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Swing Thoughts

Collin Michels1 min read

Screenshot 2026-03-13 at 1.44.53 PM

If you’ve ever played golf, you know overthinking ruins a decent swing. Too many thoughts = Your ball in the forest.

When I first started playing golf, I was convinced I needed to fix everything at once. The pre-round YouTube video told me “Elbow here. Wrist there. Shift weight. Head Down. Stay balanced.” The more I tried to control, the worse I played.

That’s why I love this quote from Bobby Jones:
“You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.”

This changed how I approached the game.

My best rounds happened when I had two or three thoughts in my head: Easy Grip. Good Tempo. Keep my head down.

The same is true when we are trying to perform at a high level in sales. The people who struggle are usually thinking about too much:

  • The script.

  • The objection.

  • Their tone.

  • Commission.

  • How they sound.

  • What happens if this goes bad?

High performers have compressed their learnings into a few, highly leveraged ideas.

I call them “Swing Thoughts” Simple. Personal. Repeatable.

And the most rewarding part of this process… swing thoughts cannot be given, they must be earned.

You don’t get them from a training manual. You unlock them through reps, through enough conversations where you start to realize:

  • When I slow down, conversations last longer.

  • When I bring energy to the conversation, my tone changes.

  • When I pause after a question, people open up.

And these become your swing thoughts!

Bobby Jones once said “Golf is the five inches between the ears.”

So let it be known:

“Sales is the five inches between the ears.” –  Brock Baker

Brock Baker

brock.baker@creonesource.com

Connect with me on LinkedIn!

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