Diaphragmatic Breathing

The Mental Side of Things
#1

I have been doing diaphragmatic breathing for some time now, my golf fitness coach got me started with it. If you haven’t tried it, check out a YouTube video on how to do it, it’s great for your lungs, lower back, and overall mindset.

With that said, yesterday, my golf coach and I had a breakthrough on the golf course. He said do me a favor, after you set up to your ball take a diaphragmatic breath and start your back swing on the exhale. Voila, I am striking the ball better than I ever have. It took some coordination to get the timing right, but it’s a magic cure. The thing is, I’m so worried about my breathing and when to start my swing, that I stop over analyzing every ounce of the golf swing. I’ve never swung so freely before.

If you guys are struggling, give it a shot. Just like anything in golf, what works for one doesn’t work for another. However, if it helps one person that’s what we’re here for.

Good luck and happy breathing.

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#2

Interesting technique. I’ve used some things I’ve learned from meditation breathing techniques to use during tournaments when I’m under pressure. I really like what your coach did here!

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#3

It’s honestly like magic. I see my shot. I take my practice. I address the ball. I breathe and swing. No more thinking.

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#4

Love it. I sometimes take a deep breath and release tension before I swing.

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#5

Interesting! Whenever I say “breath in through the nose and out through the mouth” with my mindfulness exercises, the intent is to get diaphragmatic breathing going. Never tried it immediately before a swing though.
To save folks a google, this breathing technique involves expanding the diaphragm instead of the chest like a lot of people naturally do when told to “take a deep breath”. To try it, put one hand on your chest and one just below your ribs, take a slow breath in through the nose and feel your stomach pushing out against your hand while the chest stays still. Hold for a moment once you have a full breath, then let the air out through narrow lips, tightening the stomach muscles as you feel the stomach fall, the chest staying still.

#6

Any breathing is good breathing in my book!

You guys are way in tune with your breathing - you’d have an answer for a line we use to screw with some people’s minds on the green “so do you inhale or exhale on your follow through on putts?”

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#7

Incredible gamesmanship line!!!

I also like “how do you hit that nice draw so consistently… when I try that I end up hitting a big HOOK”

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#8

We do diaphragmatic breathing in our yoga classes all the time.

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#9

I like this incorporating breathing into the swing. I tried this the other day, and couldn’t decide: would it be better to take big inhale and swing right when your lungs are full, or but exhale and swing right when your lungs are empty? Sounds like the OP has a different suggestion: swing DURING the exhale.

Might not matter, could just be helpful to be thinking of your breath rather than your own ulnar deviation… I thought maybe swing at end of exhale because stomach muscles engage to press out the air giving you a stronger, more stable core during swing.

A fun thing to try is to time your entire preshot routine with your breath, e.g. exhale as you envision behind ball, inhale as you step into shot and get aligned and set up, exhale as you take a last look and waggle, and swing as you complete the exhale. That calls for some slow, conscious breathing!

#10

On the subject of breath, I’m a bit surprised no one on tour has really tried a “tennis grunt” on the tee. Maybe Bryson once he busts out the 48” driver?

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#11

The inhale would be counterproductive, I see this because when you inhale you can actually hold your breath and tense your muscles. With the exhale, everything has to relax.

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#12

I literally destroyed my golf swing for a full day and a half doing this…

I’m am not practiced at mindful breathing… I’m ok at regular breathing.

I tried to think about my breath during a golf swing and it messed me up… then I couldn’t not think about my breath… I had to leave the range or I might have suffocated.

True story.

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