Last month, after posting my Artful Golf Links, I started reading one of the golf blogs that I had recommended on a daily basis. I had only recently discovered this blog and quickly learned that this Australian blogger, Cameron Strachan, teaches a very similar approach to the game that I've taken, stepping outside the box and thinking a little differently.


Aussie Golfers by DJ Bass at flickr

Interestingly, Cameron's approach was inspired heavily from instruction he received in Scotland from Kendal McWade, who was taught by none other than Fred Shoemaker! Also interesting is that Cameron worked with another artful Aussie, Aaron Baddeley, before he was a PGA Tour star, on his putting game. Baddeley is well known for his putting skills, which were on display yesterday as he battled Tiger all the way to the 20th hole in the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Cameron spoke to Baddeley about keeping the putting technique simple and learning to trust his subconscious to perform the motion. The foundation of Strachan's approach is this learning to trust your subconscious, and to play automatically. This theme of playing automatically is discussed frequently and in depth in his daily blog entries, an approach that first requires that you quit trying to fix your swing!

In a recent blog post, Cameron shares, "I think improving at golf can be difficult because the path to do so is not always obvious. In fact, I believe if you want to reach a higher level of play you need to take counter intuitive steps. These steps are not obvious and actually go against traditional concepts. This approach can feel uncomfortable and requires a shift in mindset. Uncomfortable - yes. Beneficial - YES!"

He then lists some of his "counter intuitive" steps, most of which I'd already incorporated into my own approach to learning and playing the game. Among my favorites of his suggestions are to try less, think less, and practice less, and instead play more and most importantly, leave your swing alone - quit trying to fix it.

After initiating some dialog with Cameron via email and sharing a little of my own story with him, he sent me a copy of his ebook which includes unique instruction on basic golf mechanics and on how to find your natural game. He also sent me his ebook on putting.

The vast majority of swing instruction assumes that if you can groove your swing it will naturally give you a better golf game. Cameron believes, "that improving at golf can never be as simple as changing your swing or thinking positively." He says that the first step in learning how to go automatic and play naturally "is to stop fixing your swing. At least for the moment (you may find out down the track you may need some adjustments). Continual fixing does not allow for one to get into the automatic phase, at least not consistently."

He teaches his students to accept their swings and imperfections and to learn to appreciate and score with their own unique abilities and limitations.

"When you swing naturally and automatically", Cameron says, "the golfer's mind is not filled with irrelevant details about the technique, but rather, where do I want the ball to go? He then allows his automatic process to do it. He simply repeats this process until the final putt is home... This does not mean that every shot is perfect. The bad shots remind us that we are human, the game is an art and even good shots can get a bad bounce... The beauty of golf is that it can be played and played well by many different types of people. There are short hitters, long hitters, fast and slow swingers just to mention a few. All of these people can play the game to their own high standard if they allow it."

"Golf is a magnificent game as it allows the cat to be skinned many ways, no one is disadvantaged if they learn to play their game and not someone else's."

"If you want to play your best golf all of the time, then you must learn to trust your swing. And the only way to do that is to commit to the automatic process... The best time to think about your shot is behind the ball. This is the time to work out what club to hit, the wind or whatever else you need to know. Imagine this process is like using a road map to figure out where you're going. Once you know where to go, you jump in your car and drive there, you don't worry about how to drive. Once you have made your mind up it is time to go completely automatic and hit the ball. This is when your subconscious will deliver your own natural swing... I call this playing with your heart! You give up full control... what you get back in return is YOUR own swing."

"The beauty of learning to automate your skills is that your subconscious will do the hard work for you. There's no need to worry about every small detail. Your subconscious mind is suited perfectly to putting or swinging well... you just have to let it!"

Plan to start visiting Cameron's Artful Golf Blog regularly and consider purchasing his ebook, Golf Instruction 2.0. Cameron is now offering his Perfect Putting ebook for free. You can find Cameron on YouTube too!

Labels: Books, Cameron Strachan, Golf Instruction, Links