Removing tension from the golf swing

Hi all! Any tips for reducing tension in the swing? I tend to grip too hard and swing too much AT the ball as opposed to through it. I’ll take any wacky suggestions you may have. I’ve heard humming while you swing helps haha. Hit me with your suggestions!

If you know you have too much tension and can’t get rid of it, it’s very possible you’re in a position where the tension is a natural reaction to try and get to the golf ball/create speed from a weak position/get the clubface under control. Muscling the club on its own is a common thing, but sometimes it’s just a reaction.

Working on this myself.

I focus on swinging along a line starting at the ball and down to the target like about a foot or two. I try to ignore the ball and focus on my swing path just like during a practice swing. The ball really does just get in the way.

Great results for me as long as I remain relaxed. Staying relaxed after some silly mistakes makes it harder and I revert though.

Why would you want to remove tension from your golf swing? Being tense, most certainly.

Okay you asked for it! One thing that works is to setup to the ball a lot of tension. Grip it tight and then swing back staying tensed up and then relax starting down or maybe half way down. This will at least stop you from tightening up during the swing!

Trying to hum the same note from start of swing to finish is a good one also. That was recommended in the book "The Inner Game of Golf". I still use "Back Hit" on my short game shots which is a technique I learned from that book.

One thing that works for me is to simply focus on relaxing my hands through the ball. This works well with a certain air of detachment and the idea that the swing is a success if the hands are relaxed through the ball regardless of the outcome of the strike.

Flexeril or Valium?

This is a major key for my swing, when I get tense, I ruin my sequencing and fire the lower body early / snatch the club in transition. Guaranteed speed killer, center face contact becomes a miracle.

I don’t know if you played any sports, but tension is bad in almost all athletic motions. Arms and hands should be soft when shooting a basketball. Try throwing a football with a tension ridden arm, it goes nowhere and way off line. Baseball and tennis as well.

You have to trust it. Like the Nike slogan “just do it”. Start with small shots (Pitches, wedges, short irons) and work your way up. My swing thought is “free wheeling”. As always, YMMV, and a good instructor is always the best plan of action

Maybe try the drill where you take the thumb and forefinger of your trail hand off the club while you are swinging. I think that drill is designed to resist the trail hand pulling the club inside, but it works wonders for grip pressure.

Tension is not inherently bad in athletic motions. That is a myth. Anyone think there isn't any tension in this swing:

I think tension comes from nerves. I think nerves come from trying to be a "golfing machine". That is, by performing perfect movements. Or, by swinging like an admired player that has very different biometrics.

I try to remember that it's called a golf swing. That implies that the club is swinging and not being maneuvered into place by a head full of mechanics.

Does a child learn to throw a ball or ride a bike, or take his first swing with a club based on mechanical instruction? No. They watch and imitate, eventually (if so motivated) they discover the motion, strike the balance, and develop the coordination.

Freeing up the golf swing will remove tension. To learn how to surrender to the swinging action see: "How to Feel A Real Golf Swing" by Bob Toski and Davis Love, Jr. (1988 Random House).

The problem is tension isn’t properly defined in many cases. Many bad golfers are loaded with tension in their shoulders, wrists and forearms. I personally believe in some cases it’s a unavoidable. That said, I’ve never heard a good player say they try to load the wrists and forearms with tension. Most say they try do the opposite.

Two suggestions:

How about trying Winn grips. I no longer grip tightly with them. But, I find them too soft, now I want to try Cross Comforts.

Also, get mad! Last week, I was a little tense on hole 1, trying to execute the perfect positions I had practiced the week before. After pitching it perfect and having the ball roll off the first green, I said, F?*!%&it and I started to free wheel it on hole 2. Definitely, no tension after that and had some great ball strikes.

just tell yourself, the more tension you add, the less likely to be WRX long :)

You have to relax every single muscle from the feet up to your hair. Feel like you are held up by your skeleton only in posture. Start swing finish with the same relaxation...NO short tricks, you have to practice till you feel and believe.

above is the truth though..any muscular tension slows the club down

Setting up for a tee shot i keep moving -ie the waggle , and dont stand over the ball too long.

Dean reinmuth i think taught no tension or had a book on it

Figure out a way to not care. Some of my best rounds and best golf has been when I went out ready to just treat it like a practice round ( even in some money games ). Half way around, I realize, I'm in this thing and end up taking some cash or finishing well. Depending on the person, a lot of it is related to being to attached to the results of each swing, each hole, etc........

Perhaps wanting low tension is like wanting good balance in your swing, it requires a good swing intention and fluid movement. Ask yourself how your swing benefits from tension. If your intention is to stall your body aggressively and flail with your arms, you can't accomplish this while staying limber.

1 Take a couple practice swings doing this

2 have the same feeling when you hit the ball

Does it bother anyone else when someone asks for advice and 2 weeks later hasn't shown his face again,,,,,,,,, in his own thread ?!?!?! LMAO

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! I read them all and they're all super helpful. It seems like just hitting the damn ball and not thinking too much might just be the key!

Be in constant motion before making the swing, be it the club waggle, tapping/rocking on feet, shoulder shimmy, whatever. People that freeze over the ball become stiff and rigid. The key to a good shot is fluidity.

It’s all about the takeaway and the wrist &elbow break for JP. If they work he’s fine. If he is muscularly tense, he cannot release the club. So to facilitate this eventuality he does what Faldo recommends and uses the right arm in isolation and at address do the takeaway, wrist break and the elbow fold in the right arm and continue getting the club bounce to nip the ground. Remember the feeling as you increase your speed and note the hinging of the wrist, elbow of the right arm. You cannot do the drill correctly unless you release the club at the bottom nipping the ground perfectly. You’re forearm will have to be relaxed if you are releasing the club...

Put a Pringles potato chip between your teeth and hit the ball without biting through the chip.

Hum during the swing and keep a constant tone.

Release your head and neck before addressing the ball--feel where the head sits on top of the neck, it is about even with your ears. You should be able to move your head side to side and up and down a few millimeters and feel like your head is floating on top of your neck. Then step up and hit the ball. You may be amazed how relaxing the head and neck takes tension out of the rest of your body. (This is also good for balance as the little muscles that move the head are just under the big neck muscles and they activate proprioception).

I've heard a lot of tips but I must say this Pringles one is new haha. Thanks for the advice!

Number 1, get your grip right. You're probably gripping it in the palm more. The grip should be in the fingers.

Second, use a waggle and swing trigger. Waggling the club should serve two purposes: 1. Release all tension, 2. Preset the shot you're hitting.

Immediately once you waggle, you trigger your swing. A forward press, rightward head turn (Nicklaus did this, as do I) or anything to get your swing started so that you never get tense, and can swing subconsciously.

Even if this doesn't work at least you end up with a delicious snack.

Whistle Acunamatata the song.

My younger days I used to waggle or milk the club. Now I take more time to at my setup and then when I address the ball I ready to go. I get to “thumbsy” so I tend to twirl the clubshaft a lot before I address the ball and bring the clubshaft up like an baseball bat and hinge the wrist.

At address I will start my takeaway with my left arm and then sequencing with my right arm

As I get warmed up and more loose I will trigger my swing with either my hips or shoulders I don’t waggle or milk. Hover and ready to go

I've found that taking some yoga classes allows me to relieve tension and gets me looser on the course

Thanks all!