Confidence - has to be the biggest factor for us Amateurs?

[G1BB0]

was having a wee think about my good & bad from previous rounds and realised that all my good stuff was when I was over the ball knowing I was going to do what I wanted as opposed to 'dont top it' 'dont slice it o/b' 'is this the right club'

I know practice breeds consistency and this breeds confidence but surely being confident to begin with goes a long way?

How does confidence affect your performance?

 

[chris661]

Quite a lot. Recently I have been feeling a little less confident putting which as a result has seen my scores and general game suffering. It is gradually coming back though from a but more practice and a bit more playing which resulted in me winning my match 6 & 5 on Sunday

 

[virtuocity]

I would suggest that it's less about confidence and more about grasping the concept of being realistic.

200 yards from the green, are you better taking 2 easy wedges or a hard 2 iron? The former can guarantee that you're hitting your next (3rd) shot with the putter. The latter means a par or a double bogey.

 

[Holty]

Definitely affects me - almost completely lose the ability to hit the ball on occasion when my head is thinking too much about it and when confidence goes, I think more and more about it!

 

[Big D 88]

I would suggest that it's less about confidence and more about grasping the concept of being realistic.

200 yards from the green, are you better taking 2 easy wedges or a hard 2 iron? The former can guarantee that you're hitting your next (3rd) shot with the putter. The latter means a par or a double bogey.

Spot on

Too many times im left with a long distance to the green

I often stand over a shot and think back to what i've seen a pro do on the tele

When realistically two wedges will produce a better result, which in turn increases confidence

 

[G1BB0]

ahhh but its not about thinking what you can do, its about being confident doing it.

If you had 220 and know on a good day you could make it with 3w but if it goes wrong then your cream crackered then your not confident.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have to agree. Got on a downward spiral in the medal on Saturday and kept missing greens with my approaches. Confidence sapped and more and more errors followed. Played in a match yesterday, and struck it better. Confidence grew, more greens hit, and far better scoring. I am working hard on the positive mental attitude via the Karl Morris app. Maybe, just maybe it is starting to seep in. Even though I ended up well over par in the medal I didn't feel I hit it badly and frttered shots rather than bad execution and I didn't get too down even when the buffer disappeared

 

[G1BB0]

like me with chips/putter atm Homer. If I make the 1st few the stroke/swing is better and carries on so.

 

[Holty]

Must adopt the Kris Akabusi mantra!

 

[kev_off_the_tee]

Confidence is a MASSIVE factor in my game. For years I couldn't use a driver but was confident in my irons getting me out of bother. Of late, it has come full circle and my last 2 round has seen my best driving yet. Not my irons though, I can't hit anything requiring more than 130 yards as I've slipped into my old routine of trying to rip the face of a new ball.

I'm in need of range time to get some game back so have to call on favours from family to babysit my daughter on a weeknight as the Mrs work evenings.

Needs must because my recent scores have gone back to absolute beginner scoring again :angry: doesn't help that I've been tinkering with the bag during the extra long winter break

 

[Coatsy79]

A little bit of confidence helps

When I'm confidant in my swing I play quite well, things seem to go my way, when I have a few duffs I start trying to hit the ball and it all goes very wrong

Learning the game is also helping, realising you can hit a 9 iron just short of the green and roll it on rather than trying to hit a 7 or 8 to the pin etc etc

 

[Andy808]

I used to have all sorts of thoughts running through my head as I was about to hit a shot. Will it go where I want it to, will I slice it, will I hit it in the water, will my swing work. Then over the ball I would start thinking about my swing. Will it hold up, will I thin it, will I duff it. I would then have all sorts of swing thoughts while I was swinging the club, take it back smoothly, pause at the top, swing from the hips...
The ball would pretty much go where it wanted and not where I wanted it to go.
I now walk to the ball, pick my target, pick my club and go for it. No doubts, no fears and no negative thoughts what so ever.
It has helped no end and I don't let a bad shot affect my next shot.
I don't have any swing thoughts, I keep those for the range.
My current thinking is see it, hit it, find it and start again until it's in the hole.

 

[JustOne]

was having a wee think about my good & bad from previous rounds and realised that all my good stuff was when I was over the ball knowing I was going to do what I wanted as opposed to 'dont top it' 'dont slice it o/b' 'is this the right club'

I had a shank attack at the range a couple of weeks back then played the next day with the one swing thought... "Don't shank it", as part of my pre-shot routine I even had to warn my playing partners not to stand to the right of me ....shot 2 over par

There might be something in your theory, but it's not 100%

 

[User 105]

This is the view I've held for quite a while now. I think no matter what level you are playing at confidence plays a huge factor.

But it's a double edged sword. Confidence breeds confidence, but when things start to slip and confidence starts to go, it's hard to stop the slide.

I think the key is to always try and play within yourself. If you get over confident you'll start taking on shots you shouldn't and making mistakes, then confidence starts to slide and you start second guessing yourself. Then it'll slide even more.

 

[mcbroon]

Confidence is critical, I'd say.

When I stand on the tee, I expect to hit the ball down the middle. When I stand over a 3w or 5w or iron shot, I expect to hit it reasonably well.

When I stand over a chip shot or long putt, I'm terrified.

Guess which part of the game I'm terrible at.

 

[DaveyG]

was having a wee think about my good & bad from previous rounds and realised that all my good stuff was when I was over the ball knowing I was going to do what I wanted as opposed to 'dont top it' 'dont slice it o/b' 'is this the right club'

I know practice breeds consistency and this breeds confidence but surely being confident to begin with goes a long way?

How does confidence affect your performance?

Same as you mate with the confidence...

I find it ridiculous how I can forget something in my swing and not figure it out whats missing... I find my concentration is the biggest thing that effects my golf! So many times I walk off when I have finished and think why did I switch off so easy...

Also is it mad to think they both come hand in hand?

 

[full_throttle]

Steve, confidence is awesomeness,

 

[MadAdey]

Confidence is a factor but so is ability in my mind. I can stand over a shot and be 110% confident of playing it. But if I am trying to hit a 30 yard draw into a green protected by water from 240 yards out then I am not being realistic. You have to play within your self and have the self belief in your own abilities. If you try and play a shot you are capapble of playing then you will be more confident than if you are trying to do something you can't.

 

[chrisd]

was having a wee think about my good & bad from previous rounds and realised that all my good stuff was when I was over the ball knowing I was going to do what I wanted as opposed to 'dont top it' 'dont slice it o/b' 'is this the right club'

I know practice breeds consistency and this breeds confidence but surely being confident to begin with goes a long way?

How does confidence affect your performance?

Every golf psychology book will tell you that the brain doesn't understand the word "don't". if you say " don't hit the ball left" the brain only understands "hit it left". If you think positive, so "hit it down the middle" is vastly a better thought, you will stand a better chance of doing so and you are losing the negative suggestion. They advise that you stand over a shot and remember when you played the hole well and remember the good shots from a similar position. Self talk (not aloud ) is good, such as , "i've hit this same shot many times and know I can make it" negative thoughts and talk will almost always lead to disaster!

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

I'm certain that confidence is massive thing, especially when it comes to the short game. If it's working, you're not nervous swinging into those little chips, putts etc, so you hit them better than when you decelerate into the ball.

I also think that's why new clubs sometimes make a difference -you feel more confidence with the new shiny one in you hand.