The Amateur's 'Crashing Out' Swing: When Emotional Data Overrides Technique

The ball flew so far right it hit the roof of a house next to Rye Golf Club. It wasn't a typical slice. It was the moment Alex Myers, a veteran Golf Digest writer, described as a complete 'crash out' of his swing. During a round he called 'pretty solid' with three birdies, a single tee shot on the 5th hole exposed a problem he thought was all in his head: a technical flaw that erupted most violently precisely when he needed confidence the most. For an amateur golfer, blaming psychology is understandable. But when coach Mario Guerra, a Golf Digest 'Best In State' instructor, analyzed the technique, Myers' initial diagnosis was completely rejected. The problem wasn't a lack of confidence. It was a deep mechanical flaw: too much vertical force and not enough horizontal force. Simply put, Myers' backswing was too steep, putting his body in such a disadvantageous position that it instinctively 'crashed out' in a desperate but futile attempt to save the swing. This wasn't just a bad swing. It was a chain reaction of the body trying to rescue itself from a poor position. Guerra prescribed a corrective drill that was the complete opposite of Myers' fault: instead of swinging up, swing 'more horizontally around his body,' keeping the club as low and as parallel to the ground as possible in both the backswing and downswing. This feel is described as almost like a baseball swing but in golf posture. The immediate result was a much lower, better ball flight. On video, the swing also 'looked much better than his normal move.' The key checkpoint, which the Mustard Golf swing analysis app calls the 'moment of truth' — the position where the shaft is in line with the trail arm halfway between the top of the backswing and impact — was markedly improved. Interestingly, Myers' story doesn't stop at technique. Mental coach Josh Nichols confirmed the strong link between the physical and the mental, pointing out the most common fault he sees: golfers getting too steep and open at the top, then trying to 'flip' the club to square the face during the downswing. This is the 'crash out' that Guerra described. Myers admitted he has 'too many swing thoughts' when executing the shot, and this overload led to his body adding a mid-swing compensation, compounding the technical error. Myers' story is a classic example of how emotional data — anxiety, pressure, negative thought habits — can completely override technical data. He had a round with three birdies, proving his underlying ball-striking and scoring ability were intact. The problem only appeared with a specific club (driver) in a specific context (a difficult, intimidating tee shot). This suggests it's not a comprehensive swing flaw, but a situational 'knot,' similar to the 'yips' — an involuntary movement disorder often triggered by pressure. A counter-intuitive angle here is: Myers' 'crash out' isn't the enemy; it's a signal. His body is trying to protect itself from a bad position. If you only focus on eliminating the symptom (the bad shot) without addressing the root cause (the steep swing), the problem will keep recurring. Guerra's 'baseball swing' drill is a deliberate 'overdose' method: it forces the body to feel a completely different movement, creating a new baseline. However, the risk of over-correction is creating a new fault — such as a swing that's too flat, leading to a block right. Myers admits he still has 'homework to do on the range' to find a harmonious blend between the new feel and his old technique. The biggest lesson from this story isn't just for golfers. It's a lesson in systemic problem-solving. When an athlete — amateur or professional — makes a recurring mistake, looking only at the surface result isn't enough. You need to dig into the technical data, but also listen to the emotional data. In Myers' case, the solution wasn't just fixing his swing; it was also adopting a breathing technique — counting 3 seconds in and 3 seconds out — a method he once used to win the 'buddy-trip green jacket,' a tradition mimicking the Masters. This breathing technique, combined with reducing mental clutter, was the 'hidden variable' that helped him manage pressure. So, is Myers' 'crash out' truly cured? The current data is only an early signal. One practice session with a new drill producing good results is a positive sign, but it's not evidence of lasting change. The real question is: will this 'horizontal swing' feel hold up when he stands on the daunting 5th hole during his upcoming annual golf trip, where pressure and old habits will resurface? Will the breathing technique be maintained when he faces another difficult shot? These are questions his 'Late Scratch?' series will answer in the future. And that's when we can close the file and make the most accurate assessment of this change.