Remove the Variables: Simplify Your Swing, Calm Your Mind
Settle in. Let’s talk golf.
I was watching a short video by Tom Saguto about removing variables in your swing.
It made me stop.
I usually gravitate toward instructors like Rick Shiels or Martin Hall from School of Golf – upbeat, clear, makes-you-smile type teaching. The kind where you think, “Yeah… I can do that.”
But this Saguto clip was different.
Remove the variables.
That was it.
And being in technology and leadership, that immediately clicked for me.
In business, if you want better performance, you remove unnecessary variables.
You standardize.
You simplify.
You reduce chaos.
So why wouldn’t that apply to golf?
More Variables = More Problems
The more moving parts in your swing, the more things can go wrong.
Extra sway.
Extra thoughts.
Last-second manipulations.
Mid-swing corrections.
Every extra variable disrupts rhythm.
And tempo is rhythm.
When you simplify your motion – fewer compensations, fewer “fixes” – your swing starts to flow.
Tempo isn’t forced.
It shows up.
Overthinking Is a Variable
This one hit me.
When I stand over the ball thinking:
• Don’t overswing.
• Shift your weight.
• Keep your head down.
• Don’t slice it.
That’s not focus.
That’s adding variables.
Every new swing thought creates another moving part.
Trusting your swing means committing to fewer thoughts.
Fewer thoughts = fewer variables.
Fewer variables = more repeatable results.
Your Routine Reduces Chaos
This connects directly to the pre-shot routine.
A consistent routine standardizes your process.
Same steps.
Same rehearsal.
Same tempo.
Same commitment.
When you repeat the same routine every time, you eliminate variability in:
• Alignment
• Setup
• Timing
• Emotional state
Familiarity reduces fear.
And fear is a massive variable.
Breaking 90 Isn’t About Perfection
High handicappers don’t usually lack effort.
They lack consistency.
And inconsistency is often just too many variables:
• Different setup every hole
• Different swing thoughts every shot
• Different reactions after every mistake
Breaking 90 isn’t about building the perfect swing.
It’s about reducing chaos.
Simplify the motion.
Simplify the routine.
Simplify the mindset.
Remove variables.
Scores stabilize.
The Next Shot
Your next shot doesn’t need more adjustments.
It needs fewer.
Simplify the motion.
Calm the mind.
Protect the tempo.
Let the swing you’ve built do the work.
Are you adding variables every time you step up to the ball?
Or are you removing them?
Drop it in the Clubhouse – I’m curious what you’ve eliminated lately.
Real Talk. Play Better.
Effort builds results.
