CONTROL YOUR BREATHING

The Grand Slam of Golf has just finished in Bermuda with Ernie Els winning the 4 man event. The event is fairly unique in a number of ways. The most interesting for me is that the players have microphones on full time. So we as viewers could get to hear all the conversations between players and between caddies and players. This gave us a great insight into the workings of the player/caddie relationship.

Graeme McDowell was by far the most vocal of the 4. He allowed us to hear all his thoughts on club selection, line of putts etc. The most fascinating insight for me was his use of breathing control during putting. Once he had gone through his green reading and line up process, he would settle to swing the putter. Just prior to making his stroke he had an obvious long exhalation. It seemed he was emptying his lungs of all the air they held. Then he would swing the putter.
This exhalation is a similar technique used by expert marksmen in archery and shooting. The exhalation relaxes the shoulders and helps maintain stability in the torso and arms. Thus helping accuracy. He showed us perfect diaphragmatic breathing.

Try this little 2 part breathing exercise to help you understand the difference between chest and diaphragmatic breathing.

1 - Stand or sit in a relaxed position and place one of your hands on your chest. Now begin to take some short quick breaths, you will notice that your chest and shoulders rise and drop with each short sharp breath. This is not great for stability during putting plus it also enhances a state of anxiousness. This feeling and breathing pattern we sometimes get when scared or nervous. These two feelings are also common in golf.

2 - Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Now breathe in through your nose keeping your lips closed. As you take your slow deep breathe your chest should remain still and your stomach should expand. Next exhale fully through your open mouth. Really try and feel like you are pulling your stomach in to help empty your lungs. You should very quickly feel more relaxed and less anxious than before. This is correct diaphragmatic breathing.

Being able to control your breathing on the golf course or at home will allow you to reduce anxiety and help you control nerves. Many golfers get nervous when having a good score or bad score. Many of us at work have moments of panic and anxiety when things may not be going well for us.

Many of the elite level golfers will rely on correct breathing techniques in times of pressure to help them maintain a good level of play.

Hopefully this little breathing exercise will help you at home, work and on the golf course.

Good luck

Andy