Clearing the mind.....

[nomadpaul]

I've been really happy with the improvements in my game recently . Played twice last week , shooting 94 and 97 , and felt i was striking the ball well with just little lapses in concentration holding me back a little.

Today , i popped over the range as i'm playing tomorrow and just wanted to keep the swing 'in the groove' , so to speak. As it happens , i was ) . From shot one , i was analysing my swing , examining my set up etc etc but they were splaying all over the range...and i'm talking left/right/down/up ( some were very very up ) . I hit some shots with the driver that came down with snow on 'em .

I got so frustrated that with about 15 from 100 balls left , i just walked up to the next ball and said to myself..... " For gawds sake Paul , just hit the bloody thing "
...Which i then proceeded to do , with all 15 going long and straight . At no time whilst htting this last batch of balls did i think about my set-up or swing but they just all flew perfect !!!

Could it be that i had to much going on between my ears ? Maybe i was so intent on thinking about what i was doing that it was somehow restricting my mental and physical freedom ?

Wondered if anyone else has suffered from this particular 'ailment' ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think it is the old paralysis by analysis syndrome again. I'm as guilty as anyone for sometimes getting too over-analytical in my swing and what I'm trying to do and sometimes a little too hard on myself if a ball is 10 yards further left and right of where I wanted it.

I tend to have the opposite problem whereby I'm great on the range and go into a competition believing it to be my turn and as soon as I have a bad shot I'm suddenly looking for the cause and thereby losing more shots by trying to find the cause.

Unless you are working on a specific swing thought or move from a lesson I just tend to concentrate on getting the basics (grip, posture, alignment) right and then making a full shoulder turn. Too many thoughts make it impossible to execute the shot

 

[theeaglehunter]

I quite often end up doing this, I get so many swing thoughts in my mind it overloads and produce a hacking motion instead of a swing. I try and think of all the set up stuff I need and then forget it all and keep a clear mind during the actual swing- I do my thinking before the shot if possible but I still forget this sometimes and end up thinking of 10 things at one time with disastrous effect. What I am currently trying is to hum during the backswing and through swing without changing pitch or tempo as such, I saw it on a program on Setanta golf and apparently it helps your rhythm and makes sure you don't think of too many things. I'm like you though- when I think of too much I am crap.

 

[Nico]

Had a real moment this evening!

Was playing at Pyrford in midweek league match and we were all square going up last. Only had 60 yds left to pin for 3d shot with the oppo in the trees. He hit a fabulous shot to 8ft and then it happened!

3/4 pitches are not my great suit but I have practised this shot loads over the last year and it has got better.

Normally though I would try to hit it stiff and feel tense and mechanical which would lead to a very ordinary result. Dont know why but as I stood over the ball I looked at the target and a strange feeling came over me. I thought "you know what this is actually an easy shot. You have practised it a thousand times and always hit it fairly close,so just do what you do on the range,see the shot,relax and hit it somewhere near."

Hit it to 9ft (over the flag) and holed the putt coming back,he missed and we won!

Why oh why did it take me this long to just hit it like I do on the Range!!!

What is wrong with us.

 

[USER1999]

Pyrford is tough, with water on 17 holes. Loose any balls?

 

[Nico]

No mate,it played long yesterday too as there was a strong wind. Have played it a fair bit,they are part of our Group,we have at least one club match there and the pro is a mate so I know it quite well.

I find it much more a strategic course as it is not over long but you need to know your yardages and have the ball under control (unlike me at the mo).

Was delighted to birdie 9 for the first time yesterday,have you ever got on there in 2? It is a beast of a hole,closest I have ever got is the greenside trap and it only crept in then too!

 

[nomadpaul]

Well , it seemed to have worked - Shot a 93 today , my lowest round yet....and actually parred the 1st and 2nd - Still had a couple of stupid mistakes on holes but i tried not to think too deeply about all the intricacies of my swing and just let it flow. I'm back to being happy again.

My playing partner lowered his best from 86 to 83. We actually began playing off each other and whenever i got close , he would get inside my ball and vice versa. Its probably the most relaxed , funny and enjoyable days golf i've ever had.....