Your best golf psychology tips please

[ddryan]

Lots of great insight and thoughts- I would like to offer one more- I am a simple kind of golfer- and when I acknowledge this one truth it really really helps me.  That is "THE ONLY SHOT THAT COUNTS IS THE ONE YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE"  Forget about the missed green, forget about the pull hook off the last tee box- those shots are in the books.  Forget about the next hole, or that creek on 17... none of that matters- just  keep it to the shot you are about to make, and do the best you can do on that shot, then accept it and move on.

 

Sure, harder to do than to say, but for what it is worth... Good luck to you!!

[Rickp]

Lots of great insight and thoughts- I would like to offer one more- I am a simple kind of golfer- and when I acknowledge this one truth it really really helps me. That is "THE ONLY SHOT THAT COUNTS IS THE ONE YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE" Forget about the missed green, forget about the pull hook off the last tee box- those shots are in the books. Forget about the next hole, or that creek on 17... none of that matters- just keep it to the shot you are about to make, and do the best you can do on that shot, then accept it and move on.

 

Sure, harder to do than to say, but for what it is worth... Good luck to you!!

Be like great baseball relief pitchers "they must have short memories", gotta forget the bad ones.

[chemclub]

Lots of great insight and thoughts- I would like to offer one more- I am a simple kind of golfer- and when I acknowledge this one truth it really really helps me.  That is "THE ONLY SHOT THAT COUNTS IS THE ONE YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE"  Forget about the missed green, forget about the pull hook off the last tee box- those shots are in the books.  Forget about the next hole, or that creek on 17... none of that matters- just  keep it to the shot you are about to make, and do the best you can do on that shot, then accept it and move on.

 

Sure, harder to do than to say, but for what it is worth... Good luck to you!!

 

This is good advice.

 

Another way to look at it - especially when you feel like your game has vanished - is to go out and say you are going to make 10 bad shots. Could be 15 or even 30. But understand that bad shots are going to happen.

 

When they do happen you say, ok, that was a bad shot and I was expecting to have  some of those. It will take the pressure off you and then you can play a game where you reduce the number of bad shots each round.

 

You can try the same thing with 

X number of great shots

X number of ok shots

 

The great shots tally lets you acknowledge that you can actually make good swings and execute. You may still be a hack, but you are a hack with potential. 

[cksurfdude]

 

 

.......

You may still be a hack, but you are a hack with potential.

........

 

That's me!

(Or at least I like to tell myself that I have potential!)

[Kor.A.Door]

Thinking is my biggest issue, when I think, the game goes away, when I say thinking, I mean, thoughts running through my head, don't do this, don't do that, use this club, or that club, it's 140, 7 yards uphill, it's a 9 iron, but for some idiotic reason I talk myself into hitting PW, which comes up 6 yards short every time, to quote Major league 2 I think "too many mind". Stop thinking.

[Rickp]

Thinking is my biggest issue, when I think, the game goes away, when I say thinking, I mean, thoughts running through my head, don't do this, don't do that, use this club, or that club, it's 140, 7 yards uphill, it's a 9 iron, but for some idiotic reason I talk myself into hitting PW, which comes up 6 yards short every time, to quote Major league 2 I think "too many mind". Stop thinking.

Your not alone Grasshopper

We all do it.

 

 

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[Honest Wes]

I'm a nervous nelly when I play with others, but I play so well when I'm by myself. My nerves always get the best of me for some reason. I feel like I rush everything so others aren't waiting on me. It sucks.

Did they pay more to play than you did? Is their time more valuable than yours? Trevino said you have to be selfish on the golf course. You seem like a really nice guy. You shouldn't take an apologetic attitude to the course. Don't worry about their approval unless you're trying to date one of them.

 

 

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[Rickp]

Did they pay more to play than you did? Is their time more valuable than yours? Trevino said you have to be selfish on the golf course. You seem like a really nice guy. You shouldn't take an apologetic attitude to the course. Don't worry about their approval unless you're trying to date one of them.

 

 

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U got it right.

 

 

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[ole gray]

Golf is 20 percent talent and 80 percent management. ~ Ben Hogan

 

Play to your strengths and talent level and you'll score better.

[AH1980MN]

Nanananananana~~~

[tony@CIC]

Nanananananana~~~

Reminds me of Chevy chase putting in caddy shock

[AH1980MN]

Exactly.

[HighFade]

Here's a trick I learned from an instructor a few years back. Think of a riddle, or joke, or even song lyrics. Say the lines to yourself or even out loud. But the thing that really gets your brain out of the way in a pressure packed moment is to try to strike the ball on a certain word. That really helps me when the pressure is on. I used The Diceman's Little Miss Muffet.

[Brian A]

Take your medicine, dont let one bad shot become 4! Good luck! 

[Berg Ryman]

Here's what I think the big secret is... there is no one big secret. The only way you get comfortable playing under pressure is to continue to put yourself in those type of situations. It's not fun and it's not easy, but it's what I think has worked best for me. By acclimating to the situation you know how you're going to react and adjust accordingly. Without that basis of information or experience you'll never be a good pressure player. It sucks to say it that way and I know that's only one man's opinion, but it's what helped me best.

 

Also, I enjoy singing on the course. Always have, always will. Keeps me loose. Not really thinking about the rhythmic nature of song, just to entertain myself.

[STUDque]

Here's what I think the big secret is... there is no one big secret. The only way you get comfortable playing under pressure is to continue to put yourself in those type of situations. It's not fun and it's not easy, but it's what I think has worked best for me. By acclimating to the situation you know how you're going to react and adjust accordingly. Without that basis of information or experience you'll never be a good pressure player. It sucks to say it that way and I know that's only one man's opinion, but it's what helped me best.

 

Also, I enjoy singing on the course. Always have, always will. Keeps me loose. Not really thinking about the rhythmic nature of song, just to entertain myself.

 

 

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[Berg Ryman]

 

 

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Put much nicer and with a cartoon Panda voiced by Jack Black to boot, thanks Stud

[dhartmann34]

After a heck of a lot of debate, I have decided to play this year's club championship. I was debating because I have not played to my best this season and my chronic anxiety issues since this will be the first one I play in without the medication backing me up.

 

Truth is that I know I am capable of playing well and even winning but I will never give myself a chance if I can't control the pressure.

 

So I guess this question is for anyone who has ever won under pressure or has been able to conquer their own anxiety. What tip or tips can you give me to beat this anxiety? What can I do to keep my focus on my game and no one else's?

 

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Ive got two pieces of advice...

 

1. No matter what happens, life will go on. You'll wake up the next day no better or worse a man if you win or lose. Not life and death. So focus on doing your best and whatever results, it is what it is.

 

2. One shot at a time. Nothing before or after matters. It's that shot and that shot only.

 

Play well.

 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Rickp]

Ive got two pieces of advice...

 

1. No matter what happens, life will go on. You'll wake up the next day no better or worse a man if you win or lose. Not life and death. So focus on doing your best and whatever results, it is what it is.

 

2. One shot at a time. Nothing before or after matters. It's that shot and that shot only.

 

Play well.

 

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Try to play loose and have fun!

 

 

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[Rickp]

Here's what I think the big secret is... there is no one big secret. The only way you get comfortable playing under pressure is to continue to put yourself in those type of situations. It's not fun and it's not easy, but it's what I think has worked best for me. By acclimating to the situation you know how you're going to react and adjust accordingly. Without that basis of information or experience you'll never be a good pressure player. It sucks to say it that way and I know that's only one man's opinion, but it's what helped me best.

 

Also, I enjoy singing on the course. Always have, always will. Keeps me loose. Not really thinking about the rhythmic nature of song, just to entertain myself.

Dammm, I just realized I sing to myself while playing also. This weeks it's been Tom Petty, Free Fallin”. That's freakin weird

 

 

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[Canucklehead]

Dammm, I just realized I sing to myself while playing also. This weeks it's been Tom Petty, Free Fallin”. That's freakin weird

 

 

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Slow, smooth song. Weird you can have a nice golf swing with that kinda tempo in your head 😀

 

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[Badfish]

I too have struggled with anxiety during competitive golf matches.  When I was a junior it definitely had a negative effect on my game.  By forcing myself in to tourney after tourney I began to handle it much better.  I think playing really bad helps this more than playing well.  To be honest, nowadays I really look forward to a game where the stakes are high enough for me to get the butterflies.  Keep playing in that club championship, and look at the nerves as something that adds importance to your game instead of shining a spotlight on your mistakes.  

[Henrik Engvall]

Never use the word not. Do not hit it in the water..... do not mis this putt left...

[MDGolfHacker]

Preshot routine. Takes the thinking out of the process. Don't worry about what the other guy is doing... Play your own game.

 

MDGolfHacker

[tony@CIC]

Just hit the ball is my strategy. I save the thinking and tinkering for the driving range.

 

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

Never use the word not. Do not hit it in the water..... do not mis this putt left...

I have a good friend who says this all the time. The reason is, your mind cannot process negative thoughts, when you said don't it doesn't process the not portion of it, it only processes the do part of the statement, so basically you are telling yourself, do hit it in the water, positive thought is big in Golf.

[Kenny B]

Dammm, I just realized I sing to myself while playing also. This weeks it's been Tom Petty, Free Fallin”. That's freakin weird

 

 

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Today, I have the Glenn Frey song,  The Heat is On, in my head.  I wonder how that's going to affect my game?  Cold and windy today!!

 

"The shadows high on the darker side

Behind the doors, it's a wilder ride

You can make a break, you can win or lose

That's a chance you take, when the heat's on you

When the heat is on"

[Rickp]

Today, I have the Glenn Frey song, The Heat is On, in my head. I wonder how that's going to affect my game? Cold and windy today!!

 

 

"The shadows high on the darker side

Behind the doors, it's a wilder ride

You can make a break, you can win or lose

That's a chance you take, when the heat's on you

When the heat is on"

This morning was “She came in thru the bathroom window”, Beatles , Abbey Road.

 

 

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[matchplay66]

Experience and more experience. If you cant put yourself in those kinds of situations regulary on the golf course try to test yourself in your daily routine. One example is talking if front of people more. If you make yourself uncomfortable daily it will not effect you on the golf course. Oh and when you need to make a 3 footer for the match just tell yourself it is a gimme, smile and drain it.

[Henrik Engvall]

I have a good friend who says this all the time. The reason is, your mind cannot process negative thoughts, when you said don't it doesn't process the not portion of it, it only processes the do part of the statement, so basically you are telling yourself, do hit it in the water, positive thought is big in Golf.

 

Do not win today