Yesterday on the driving range I experimented again with a certain swing thought (I call it – derived from yoga – also ‘mantra’).

That will be one word, maybe even just one syllable, that has enough inspiration in it to positively influence HOW I make the golf swing.

So in that case, it was “Ent-schlossen-heit” – in English “determination.”

One of those wonderfully exact German words. In that case, it says:

I have decided. I am decided. There in front, that’s my goal, that’s where I want to go now – and that’s what I’m going to tackle and get done.

The “decision” is, in a sense, nothing more than a decision – just one that puts a pretty clear period after the word.

The decision was made. Full stop.

Now it is being put into action.

In my mind, I also come up with the phrase: “Gesagt. Getan.” (said and done) as in an old German story.

“Determination” as a word also has this certain pull toward the goal, a certain speed when you say it:

Ent-schlossen-heit.

The “schloss” part sounds a bit like a “bullet.” I can hear the ball whizzing through the air when I say it like that – and that may be part of the reason why it works.

Because it does – it works from the first test swing.

No sooner have I taken to the ball with my 7-series hybrid “Cobra” and the mantra “Ent-schlossen-heit” than the result shows quite a bit of “smack”,

• the ball goes straight towards the goal,
• with a crisp arc upwards and
• easily lands 15-20 meters further back than usual.

The fact that the mantra works so well could also be due to the fact that the word fits very well with the swing rhythm, if you think it while swinging:

• “ENT” = backswing with clear finish
• “SCHLOSSEN” – ZACK weight shifting/accelerator pedal in front -.
• EN / HEIT – nice long follow through – and meanwhile still stay above the no longer present ball (instead of dissolving too early)

As always, the word itself must of course ‘mean something’ to me, feel good somehow – inspiration, perhaps a kind of anticipation, but just not ‘call up’ pressure in my body.

“Entschlossenheit”/”Determination”: can the element be included in the Golf Self Coaching Tool Set?

Current status: Yes, definitely.

• Which elements have already made it into your tool set?
• What effect does the mantra have on you?
• What other suggestions do you have for inspirational mantras?