What is a Swing Thought?

Prior to meeting my husband, I had never played a round of golf. He loves the sport and is quite talented, so I prayed I wouldn’t be awful and I would actually enjoy it more than expected. God was absolutely faithful with the latter part of my prayer, and He is still growing me in the first request. (If I break 100, I’m ecstatic.) 

Thankfully, my husband is a patient coach and he let me in on a key to improvement: 

swing thoughts. 

There are so many techniques to improve your golf swing and it can be overwhelming to try and master them all at once.

However, if you allow yourself to have only one coaching thought run through your mind while you swing, the other tips fall into place more seamlessly and your shot improves. 

Even more beneficial than improving your golf score, this lesson can be applied to improve your life. 

Often when Mark comes across a memorable verse in the Bible or hears a wise person share a great principle, he calls it his swing thought. For the rest of that day, he directs his thoughts to come back to this one guiding thought. 

Have you ever tried this? It is powerful!

Swing thoughts are exciting and they provide us with vision. Vision is the starting point that leads to excitement and purpose. 

Here’s a sample of my current favorite Scripture verse to meditate on:

“Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].” (Colossians 3:14, AMP)

Our brain can’t hold on to every piece of information that comes at us daily, but intentionally holding on to one lesson seems to have a positive ripple effect. 

By intentionally narrowing in on one thought, this practice leads us to surprisingly find abundance in the simple. 

We are a forgetful breed. I expect that is why the Bible so frequently encourages us to remember (see Psalm 119:55, Deuteronomy 8:10-18, Jonah 2:7, and Isaiah 46:9). 

We do not want to forget anything meaningful, so we can put systems in place to ensure we remember what we do not want to forget. 

When we change the way we think, it affects the way we behave, which impacts who we are becoming. 

In psychology, we call this CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy). This wisdom actually originates from the Bible. Our Creator, God, knows how He designed us and He invites us to wisely apply this principle. 

Romans 12:2 even tips us off about how to think in the right way: 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Our thoughts impact us greatly, so let’s ensure our thoughts are centered on the right thing:

“we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5b, NIV)

When in doubt, start here: 

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus”  (Hebrews 12:2a, BSB)

God’s Word also talks about our “daily bread” (See Matthew 6:11). God is our portion and His Word and Holy Spirit are readily available to us. We are so desperately dependent on Him daily, and we rely on Him to sustain us in the same way we rely on food to nourish us: over and over, every day. The good news for Christ-followers is that our Helper, the Holy Spirit, helps us out substantially in this arena.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

(John 14:26, NKJV)

I envision swing thoughts as a simple way to practically apply lessons to my life. And I invite you to do the same!

Here’s an example of a swing thought I learned from my podcast guest, Clean Mama: 

“Every day, a little something.” 

The day that episode aired, I called my friend Jackie who is a mother to four little children and she was already applying the lesson. She had a 30 minute window where her children were occupied, and she was currently cleaning out her pantry. She knew she couldn’t tackle the entire house or complete her full dream list of to-dos, but she also didn’t need to remain paralyzed by her long list. 

She could apply this principle, “Every day, a little something” and she got to work! The sense of accomplishment was motivating and moved her closer to her larger goals. 

If you want my free list of the 10 swing thoughts I have found to be most helpful in life, join the email list here. 

Until then, let me know examples of swing thoughts in your own life!

Joy to you,

Laura