The Power of a Single Swing Thought ⛳️

I grew up surrounded by the game of golf.

There are more golf courses in the Palm Springs area where I was raised than anywhere else on the West Coast – around 130. When I was in first grade, we lived near a driving range, and my friends and I used to collect the lost range balls that veered into the trees. 

My brother-in-law is a PGA-certified golf pro. I worked summers on the course, washing clubs, picking up balls off the range, and driving carts. 

I still remember attending a professional tournament as a teenager, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, where celebrities competed alongside PGA professionals. Where else could you get Amy Grant AND Jerry Rice’s autographs on the same day?? (I couldn’t be bothered at that age to care about the real professional golfers there that day.)

Then I married the daughter of a golf course superintendent. My father-in-law, a skillful golfer himself, was in charge of a course for 33 years. Talk about being surrounded by golf! ⛳️

Spending all that time around golf, you’d think I’d be decent at it. But I assure you, I am not! 

Golf is the type of game that, for me, involves hours upon hours of mild frustration, intermingled with moments of exhilaration.

If you are a fan of golf, you know that this last week was the U.S. Open. Famously one of the most exciting golf tournaments due to its open format, golfer J.J. Spaun won his first-ever major, beating out world-class pros like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, making what has been described as an “unreal comeback” and sinking a 64-foot putt to win the tournament. 

In honor of the U.S. Open, let’s look at two lessons that you and I can learn from the world of golf to apply to our leadership today.

The Value of a Good Coach

Growing up surrounded by golf, I know many of the tips and tricks golfers use to improve their swing – form, rhythm, speed, follow-through, etc.

If you and I were golfing, and you asked me for feedback, I could give you decent advice. For example, I might say slow down your backswing, keep your head still, rotate your hips, and make sure you follow through completely. 

The problem is, while each of those pieces of advice might be right, they probably won’t be helpful. 

At some point, each swing tip stacked upon the other becomes overwhelming. If you are anything like me, this is what you’ll feel like at some point:

But let’s say instead you hired a PGA-certified professional to coach you, like my brother-in-law, Eric. Eric would watch you for a minute or two, and then give you ONE piece of advice. He might say, “Think about letting your wrists turn over naturally as you swing through.”

Then he’d give you time to practice, just thinking about that one thing.

What’s the difference between me and a skilled coach, like Eric? Although I can advise you on perhaps 20 things you should do, Eric has the experience to narrow it down to ONE thing. That one thing in golf is called a swing thought, which we’ll unpack shortly.

The difference between an average coach and a great coach is that the great coach can cut through the clutter and zero in on the ONE thing.

One of the most significant values I provide for my clients is the ability to discern and cut through the clutter to what they should focus on. 

We all have had that sense of “I have so many things that I feel like I should be doing right now, but I can’t do everything.” My clients value my discernment on where to focus next. I might consider dozens of possibilities, but the real value lies in the experience to identify what ONE thing they should focus on right now. 

💡 Takeaway: There is nothing like investing in a good coach and advisor. Someone skilled who has gone before you, who will take the time to get to know you, observe you, and who has the experience and wisdom to give you concrete, focused advice. 

The Power of a Single Swing Thought

It takes about 1.5 seconds to complete a swing, from start to finish. 

As we’ve already established, it’s counterproductive to think of too many things when swinging a golf club. Instead of having a natural, smooth motion, the overthinking golfer is stiff and erratic.

One of the best things a golfer can do is identify one thought they can have in mind as they take their swing. One thought that calms the mind and simplifies things, leading to many other things falling into place. 

In fact, the idea of a swing thought is not really about *thinking* at all. Instead, it’s about clearing the mind so the natural, subconscious mind can take over. It’s about not overthinking.

To illustrate, let’s look at an example “swing thought” from my life. 

When I do public speaking, I have one overriding thought in mind, both as I prepare and especially as I speak.

That swing thought for me is “bless the audience.” It’s not about me. It’s not about saying the right words. It’s not about getting the performance just right. The thought that focuses me, calms my spirit, and gets me in the right frame of mind is “bless the audience.” When I’m focused on blessing my audience, everything goes better.

💡 Takeaway: Identify one area of your life where you could benefit from a single swing thought. Perhaps something you tell yourself at the beginning of each day that gets you in the right frame of mind.

The Surprising Solution to Overthinking

One of the best resources I’ve seen on the topic of overthinking is a book by author Jon Acuff called Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking.

Jon is a fantastic communicator, and he’s hilarious, too. I had the privilege of meeting Jon after he spoke at the Global Leadership Summit. 

Here’s just a tease of one of the simple-but-powerful insights that he then unpacks for readers:

“One of the greatest mistakes you can make in life is assuming all your thoughts are true.” - Jon Acuff

We so often just accept our thoughts as they come to us. We take them in as if they are all true, but often the negative soundtracks in our minds are simply not true. What a helpful insight!

For those of us with kids or grandkids, Jon also wrote a version of the book with his two daughters, aimed at kids and teens, called Your New Playlist: The Student’s Guide to Tapping into the Superpower of Mindset.

I highly recommend it to you. 

Until next week… Swing Easy! ⛳️ 

(Although, to be honest, I should probably yell “Fore!” 🏌️)

  - Dave

About the Author | Dave Raley

Consultant, speaker, and author Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps nonprofits and businesses who serve nonprofits create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of the book The Rise of Sustainable Giving: How the Subscription Economy is Transforming Recurring Giving, and What Nonprofits Can Do to Benefit. Dave also writes a weekly innovation and leadership column called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn.

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