Tension!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tension is a golf swing killer, so many of us have it so how can we loose it. Player A has a good set up, grip, stance, posture, keeps spine angle and overall has a pretty good swing BUT he has tension
Player B has a bad set up, grip, stance, etc........ but he has no tension
who hits the ball better?

Trick question Shootin?? Neither of them can hit the ball worth a damn!!

Player B Will Have Better Shoot...but Off Target
Player A Will Have Straither Shoot... But Short Distance
SHOOTING HOW THAT?

if player b is set up to pull the ball and he makes a free swing, he will do exactly that, pull the ball. if he is set up to push it he will push it, if he is set up too far back in his stance the club will not be released, etc etc.
player A may have tension but it is still possible for him to hit the ball on target, player B, nope
so first focus on your set up and then when the ball starts going more on target you will naturally become more relaxed, then you can learn how to swing without tension

What about the player who sets up perfectly, has incredibly tight wrists and slices it 2 fairways across because he cant set his wrists going back or release them properly going forward

Both of your examples are equally wrong. It is still possible for someone who sets up incorrectly to hit the ball well provided they make the requisite compensatory movements. For example, does Jim Furyk set up properly?

IMHO Sorting out setup AND removing tension are both equally important lessons to learn. BTW I dont want a 10 page thread argument about it!! .. It is just my very humble opinion as I said !

Are there any particular swing thoughts to avoid tension?

Or is it just "don't be tense"?

I agree with pnearn, neither of them can hit the ball with any degree of consistency, therefore even if player A is hitting it straight, he will get more and more frustrated and therefore will never get rid of tension.

Getting rid of tension is 90% mental. You got to be confident with your swing and play the game to enjoy it, not beat your playing partners every time your out. Set up well, aim to play the shot your comfortable hitting, waggle the club, don't think, just hit the ball. Good, bad or ugly walk to the next and do the same again. If it isn't working, fix it on the range

notice I said POSSIBLE. it may be POSSIBLE for player A to hit good shots but not player B. of course tension is not good but I play with SOME tension, not a lot, but I hit the ball pretty good. Gradually most all tension should be lost

But my main point is you can loose all the tension you want but unless you set up right you will see no results from it.

hi all

Tension IS a killer . it can destroy all hope you may have of making a fluid swing. that's why it's impotant to remain focused , with your body relaxed at address. The more relaxed your body is , the more rythmic your swing will be and this will allow you to produce more cluhead speed.

regards . Terry

to reduce tension i just let the arms hang loosley and grip the club VERY lightly. ( you need good grips to do this) I grip the club so loose that it is almost heavy and hard to lift on the backswing. and don't swing so hard from the top! you start out slow, then accelerate and gradually pick up speed, that should help release all the tension.