Shake It Off

Growing up watching dad instruct golf students, I learned a few lessons applicable beyond the driving range. One is practice makes perfect . . . well, at least better.

Another one that stuck is ‘shake it off’.

Literally.

At it’s core, a golf swing is like a habit. It involves a series of repetitive muscle memories. Like any memory, it can become warped over time due to changes in range of motion, gravity or adding unnecessary movements.

If a student stood over the ball too long while contemplating a course correction, dad would tell them to step away and shake it off. I used to think this was odd until I understood the simple science behind the shake.

Like a computer that needs to shut down and reboot to resume normal operation, people need to turn the switch off in our brains to interrupt the error messages and reboot our body. This erases the noise and allows our muscles to resume the repetition of proper swing programming.

It works!

It works on the driving range and in your daily routine. While working, if my thoughts are running away with me or I feel stuck, I get up and shake it off. It’s like jazz hands for your whole body! Dancing works, too, as does jumping jacks. Anything that interrupts the noise and allows us to resume normal optimal operating procedures will get us get back on course.

The next time your mind is running amok or you’re just stuck, try shaking it off.
Let me know how this works for you.