for your invaluable advice and for helping me to get this to print. Your advice to ask Jana Rade, Creative Director at Impact Studios, to design the book’s cover and interior pages was a master stroke! A big ‘thank you’ to Jana for her brilliance and patience.

All the guys I’ve worked with over the years whose input has been invaluable.

Most importantly, all the people who have sought my help to learn or improve their golf over the last 40 years. I have learnt so much from you all and you are the true inspiration for this book.

Finally, thank you for purchasing my book. I have written it with the intention of providing some positive input into the way you look at your own golfing potential and helping you to get even more enjoyment from this beautiful game.

Authors Notes

I am a right-handed golfer and I have chosen to use the right-handed terms throughout most of the book. I found it ungainly to do otherwise and I apologise to the left-handed reader who is obliged to translate every right to left and vice-versa. I have, however, used the expressions ‘front’ foot or ‘leading’ arm instead of ‘left’ wherever it seemed appropriate.

I have also chosen to use ‘he’ in many cases as again, the use of ‘he and/or she’ is rather cumbersome. I apologise to the female reader but would assure her that the content of this book will be at least as beneficial to her as it will be to the male golfer.

I made myself a promise many years ago that I would always use everyday words and terms and not fall into the trap of using complex terminology and jargon in my coaching sessions. I will do my utmost to be faithful to that promise in this book.

Each chapter starts with a personal quote from me.

THIS book is dedicated to the millions of golfers who have been misled into believing basic concepts of golf swing technique which actually prevent them from swinging a golf club and playing the game in a way that is true to their personal flexibility, age, and individual body rhythms. The concepts in this book have the power to make the game much easier, much more enjoyable and to help you plug into the natural abilities that all human beings possess.

BEFORE

YOU START

READING

Let’s Get Interactive

I HAVE written this book with the sole purpose of helping golfers to view the art of swinging a golf club and hitting a golf ball in a different light. You will read in these pages that I am convinced that certain traditional concepts make it difficult for you to tap into your natural ability to swing the club in a relaxed, rhythmical and effective manner with any degree of consistency.

You will see that you can achieve astounding progress simply by letting go of these misconceptions and embracing a more natural way of playing the game.

In order for you to draw maximum benefit from reading it, and before I go any further, I strongly suggest you start a notebook to record anything you find meaningful in the following pages. Start by writing down your thoughts on how you should swing a golf club.

Yes, do it NOW! If you haven’t got a notebook go and get a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil and write it all down. Go on, do it now or the opportunity to register your beliefs before being in any way influenced by this book will be lost! The comparison between your thoughts now and the way they may evolve throughout the book will provide greater insight and options for the way you choose to play the game in the future.

If you are just starting to play, you may not have much to put down but that’s fine. For you, this book will help to avoid putting complicated and outdated barriers in the way of developing a simple and natural way of playing and you will, I trust, understand the philosophy as the pages unfold.

On the other hand, if you have played golf for any length of time I would like you to write down the main points you would focus on when giving some advice to a beginner, someone who has never held a club in their hands before. This person has no idea how to swing a club so your advice is likely to be very influential and long remembered. All novices are particularly sensitive to the things they learn at the very first stage in any new subject or domain.

As you read further into the book, and learn more about ‘La Danse du Golf,’ the comparison between your thoughts and mine will be of great value. If you take the time to do it right now (yes, straight away), you will benefit to a maximum degree. Take your time. Don’t rush. If you can’t think of anything to start oft with just be patient and let your mind sift through all the information you have gained over the years and let the words come. If they are in your subconscious it is normal that they will take some time to pop in to your conscious mind. A cornerstone of my philosophy is that the thoughts and beliefs that reside in your subconscious are the ones in the driving seat of your way of playing golf, not the ones you may be actively thinking about and aware of before and during each shot.

Once you’ve finished, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve written a few words or many, I would like you to answer the following more specific questions. You may well have covered these already. That’s OK.

These questions are all prefixed by ‘what would you tell a beginner about…’

• their head—(a) generally in the swing, (b )in the backs wing, (c) after impact

• their eyes

• their arms) in the backswing, (b) through and after impact

• their front foot in the backswing (left foot for a right handed player)

• the line the club head should take in the first foot of the back-swing

• the line the club head takes as it moves back through the ball

and for the first foot after impact

• when they should cock their wrists in the backswing

• what point in the swing should the club head reach its greatest

speed

• what they should do after a bad shot

• what they should do after a round of golf

Now give yourself a score from o to 10 for how good you are at the following aspects of your swing, zero being poor and ten being excellent:

• how good am I at swinging with no effort

• how good am I at playing with a relaxed swing

• how good is my rhythm

• how good is my balance at the end of my swing

• how well do I get through to a full finish

Please do this before you read on or the opportunity to compare what you will learn with what you have done before will be lost. The understanding and knowledge contained in this book will give you new and fresh options for your future enjoyment.

Now, keep this in a safe place as it will be important later and keep writing notes as you read. How many times have I read a book and then had to read it again because I didn’t make notes the first time?

Introduction

THE average person is more than capable of playing the game in an easier and more natural manner. In this book I will demonstrate and help you discover a new perspective on your true potential. I am convinced that the average handicap has not improved either in Britain or the USA over the last four decades because modern teaching overcomplicates what is, in essence, a very simple affair. Add to this the indoctrination of all new golfers to conform to outdated and complex principles and you will easily understand why I am determined to lead golf coaching in a new, simple and inherently more natural direction.

In these pages you will see why you play well sometimes without knowing how and you will be able to control your game instead of being controlled by it. You will gain the tools to play consistently better golf because you will know how to find your natural swing and how to shed the false and over-technical version you have been indoctrinated to use. You will de-clutter your golfing mind and become more confident and positive about your game.

I founded ‘Positive Impact Golf’ to help release the average golfer from the interference of limiting beliefs from which he or she is unwittingly suffering. Since discovering the power of our belief