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Managing Tension

There is a current mini-explosion of comments coming from media, including forums, concerning “tension,” and its effect on the game. Usually that is accompanied by ideas about what to do in case you have any. What we have seen is a tendency to give tension and anxiety the same  meaning, which is not how either of them works.

Anxiety and tension are indeed kin, but not the same. Anxiety is   the “parent” and tension is one of the “children.” As it happens, tension describes a physiological response/reaction to the presence of anxiety. Anxiety shows up, and things like tight muscles, rapid breathing, increased blood pressure follow and those are usually lumped into the word “tension.” It's no news that under such circumstances, a player may have some problems with adequate execution. In fact, the same players that rip balls purely on the range can miss wildly on the course - and not know “what happened?”

That does not necessarily mean that one will encounter tension every time there is any anxiety, but it may arise often enough to be an issue for players' attention.

Without detailing the “recipe” and “ingredients” of tension, suffice it to say that when you get it, you generally know it. Here's a remedial way of managing tension: The last thing before you walk to the ball, do the following:

Take a small breath (as in sniff) in through your nose and hold it for about 2 seconds. While doing that, over-grip the butt of your club. Then after a couple of seconds, release both handle your club normally while walking to the ball. From our viewpoint, it helps if you have something like a clear key working, since that will keep the anxiety “at bay” long enough for you to execute your shot - free of tension.

For those who are already clear keys users, bear in mind that it won't remove tension, but it will keep anxiety at bay. If the tension is already there, you need a physiological remedy, and the breathing and over-gripping meet that need.

Written by: Carey Mumford

You can reach Carey at Clear Key Golf