Trusting the Swing: What Golfers Can Learn From a Child Learning to Walk
May 8, 2026
Imagine if a one-year-old learning to walk had the same mind you have on the golf course.
They take a few shaky steps and immediately start analyzing:
“Am I using the right muscles?”
“Maybe I should shorten my stride.”
“I think my mechanics are off.”
They fall down and instantly compare themselves:
“Bobby from across the street is already walking. He must be way more athletic than me.”
A few more attempts:
“I’m terrible at this.”
“Why can’t I get it right?”
“I’m disappointing my parents.”
Eventually they become so focused on walking correctly that they lose touch with the actual process of learning to walk.
Of course, children do not do this. If they did, we would have far less mobile children wandering around. Instead…
They fall.
Get up.
Adjust naturally.
And keep moving.
There is something important golfers can learn from that.
The Problem With Trying to Control Every Movement
Many golfers become trapped in what psychologists sometimes call self-focused attention. Instead of allowing the body to organize movement naturally, attention collapses inward:
- elbow position
- wrist angle
- shoulder turn
- takeaway
- tempo
- swing plane
The irony is that the harder we try to consciously control movements that are meant to flow automatically, the more disconnected and tense we often become.
This does not mean mechanics do not matter. Of course they do.
But there is a difference between practicing mechanics and becoming mentally imprisoned by them.
At some point, golfers must learn to trust the very system that learned the movement in the first place.
Learning to Trust the Body Again
Modern motor learning research increasingly suggests that skilled movement often works best when attention moves outward rather than inward. In other words, performance tends to suffer when we attempt to micromanage every component of a complex athletic movement.
You can see this happen in real time on the golf course.
A golfer hits one poor shot and suddenly begins mentally scanning:
“What’s wrong with my swing today?”
“Am I getting too steep?”
“Did my hands get quick?”
“Maybe I should try that thing from the range I was doing earlier.”
Soon the round becomes less about playing golf and more about attempting to control thoughts, feelings, and body positions.
And usually the tighter we grip, the worse things become.
One of the great challenges in golf is learning how to remain connected to the shot, the target, and the environment without becoming consumed by internal analysis.
The best golfers in the world are not thoughtless. But they are often remarkably committed to the shot in front of them rather than trapped in constant self-monitoring.
In a recent interview, Scottie Scheffler was asked what he thinks about under pressure. His response was – “The only thing I am going to be focused on is the target.” He continued…”Whether one
a shot lead, three shot lead or one back i am going to take the appropriate play of what my eyes see and what i need to do to hit the right shot and that’s all that’s really going through my head.”
Finding your Freedom
So the next time you find yourself spiraling mechanically on the course, it may be worth asking:
What would happen if I trusted my body a little more?
What would happen if I stopped trying to consciously control every movement?
What would happen if I allowed myself to play instead of constantly trying to fix?
Children learn movement through repetition, exploration, and adaptation.
Golfers often try to learn through control.
And sometimes, paradoxically, the way forward begins by loosening our grip.
About the Author
Dr. Mike a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) specializing in clinical sport psychology and mental performance. He is author of Centered Swings a mindfulness- and acceptance-based mental training program for golfers.