I remember this being posted before but couldn’t find sufficient information to put it into practice, i put it on my to do list, and when i found the correct explanations i had a truly Zen moment.

I have struggled with alsorts of issues but the brain getting in the way has hindered my progress the most. I put Clear Keys into practice over the last couple rounds and was blown away by the results.
I hit the ball straight, I felt an unusual sensation of the club releasing, i got a nice amount of backspin on iron shot’s and almost aced the 18th yesterday, i feel like someone else is hitting the ball for me and i like how he plays.

Anyhow i feel like my game has gone to a whole new level and feel “in the zone” when i play.. I encourage anyone who has thought about using clear keys, to do some reasearch, it is definately worthwhile.

I used them specifically as i was very hard on myself and couldn’t stop thinking about mechanics etc while i was hitting the ball.. I sh@%ked 8 in a row one night when i was practicing and that was the final straw.

I knew i had to STOP thinking and i’d been told a million times but couldn’t work out how you STOP thinking.. clear keys were and are the answer to anyone who has this problem

They amaze some people at how clearly they can ‘just do it’ without a mind full of clutter. How they work is highly scientific and how Dr Mumford filled a whole book up about them.

They work for cricket too if you are batting and just want your body to do the work on autopilot….think about that for a second. How long does the ball take to get to you? So with an active talking mind you have to see process and ‘think’ about the ball coming at you. With clear keys your skills take over making the appropriate footwork and shot at the ball. That is being ‘in the zone’ if you have the skills.

Whatever skills you have in you will flow. If they are not up to scratch yet, you will know fast what needs to be honed more.

I have always known i have had a sufficient amount of skill, and considered a traineeship, as soon as i did that my handicap went backwards rapidly..
Using clear keys i cleared the clutter that had stopped the natural ability coming to the surface.
I found that i have a few issues, slight over the top which causes about 2-3 metres offline with a six iron.. but atleast now i know what i’m trying to fix. As i’m creating the same swing every time.. rather than a different forced swing based on how i’m playing on the day.
I always try to hit a draw as i have memories of hittting them when i’m younger.. i was pretty amazed how effortlessly it came back when i cleared my mind and stopped trying to hit one.
I beleive you had good things to say about clear keys in the past Guru so i appreciate your comments and your efforts to push this theory.
Here’s to getting that traineeship,
Chris

Good luck with it Chris. Look up the Mental side of the Golf School area and hit up Carey Mumfords site. Grab a copy of his e-books and get your profile done as part of the deal. He is one clever chap and always happy to help those who are on the search for real info.

He has been a good friend to those on the forum here who have knocked on his e-door.

can’t find any link to his site, not looking in the right place i guess.. help
thanks

www.clearkeygolf.com

Its a mine of info.

Thankyou.. Appreciated

what is this clear keys thing?

Heaps in the forum on them. Do a search in the Forum or visit the website above.

They are mental tools to stop your head from being a word processor and kept worries at bay while standing over your ball.

Already, the myth structure starts to build with clear keys (not here, but elsewhere). I’ve had three calls in the last two days from pros who were tying to get other pros to understand the automatic principle (clear key is the tool for that).

The listening pros were worried that if they did what they were hearing (use clear keys), they would lose feel, along with excitement, anticipation, and nervousness, which they said they liked.

(That, BTW, is tantamount to having fear of losing control).

Anyway, it made me stop and consider that we need to clarify a few things to avoid leaky mis-perceptions from floating down the river.

No one will lose any of the aforementioned symptoms of anxiety – at least in between shots – and that’s OK. No player is going to give up the excitement, anticipation, motivation, competitive spirit anytime during th game except when the clear key is turned on to protect the shot at hand. That’s about 12-13 seconds a shot at most. The rest of the time a player can feel any and everything taking place, but when they know the shot is protected they will enjoy all that. It’s when you are fearing what’s going to happen on the next shot that life gets tedious.

No one will lose “control” that way. They may give up the forced control in favor of using a clear key, but they are not surrendering the well managed execution of the shot at hand. That’s what the game is about an what the protection of the clear key offers.

In between shots, it makes no difference what one thinks about, even if he thinks he;’s about to be arrested for a felony, as long as he has a clear key at shot time. That will stop the shakes, stutters and nervous thoughts long enough to execute grandly, assuming that you have a talented habit with which to make the shot.

That is a hugely intersesting post there Carey. I have had the exact same discussion with students when they are trying to put them in place in the early stages of going onto Auto. Once the penny drops they can look back and go “oh I get it now and had it all wrong in my head back then what it was MEANT to do.’

Hey Carey and Paul. Hope y’all IS doing guud. (“good” in Paul language) Haven’t been around here for a while. So greetings from Canada eh.

.....

Now I have to say…....and I will say…..............as I have said before- Carey’s stuff is “the bomb.”

And it goes well beyond his Clear Keys. (though they are very simple and effective- and have made me many 10 footers)

It’s clear to me that the amount of research he’s done is pretty enormous…..and not only that….............but it goes well beyond conventional thinking- because he wanted to look beyond it. And with a lot of the stuff tossed around in the mainstream- I really do think someone needed to. (to simply get better results) I am glad he did.

I really do think he’s ahead of his time and am very happy I found his “stuff.” I honestly think his book The Double Connexion has the potential to make “big waves” one day. Or at least it should. (in a perfect world)

BTW in case anyone was wondering, this is a plug from a guy miles away from Carey….......who has never spoke to him in person…....and only knows him for his material on golf and mental management. I just appreciate it is all. Very good stuff….the best I’ve seen by far- to me.

guud to see you there birdie_man :)

Birdie and Guru.
I do appreciate your thoughts. ISG continues to be the one forum for golf in which folks show willingness to pay attention rather than just run off in strange and sometime wild ways. As for you, Birdie, I figure you and I have had enough “conversations” over a period of time that we likely know each other as well as an avenue like the internet will allow, so I take your comments as a good deal more than casual. Same for Guru.

After I wrote the last post (above), i realized that there is another closely related issue that needs a little light. (I tend to forget that while I may understand what I am saying, others may not, which is not exactly an earth shattering perception!).

Some players wonder aloud about whether they will be able to keep track of where the club is going, how the swing “feels,” where the target is and where the ball is, etc, when using clear keys.

The answer is “Yes,” but it will not be sharply focused. In the book, I compare that to awareness while driving a car. We know where everything is, side of the road, traffic, passing lanes, which will always be in a very defocused awareness. We even know, without looking, where the gas pedal, brake and clutch are. My guess is that no driver has to look to find the gear shift, and that “keeping one’s eye on the road” is not sharply focused either, but the awareness is there.

Guaranteed: If you focus sharply on the side of the road, the car will start to drift in that direction. If you take sharp notice of the 18 wheeler passing you, you will start to steer toward it, so we depend on the state of defocus for safe driving. There is an assumption here, of course, that you likely picked a destination for your journey before you left home base and you did not practice driving your car before you left your driveway.

Your golf game will always carry those same common human elements, even when you are using a clear key.

It is the path that Bob Toski once referred to (without knowing he was doing it) as “giving up control in order to gain control.” The automatic process is how one accomplishes that highly desireable “objective.”

Don’t know about all others, but my “game goal” is the best score of which I am capable today.

Tee it up.

Ohhh! I haven’t had much luck with clearkeys. However, I’ve been under the assumption that I was supposed to put my complete focus on the clearkey, and tune out body awareness as much as possible.

When I’m swinging my best at the range, I have a relaxed awareness of what my body is doing. When I start using the clearkey, it generally falls apart. Perhaps I’m allowed to continue this general awareness while I’m using the clearkey? Thanks, Carey.

Awesome!

It’s great to see the Birdie_Man back in action, downunda! Yu da bomb, dude! And as usual Carey’s clarifications continue to open the doors of freedom.

I also went through a stage of doubt that begged a ton of questions and thoughts, as Carey well knows. One of which was… when will my clear keys become automatic??? :)

When I am playing guys, I think of nothing else but getting the ball in the hole in the least amount of shots. I take it one shot at a time. It has worked for me over the past 20 years and how I was taught. It is only my opinion buy I have absolutley no time for the head doctors of this game. They say golf is 90% mental and it is but do you need a doctor to make up for that 90%? No you do not plain and simple!

Why do I say this?

I was fortunate enough to have a social round of golf with…Tiger.. not so long ago in Florida. Yep, I use a certain brand of equipment and get to meet people. He shot 7 under against my 2 under. If I could putt, I would of been a few shots better. We talked about life and I picked his brain obviously. The guy is in a zone like no other golfer I have played with even having a social hit? Each shot he hits is like painting a picture. Did he bomb it? Yes he did. Every shot he hit into a green looked like it was going in the hole I shit you not. I would flush my drive 290 yards down the fairway and Tiger hit it past me with a 3 wood or a 2 iron. His ball flight is out of this world I can say guys. He had a shot that was 220 yards to the green from a divot into the wind/downhill and with a water carry. He hit a 6 iron of all things? I asked Tiger after the round about that shot?
He said to me that he felt 100% that he could hit the shot from the divot? The water was not in his mind, just putting the ball on the green was in his mind to make a birdie? If I was hitting out of a divot from 220 over water, I would take my medicine and lay up even if I was playing for cash.
Does the guy have a mental or nutter coach giving him advice? No he does not. The guy has talent plain and simple! My advice is to go and have a hit with Tiger if you get the chance. The guy is number one and a great guy.

Clear Keys? I would love to know how many head doctors out there with golf are still in business? Do i need to take a pill to play better golf or feel better? Do I need a person to tell me that I should think a certain way on the golf course? I

Hit the ball of all things!

Nicely said and would love to hear more about your round with Tiget (I’ve met him and a bunch of other tour players but never played with them.)

We should all be so lucky, Tai.

One of the guys I coach played in the last round of a tournament with Tiger. It was the toughest/most fun round of golf he ever had to that point. Toughest? Because it was damn near impossible to focus on the shot at hand when 10,000 people take off running after Tiger hit his shot! Enjoyable? Because Tiger was a true gentleman.

Building this kind of ability started when Tiger was very, very young. Whether or not he new he was building anything at all he was most definately building something. :)

How does one go about building a swing? Well, I think you and can agree on that process, pretty much, eh? Accurate information and a progressive path to follow.

But how does one go about building a belief system? And this is where I agree with you about some “head doctors”.....some of these guys just give band-aids.

However, the “breakthrough”, if you will, of the scientific validation of Clear Keys has allowed us to build a belief system through accurate information and a progressive path to follow. This has never been done before, to my knowledge.

Knowing what Trust is, receiving accurate information, managing your skill development and acquiring confindence is the essence of a belief system.

As with Tiger’s building process, we mere mortals, who got a late start, still have to build. It is nice to know that there is accurate knowledge available, not only to develop sound golf mechanics but also to develop a sound mind.

One of the greatest times in my life was when I had the absolute pleasure to teach tennis for Harry Hopman. One night after dinner we sat off to the side and talked. I told him I wanted to be the best teacher I can be. He peirced my soul with those crystal blue eyes of his and said, “Spike, anyone can be a good teacher….not everyone can be a good person.”

“Head Doctor”???....naw…just accurate. I miss him.

Not met Tiger and not likely to :( He is a man with amazing talent and self belief built upon hours of good purposeful well directed practice.

He knows he can make a shot. He gets the idea of what he has to perform and does it. Is there doubt? Hardly ever. He works out the need, then does it on almost autopilot.

How do we know when he is not on auto???? Coz he can stop in the middle of a backswing and give the dreaded eye to the jub with a camera.

His mechanical mind does the precision planning. His autopilot lets the skilled in swing happen without any crud in the way, as if he is tying his shoe laces.

When should the clear key start? Should you address the ball and then say the clear key as you are about to swing? Just curious, what are some of the clear keys people use?

No doubt Carey will drop in at some stage soon:)

Personally I make my Plan from well behind the ball, then go onto Auto walking up to it, through the swing and only stop once in the balanced follow through watching the ball on its way. All preshot routine, grip, ball position, waggle, backswing and downswing are all coved by the clear key that is going on.

“When Mary had a little lamb the doctors were surprised, when Old MacDonald had a farm the doctors up and died…repeat”

Note this clear key is not a SWING TRIGGER. It is just the opposite. A trigger makes you do something by actioning it. A clear key allows all to just happen without a ‘motor though’

When should the clear key start? Should you address the ball and then say the clear key as you are about to swing? Just curious, what are some of the clear keys people use?

The bag is nearly completed…..until i find something else i want :)

Hi Chris: Not much time since I must leave very early in the a.m. (it’s nearly 10 p.m. here now) to go to Phoenix.
You raise a really good question that is asked often. Start your clear key as soon as you finish your pre-shot planning behind the ball, about (but not necessarily exactly) the time you start your walk to the ball. Say it once getting to set-up, once while you are setting the club and getting in your waggles, and then swing as you say it the third time, being sure that you have enough left over to last through a complete finish. Do not attempt to regulate the points at which you say the key and make your swing. Just allow those things to happen inside the framework of the key.

Perhaps it will help to look at the following webpage for Clear Key Tips.

http://doubleconnexion.com/...

Questions are welcomed.
Cheers. Be back in about 10 days.

thanks for the link, my understanding has only ever been what i interpreted from the limited information available (unfortunately i’m not in a position to buy material at the moment), this has given me a clearer understanding of Clear Keys and what they are, previously i said them in my head and repeated the same two words over and over, this certainly made a difference to my game as i have stated above, but not on a consistent basis as i frequently forgot to use them, and there was an issue with pauses.. I now understand the detail that is required to use them successfully more than some of the time.
Thanks once again Carey

(ORIGINALLY POSTED BY keygolf AKA Carey Mumford) Some players wonder aloud about whether they will be able to keep track of where the club is going, how the swing “feels,” where the target is and where the ball is, etc, when using clear keys.

The answer is “Yes,” but it will not be sharply focused. In the book, I compare that to awareness while driving a car. We know where everything is, side of the road, traffic, passing lanes, which will always be in a very defocused awareness. We even know, without looking, where the gas pedal, brake and clutch are.

Yup…...and you shouldn’t have to (be consciously aware of your swing) if you have adequate skills (errr- habits) built in. Clear Keys are one way to “tune out” (conscious thought that is) and let those habits (hopefully you have built good ones) function without disruption.

To use the golf/driving a car parallel once again though- some people of course do need to take more “driving lessons” (if you catch mt drift) to build skills/habits….as you (Carey) of course well know and have laid out in The Double Connexion.

Anyhoo…getting back to Keys- not only does the concept make sense to me but I KNOW Clear Keys work especially because of the results with my putting. I sink more putts when I use a Clear Key. And distance control comes naturally. (without thought- which of course is the end goal and what Clear Keys are based on)

Some people naturally will think they are corny but I say try to get past what they are and look at what they are designed to DO. And you gotta give it a shot before you rule it out for yourself. I don’t see what anyone would ever have to lose.

The only thing I’ve been hesitant to trust them with is with my game away from the greens…..particularly with distance control.

BUT…...when I have trusted them for execution while playing golf they have worked very well for me….so none of this is to say I am dismissing them by ANY stretch. I am a tinkerer and am often fooling around with golf swing mechanics- but they of course are important too. One day I will get it right BTW.

Basically though it’s hard to get on automatic when you are still in the “building” (skills/habits) stage.

Of course, when we are talking about execution it’s a different ballgame.

(ORIGINALLY POSTED BY Tai) Clear Keys? I would love to know how many head doctors out there with golf are still in business? Do i need to take a pill to play better golf or feel better? Do I need a person to tell me that I should think a certain way on the golf course?

To be honest I think it’s kind of an insult that you call Carey a “head doctor.” You really have no idea who he is, how much he knows and has researched, and what kind of a system he has laid out. Or at least I assume. Please correct me if I am wrong.

It is very different than the typical “think positive, focus, just do it, and be patient” stuff of the mainstream. (I am not a mainstream guy) I believe it is also more effective, has more substance, is based on more/better science, and is a big jump from mainstream thinking.

However- I do understand that different people like different things….so I make room for differences. And I don’t know everything by any stretch. Who says I’m not a fair guy.

;-)

I can understand the skepticism though because there is a lot of BS out there. I almost peed myself when I saw there was an infomercial for a program named “Beat The Bogey Man” and kind of want to kick Dr. Gio in the nuts. They could very well know some stuff though….I am not closed-minded enough to completely rule that out.

Anyhoo…....this (below) is what comes to my mind in response to your post….here are some things to consider:

First off, and perhaps most importantly- ”...Tiger…” (as you suspensfully wrote) Woods is the #1 player in the world and it would be stupid to not pay attention to what he does…..his thought processes etc….

But having said that (and don’t get me wrong…I may be stubborn but I ain’t dumb- this guy is #1 and must be doing a few things right), if I was to come out and say what I was really thinking I would tell you that I more or less don’t really give a s—t if Tiger Woods is doing something- I am going to find what works for me.

(maybe that is strong…but the point is that what Tiger Woods does is not the nail in the coffin that ends this debate)

To me, if you really investigate- pros have shown us that :

1. (and I put it as 1. for a reason…most of the time anyway) They are extremely talented.

2. They often are into some fishy or plain wonky things with regards to their golf swings and “mental games.” (if you have an open mind, are an independent thinker, and you know anything—to me—this is fact)

3. They often succeed in SPITE of this fishy/wonky stuff and because of their talent.

...

Even aside from the mental stuff…....look at Tiger and his swing changes…........eg. HANK HANEY PARALLEL PLANES THEORY.

Maybe we should all do it that way just because Tiger is doing it? No way in HECK.

Anyhoo….I will continue to pursue other ways to improve myself and my game (learning/managing/executing) other than “staying positive” and the usual advice. (which I am not content with at this point) However, if it truly does work for you to your satisfaction, of course- all the power to you.