[Hennybogan]

How do you reckon them dudes develop such TRUST? Is it from banging 1000's of balls? Or something else? Do they just have it in 'em?

Bucket,

A trustworthy golf swing must be built through diligent effort. While it does not have to be perfect, the swing needs to produce quality golf shots time after time. To one degree or another every tour player has done this work. At some point in their lives, they have beat the balls. Many pros realize that the swing is just one part of the package, and they choose to spend more effort on routine, scoring, and management.

Of course, many pros strive to improve, and if they are fortunate and discerning, they get quality instruction and do make progress. Changing the swing will require more range work in the short term (maybe years). The better the swing, the less maintainence it should require, and the more reliable it should be under pressure. Tournament golf requires attention to every detail including fitness and rest. Players sometimes wear themselves out looking for confidence instead of preparing to play.

One of the big factors in trust is the nature of the miss. We all know how devastating the double cross can be. Ideally, the miss should fail to work towards the target rather curving across the target. My current preference is for a small draw that never crosses my stance line. Understanding the required alignments for the shot at hand should enhance confidence. Along those lines, as I develop my swing, I work only on this pattern. I'm just trying to make the same swing on every shot. Same set up--same thoughts. I will vary the amount of effort, but not the shape. So I only have to control a small number of factors.

So let's say we have a swing good enough to trust. What now? Trust is an individual thing. Some players feel like they earn good play through hard work. They hit ball after ball on the range to build confidence (VJ, Strange). Others don't need to put in so much effort on their swings to be confident. It may rest as much on their upbringing as their swings. The player's formula may flow from a lifetime of success or be forged in the long struggle for success.

Regardless of how hard you work, at some point you have to decide you have it. It is worthline to decide this every time you play and re-evaluate after the round. The point of all the work is to end up with a reliable swing. Trust is a skill that must be cultivated. Often a player distrusts his swing when the root of the problem is in judgement or routine. A player can stumble from trying a shot that he does not have or is more difficult than required.

The formula for success is building a strong swing and understanding the cause and effect. Then hitting lots of good shots and few poor ones. Then letting the poor ones go. You have to accept that you will hit some of those, say equal to your handicap, and move on.

Short game is clearly a factor as well. The difference in level of damage a poor shot causes is related to the score. Making a good chip and holing the putt changes the whole dynamic. The more confidant the player is on his ability to score, the less pressure he puts on his swing.

HB