its all in the mind!

[T89]

So, ive been playing now for 5 months, and loving it! I started in March, 28H'cap and have come down to 21.7. I play at the hardest course in my area so really happy with how i'm going considering my aim was to get to 18 by end of golfing year.

BUT! are there any tips to stop me blowing up! ha! I am fairly natural I guess you could say, I had one lesson because I kept slicing & the pro said my swing was more developed than my mind which, although a good thing naturally, was potentially bad because it is harder for me to understand aspects to improve. in the end he just made me stop poking my arse forward during impact causing me to open club face!

My point is, I am often going out in 40-42 which I would be over the mood with, but then I go from nice and relaxed to thinking, thinking and...thinking! Working out potential scores or where I can do this or do that! And you got it, usually around 12-16 I blow up, a snowman or two and thats that! Now I know sometimes my course management lets me down, After 1 poor hole I may drive wayward then take a silly club out of danger resulting in another poor hole, but my mind is the biggest aspect letting me down im sure

Does anybody have any tips to staying relaxed etc?

 

[Farneyman]

Don't think about anything only the next shot. Forget about thinking to far ahead.

 

[Foxholer]

BUT! are there any tips to stop me blowing up!

Does anybody have any tips to staying relaxed etc?

If you could master that - and market it - you'd be a millionaire.

Westwood might be at the head of the Queue!

To me, it's as Farney states. Learn to think solely about the next shot! That's the only thing you (need to) have any control over!

 

[SaintHacker]

I tried a new mindset this weekend, and shot a competition PB. Instead of thinking of the round as a whole I concentrated on each individual hole, worked out my handicap allowance and how I was going to play it to make a net birdie. Didn't work on every hole but it was far easier to 'stay in the game' mentally, and also to forget about errors, as I knew all the time how many shots I had left to play with.

 

[T89]

Thanks both, never looked at it in that way yet so obvious and simple! Obviously easier said than done but a perspective I deffo need to work to

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Doing some work with Pre-Shot Club Golfer. http://www.pre-shot.co.uk/

Early days and they are coming back to me with some lesson details, online material and other help but it really is helping keeping the monkey brain quiet. My teaching pro has been doing some work on a repetitive and comfy pre-shot routine and I am over the ball with more of a clear head and swinging with more freedom and better. Part of the Pre-Shot Club is taking something positive from every shot even the bad ones. Keeps a positive mind set.

Starting to put some really good runs of holes together lately and I just need to work more on the monkey brain as a good score looms and trying to keep the monkey quiet all the way round

 

[tsped83]

Doing some work with Pre-Shot Club Golfer. http://www.pre-shot.co.uk/

Early days and they are coming back to me with some lesson details, online material and other help but it really is helping keeping the monkey brain quiet. My teaching pro has been doing some work on a repetitive and comfy pre-shot routine and I am over the ball with more of a clear head and swinging with more freedom and better. Part of the Pre-Shot Club is taking something positive from every shot even the bad ones. Keeps a positive mind set.

Starting to put some really good runs of holes together lately and I just need to work more on the monkey brain as a good score looms and trying to keep the monkey quiet all the way round

Monkey Brain?? Homer, do tell?

 

[williamalex1]

Big jack said " between shots think and talk about anything else but your next shot" or something like that. :fore:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Monkey Brain?? Homer, do tell?

Have a look on the web site and their introduction video or this http://www.zenforuminternational.org/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=4745

 

[Hobbit]

Don't write the winner's speech on the 10th tee. In other words, don't get ahead of your self. The score halfway round is irrelevant to the competition score you'll post, so adding it up part way round is a distraction. You can't do anything about the last shot, so don't fret about it if it was a bad one. Only concentrate on the next shot. The score is irrelevant to your swing, concentrate on the swing and the score will take care of itself. Switch off between shots - concentrating for 4hrs is impossible.

And don't forget to enjoy it...

 

[Region3]

Pre-shot routine so you can go on 'auto pilot'.

Don't start thinking that you need to do abc to score x, or x here and y and z down 17 and 18 will get me so-and-so.

It's ok IMO to know how well you're doing, just don't think about future scores, and definitely don't be thinking about anything other than the shot when it's your turn to play.

Unless absolutely necessary, only take on shots that you know you can pull off.

 

[Region3]

I was drawn with one of our improving juniors a few comps ago, and he'd had a good first 8 holes.

Walking down our par 5 9th to play our third shots, he says...

"I'm doing well so far. I'll make 5 here and that'll be 41 for the front 9. I've only got a wedge. Knock it on the green and 2 putts no problem."

I kept my gob shut. He walked off with a double.

 

[CMAC]

Don't write the winner's speech on the 10th tee.

And don't forget to enjoy it...

...or any tee! I wrote my winners speech after holing out on 17 and still only 1 over with a relatively easy par 5 to finish- walked off with a 12

 

[G1BB0]

...or any tee! I wrote my winners speech after holing out on 17 and still only 1 over with a relatively easy par 5 to finish- walked off with a 12

ouch! Another method mentioned is play it in sets of 3, set a target for 1 - 3, then 4 - 6 and so on. after finishing a set forget about it and focus on the next 3. I do this regular on 1 - 3but usually blow it on the 1st

 

[palindromicbob]

Pre-shot routine so you can go on 'auto pilot'.

Don't start thinking that you need to do abc to score x, or x here and y and z down 17 and 18 will get me so-and-so.

It's ok IMO to know how well you're doing, just don't think about future scores, and definitely don't be thinking about anything other than the shot when it's your turn to play.

Unless absolutely necessary, only take on shots that you know you can pull off.

This is good advice and is effectively how I ended up with a PB at the weekend. Picked clubs I was happy to hit and didn't try the impossible.

My only big mistake was standing on the 17th par 3 tee thinking about how I hadn't had a three putt.

Ended up 3 putting the 17th walking off with a double and took a bit of composure to relax and par the 18th.

 

[JustOne]

I just set my expectations higher... if you told me I was level par at the turn I would be thinking "Damn, why am I not 2 under?"... I would then proceed to see if I could improve my score. I'm comfortable being under par as I tell myself that's where I want to be. It doesn't mean that I play any better though... my game falls apart all the time - regardless of my score!!! It's just that the score I'm on never phases me.

 

[AMcC]

A couple of pointers I like, but don't use often enough are

Start your routine when you take your. Club out of the bag and
Never try the impossible for a recovery, just get the ball back in to play.