The Golf Secrets the Golf Equipment Industry Does Not Want You to Hear

When people write about the top professionals, theyplay and focussed instead on imagination and instinct.
tend to talk about the externally visible aspect ofI would describe that as trusting his unconscious mind.
their game - their swing technique. Those sameHogan added that he only told people about his
writers rarely tell you about the golf mind secrets oftechnical swing secrets, because that's what they
those professionals.wanted to hear about.
So what about Jack Nicklaus and 90% of golf in theWell what about other top professionals
mind?How many other top professionals are being similarly
When I started out in golf in the late 60's I recallmisrepresented? Well, two that I've played with, a
hearing Jack Nicklaus talk on TV about golf beinglong time ago admittedly, are Tony Jacklin, in a
90% in the mind. However, when I eagerly read hisfourball in 1970, and Nick Faldo, in an open amateur
first book, The Greatest Game of All published incompetition in 1976. That was the Hertfordshire Stag
1969, I found very little information about golfat Moor Park and not long before he turned pro. Oh,
psychology. In fact, two thirds of the book wasI am a name dropper, aren't I?
biographical and the remaining third was about theTony talked a lot to me about his cocoon of
golf swing. Maybe that was what the public wantedconcentration, that helped him so much when he won
to hear or what Herbert Warren Wind, his co-writer,his majors, but most of what I've read about him
wanted to write about. There wasn't any morerefers to his swing and his life in general. There's very
about golf psychology in Jack's Golf My Waylittle said about his mental strength and his golf
published 5 years later.psychology techniques.
Surely Ben Hogan's secret was about swingWhen I played with Nick Faldo, he was very
mechanics?impressive mentally and, watching him later winning
I only recently found a similar contradiction about Bentournaments and major championships, no one would
Hogan in an online article. Now I got interested indoubt his mental strength and focus., However, at
Ben's ideas a few year's back when I first boughtthe time, all the media focus was on his swing
my Explanar swing trainer. I had a series of lessonschange and everyone was so surprised when he later
with its inventor Luther Blacklock up at Woburn Golfappointed a golf psychologist to help with the Ryder
and Country Club. Now Luther is a real advocate ofCup team he captained.
Ben Hogan's swing technique and has published a wellEven with Tiger Woods, and no I haven't played with
thought out instructional DVD called The Losthim, we hear more about his swing and prodigious
Fundamentals of Hogan. Luther demonstrates theselength off the tee than we hear about his amazing
lost fundamentals on his DVD while looking like,mental resilience, his obvious use of self-hypnosis and
swinging and dressing exactly like the great man.the fact that he's had a mind coach from a very
So what was the contradiction? Well, the articleearly age in Jay Brunza.
suggested that Bob Rotella, one of the golfSo who's suppressing the mind golf secrets?
psychology greats, interviewed Ben Hogan shortlyFor some reason the golfing media doesn't think it's
before Hogan's death in 1997 and asked him what histhat important to promote golf psychology as one of
real swing secret was. Hogan told Rotella that histhe key secrets of golf success. I wonder if the golf
technical secret was related to how he cupped hisequipment manufacturers have something to do with
wrist at the top of backswing.that. They are a powerful lobby and all this talk about
Hogan went on to say that the real secret, behindgolf psychology hardly helps them to sell more golf
his starting to win major championships, came whenequipment, now does it?
he eliminated all swing thoughts from his tournament