Recent mental tip that has really improved my consistency.

[mnfats95]

While recently committing to lessons for the first time in my life I was given a tip by my instructor that has done wonders for my consistency and helped eliminate poor swings.

 

After going through the mechanical changes of my swing for the first 4 lessons I was having a major issue translating them into my driver and three wood swings. Irons were really starting to come around but the woods were not.

 

He had me swing them in front of him a few times and then decided that my issues weren't really mechanical but mental. So what he told me to do isn't revolutionary, I'm sure this might even be common knowledge to some people. I am posting it however as it's made quite a difference for me on all my clubs now and when I explained it to one of my playing buddies he has seen the same improvement.

 

I have watched a lot of pros do this on TV for years and it never really clicked on what they were doing.

 

Anyway, on to the tip.

 

When I was approaching my shots previously the issue seems to have been that I was thinking about the shot when I was over the ball way to much. I would stand there in some cases for 10 to 15 seconds (he counted) before pulling the trigger.

 

All of that time I was standing there things were creeping in. Don't do this, make sure you do that, remember to blah blah blah.

 

The simple thing he told me to do was to draw a line between me and the ball before approaching it. Take all of my practice swings and think about all of the shot specifics away from the ball and don't approach it until I was happy.

 

Once I cross that line I have 5 seconds to hit the ball. He even suggested I have the club gripped with both hands to save time when crossing the line.

 

When he first said this I didn't really think that it would be that big of a deal, but since he had worked some magic with my swing I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Low and behold it actually helped me with the woods. I wasn't standing there thinking about things and when I just approached and pulled the trigger I was putting a good swing on the ball almost every time. Instead of my bad shots being really bad they were just slightly off and the majority of my shots were now solid contact.

 

So if you are looking for some real world validation I offer you this.

 

Armed with my new knowledge I went off this weekend to play a quick 9 on an executive course I have near my house. My buddy and I started the round and while I played OK I was still hitting poor shots. That's right, I had completely spaced off the new tip he had given me. I was 5 over after 6 holes due to poor tee shots and was getting kind of frustrated.

 

On the tee of 7 I remembered what he had told me and after kicking myself for forgetting it I put it into play. I stepped up and knocked it to 5 feet and then left my putt 2 inches short in the heart for a par. (greens were really slow).

 

I made par on the last two holes with much better tee shots and some questionable putting and went in to pay to play again. I wasn't going to stop with only 3 good holes.

 

My playing buddy had been struggling all the first 9 as well so I gave him this tip as well. I was even on the second 9 with two birdies and two bogeys and he shot the best round he's ever played on this tiny course and was really excited.

 

So, even though I had to remind myself several times during the round to follow this procedure, I'll be damned if it didn't really help my consistency. My misses on the second 9 were not weak poor swings, but actually miss clubs where I hit the ball too far because I was making much better contact.

 

I know a lot of you probably know about this, but for those who don't, try it! I don't think it can hurt anything and if you are struggling with too many swing thoughts over the ball like I was you might find that even though it doesn't eliminate bad shots it has definitely reduced mine by a wide margin.

[cnosil]

I think people often underestimate the importance of the mental side of golf.  We hear about it,  but don't really know how to apply it.  It is especially important as your handicap drops since you really have to manage your way around a course to prevent blow up holes.    This simple tip is great advice and I know I will try to apply it during my next rounds.  

[JBones]

I always get in such a damn hurry on the course, that I don't even have a pre-shot routine. Maybe I will throw this in and see how it works.

 

 

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[wbealsd]

I think people often underestimate the importance of the mental side of golf.   

Well, I'm definitely "mental."

 

That definitely has something to do with the way I play golf

[chisag]

... Great tip. Many just don't realize how the mental effects the physical. You play your best golf when you are loose and relaxed but still athletic. Standing over the ball you should feel like you do when shooting a free throw. Relaxed but athletic. When you stand over the ball going thru a mental checklist or just stand there for too long tension always seeps in. Most don't realize how tense they get when swinging compared to the first few seconds they address the ball. It just creeps up on you and by the time you make your swing there is too much tension to make a free aggressive swing. 

[Mr_Theoo]

I always get in such a damn hurry on the course, that I don't even have a pre-shot routine. Maybe I will throw this in and see how it works.

 

 

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So do I. I need to work on slowing myself down

[Jiro]

I like the tip. It's amazing how many times I'll be happy with my practice swings away from the ball but then stand over the ball way too long and then swing differently on the actual shot. 5 seconds-that gives just enough time to line up and go without other thoughts starting to flood in and mess with you.

 

 

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[ole gray]

Too much pre shot thinking = Paralysis by Analysis    

[downlowkey]

I received essentially the same tip from my first instructor. He referred to it as the "decision line". The idea being that judging what any particular shot required and executing said shot were very different things and needed to be separated. Once I stepped across that line my only thought was target because all the decisions had already been made. He didn't limit it to 5 seconds but when you are truly focused solely on target it's pretty easy to pull the trigger.

[TSauer]

I always think about too much when I'm standing over the ball, and it tends to get to me. However, when I'm not trying and just walk up and wing it, I usually hit some miraculous shots.

 

 

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[cksurfdude]

Great tip - thx!

 

I think my main mental problem (out of many...) is confidence...

 

I stand behind the ball and look at my target and think about my shot, stand parallel to the target line .. still away from the ball .. and take two "rehearsal" swings (not 'practice' but rehearsing what I'm trying to perform) and step in, take my stance but then ... ... that fiendish little devil on my shoulder whispers in my ear: " Who are you? You're not good enough! You don't know how to hit this shot! You can't pull this one off!" ... ...

[downlowkey]

Great tip - thx!

 

I think my main mental problem (out of many...) is confidence...

 

I stand behind the ball and look at my target and think about my shot, stand parallel to the target line .. still away from the ball .. and take two "rehearsal" swings (not 'practice' but rehearsing what I'm trying to perform) and step in, take my stance but then ... ... that fiendish little devil on my shoulder whispers in my ear: " Who are you? You're not good enough! You don't know how to hit this shot! You can't pull this one off!" ... ...

I bet that fiendish little devil is nowhere to be found when you're charging a sweet surf set. If you can apply that same flow state to your golf game the wipeout wary ego will fade away.

[cksurfdude]

I bet that fiendish little devil is nowhere to be found when you're charging a sweet surf set. If you can apply that same flow state to your golf game the wipeout wary ego will fade away.

Huh, interesting thought! Very interesting .. thank you!!

 

Had not really thought about it in that way. There are similarities, eg. you wait your turn, you get into position and then bang! you go.

 

But I've thought of surfing as more dynamic - you're moving AND the water is moving (and other surfers are paddling out, you're on the lookout for seaweed or rocks) - it's a more immersive (literally, ha!) experience that demands your complete attention.

 

The actual, physical golf swing starts and ends in a much shorter timeframe but I have yet to apply the same focus .. .. something good to work on!

 

Thx again!

[HighFade]

Keep this one to yourself. If my brother reads this, I'll owe him my house. He's amazing to watch. Tour pro practice swing, hacker real swing.

[StrokerAce]

great, great reminder.... and you're right.  you do see almost every pro golfer do this in one form or the other... (love how JDay closes his eyes right before stepping into the "hitting area"...almost like he is completely clearing his mind)

 

I caught a repeat of Tom Kite on the Golf Channel the other day and he was hitting balls and talking (I'm always impressed how they can do that) and the host asked him about how he kept moving and didn't really "stop".  And he mentioned (just like chisag and others) that swinging the club is an athletic movement and there really is no 'stopping' when you're performing an athletic movement.

He did have a very slight "pause" before the backswing, but at no point did he completely STOP and allow the various swing thoughts to creep into his head.

 

Thought that was quite interesting and worthwhile!  Good luck and enjoy your new swing!!

[dadivots]

There is a guy from Australia that was part a big kinetic study some years ago.

He has his own 4 keys to a better golf swing from that basically and its interesting for sure.

And although this was not one of them he did a video of this exact thing years ago that I cant find now, but it did seem that he was much better off for it. I had forget about this and never tried to incorporate it, so thanks for this tip from your pro... the line is going in the preshot routine for me.

Pulling the trigger with clarity is something that I work on more and more and find Penick's "Take Dead Aim" as the only swing thought over the ball is something that works well for me. Target and preshot decisions, then precise target only over the ball. Its pretty surprising how often despite what might have felt off or amiss during the swing that the ball does what it is supposed to because of this.

 

Thanks again.

[Kenny B]

When I am behind the ball, I am focusing on my alignment; where I want to hit the ball.  NEVER focus on where you DON'T want to hit the ball.  However, I don't take a practice swing behind the ball.  I don't think that does me any good.  I take a practice swing near address position, because that focuses my swing on my target.  Practice swing, step in, look at my target, then swing away.  When at the ball, it's no time to think about swing thoughts, just trust it.

 

This past weekend I played with a young guy that had a decent swing, but when he got over the ball, he paused for maybe 15-20 seconds and rarely hit a decent shot.  I have no idea what he was thinking, but if I had done this and hit as many bad shots as he did, I would be trying something else.

[Orange Hog]

I follow Me and My Golf (Andy and Piers) on YouTube and this was one of their pre-shot routine tips a few months back.  Has really helped me to get out of my own head when playing.  I need to remember to do this more often, as I've kind of gotten away from it lately.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5xc_uri8mc

[cksurfdude]

There is a guy from Australia that was part a big kinetic study some years ago.

He has his own 4 keys to a better golf swing from that basically and its interesting for sure.

And although this was not one of them he did a video of this exact thing years ago that I cant find now, but it did seem that he was much better off for it. I had forget about this and never tried to incorporate it, so thanks for this tip from your pro... the line is going in the preshot routine for me.

Pulling the trigger with clarity is something that I work on more and more and find Penick's "Take Dead Aim" as the only swing thought over the ball is something that works well for me. Target and preshot decisions, then precise target only over the ball. Its pretty surprising how often despite what might have felt off or amiss during the swing that the ball does what it is supposed to because of this.

 

Thanks again.

[dadivots]

IMG_20170321_124800576.jpg

Nice find!

[cksurfdude]

Nice find!

Custom print for 25¢/dozen (not each!) at RockBottomGolf late last year. Only small problem is they put the angle brackets the wrong way .. I'm right-handed so when I line up the ball and look down the arrows are pointing backwards... ... ...

[Bags]

While recently committing to lessons for the first time in my life I was given a tip by my instructor that has done wonders for my consistency and helped eliminate poor swings.

 

After going through the mechanical changes of my swing for the first 4 lessons I was having a major issue translating them into my driver and three wood swings. Irons were really starting to come around but the woods were not.

 

He had me swing them in front of him a few times and then decided that my issues weren't really mechanical but mental. So what he told me to do isn't revolutionary, I'm sure this might even be common knowledge to some people. I am posting it however as it's made quite a difference for me on all my clubs now and when I explained it to one of my playing buddies he has seen the same improvement.

 

I have watched a lot of pros do this on TV for years and it never really clicked on what they were doing.

 

Anyway, on to the tip.

 

When I was approaching my shots previously the issue seems to have been that I was thinking about the shot when I was over the ball way to much. I would stand there in some cases for 10 to 15 seconds (he counted) before pulling the trigger.

 

All of that time I was standing there things were creeping in. Don't do this, make sure you do that, remember to blah blah blah.

 

The simple thing he told me to do was to draw a line between me and the ball before approaching it. Take all of my practice swings and think about all of the shot specifics away from the ball and don't approach it until I was happy.

 

Once I cross that line I have 5 seconds to hit the ball. He even suggested I have the club gripped with both hands to save time when crossing the line.

 

When he first said this I didn't really think that it would be that big of a deal, but since he had worked some magic with my swing I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Low and behold it actually helped me with the woods. I wasn't standing there thinking about things and when I just approached and pulled the trigger I was putting a good swing on the ball almost every time. Instead of my bad shots being really bad they were just slightly off and the majority of my shots were now solid contact.

 

So if you are looking for some real world validation I offer you this.

 

Armed with my new knowledge I went off this weekend to play a quick 9 on an executive course I have near my house. My buddy and I started the round and while I played OK I was still hitting poor shots. That's right, I had completely spaced off the new tip he had given me. I was 5 over after 6 holes due to poor tee shots and was getting kind of frustrated.

 

On the tee of 7 I remembered what he had told me and after kicking myself for forgetting it I put it into play. I stepped up and knocked it to 5 feet and then left my putt 2 inches short in the heart for a par. (greens were really slow).

 

I made par on the last two holes with much better tee shots and some questionable putting and went in to pay to play again. I wasn't going to stop with only 3 good holes.

 

My playing buddy had been struggling all the first 9 as well so I gave him this tip as well. I was even on the second 9 with two birdies and two bogeys and he shot the best round he's ever played on this tiny course and was really excited.

 

So, even though I had to remind myself several times during the round to follow this procedure, I'll be damned if it didn't really help my consistency. My misses on the second 9 were not weak poor swings, but actually miss clubs where I hit the ball too far because I was making much better contact.

 

I know a lot of you probably know about this, but for those who don't, try it! I don't think it can hurt anything and if you are struggling with too many swing thoughts over the ball like I was you might find that even though it doesn't eliminate bad shots it has definitely reduced mine by a wide margin.

yup make it reactive works much better

 

 

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[J.B. TexasEx]

Phil Mickelson has a theory that he shared on Feherty that I hypothesized years ago. He said, "To be a great golfer, you've either gotta be really smart or really dumb. Everyone else can't get out of their own way." In short, too much thinkin' leads to paralysis by analysis!

 

Relax, take dead aim, and let 'er rip!

[89bill]

Thanks for the info i have the problem I'm constantly over top the ball Hunter things in my mind 10 different swings thoughts so I'm going to try this thank you so much

 

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[89bill]

I've been playing golf for 28 years still hittin the low nineties my goal is to hit 89 I try the one piece swing with the V I can do that with my driver and my pitching wedge but when it comes to my longer iron I feel that the two piece swing is more natural when I hit it they really go well good distance good flight when I try hitting my long irons with the V i get her distance looking for some video instructions or something that would help me with my backswing if anybody knows some good drills I would appreciate it

 

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