Over Analysis is making me worse

[Slaighty]

Since the New Year I've made a huge effort to cut the old handicap - read the instruction books, watched the videos, looked at the pro swings on youtube, videoed myself to look for faults, asked you guys for advice...phew. And my game has gone to pot. My short game especially. My point is, I'm obviously over analysing things. Consider taking a penalty in a footie game. I dare say we could all hit the goal? You'd pick your spot, run up and just kick the ball. You wouldn't think about how much to bend your right leg, how much to cock your ankle, how to put your weight onto your left leg, keep your head over the ball....What do you guys think? Sorry to ramble on but after yesterdays round I am demoralised...and playing at Celtic Manor on Friday...HELP

 

[birdieman]

Slaighty, dont worry Rome wasn't built in a day! Takes time to implement swing changes, stick with it and it'll pay off in the long run. Absorb all you can.

 

[medwayjon]

I tend to do the same sometimes, usually when playing. If I think out a shot too much and spend too much time setting up etc I can hit a bad one becuase of the many thoughts going through my head. I hit some of my best shots when I get over it and give it a whack without too much deliberation.

 

[Range_Ball]

Have to agree with birdieman this games takes time i have been playing for just over a year and am trying diffrent things all the time.

In my opinon i think it must take a good few years to become a fairly profcient golfer unless you are a freak of nature and take to the game like a duck to water.

I enjoy the game and know that i am in for a long haul with its ups and downs (excuse the pun) this is what i love the challange to become the best golfer i can if that takes 3-5 years so be it.

Take the rough with the smooth everyone as as their bads days stick with it and i have no doubt you will become a better player.

 

[Dormie]

Never analyse your self on the course, never ever!
Sure think about which club to play for course management, or how your set up is before swinging the club but that's it.
Do all your analysis at the range or practise ground then on the course try not to think at all, just trust your swing.
That's the theory anyway

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ahhh our old friend paralysis by analysis (a constant partner of mine at present). I can also describe it as the circle of fear. It goes like this.

You get lessons/watch a dvd to improve
You implement the swing changes and drills your pro gives you (you are hitting the ball well - it is straight after your lesson)
You go to the range to "hone" the newly found technique
You start well (the changes are fresh in the memory)
You hit a few loose ones (suddenly you are thinking too hard about what angle your right buttock should be in)
You start to hit more loose ones (you egng to really think about trying to get the feeling you had straight after the lesson)
You get on the first hole next time out. You are nervous (typical 1st tee nerves you always get even on a Saturday with your mates)
You get the 1st shot away and settle into the game
You get several holes in and one goes astray. Was that my technique or just a poor shot
You get over the next tee shot and begin to go through the checklist again like the range. Should my left nostril be just behind or in front of the ball
You become conscious of your swing. You try and guide the ball
As your game begins to disintergrate over the back nine you are standing over every shot thinking about trying to replicate what you learnt in the lesson as opposed to finding a way of getting it round
You finish and shoot higher than before you had the lesson
You wait a couple of days and go back to the range
The session strarts well. You are more relaxed and your swing feels like it did post lesson.
You hit a bad shot....... the circle starts again

 

[madandra]

Paralysis by Analysis.


I love input but when it comes to golf I use input very sparingly.

Just play golf !!!!!!!!

 

[Bossman96]

Just play golf !!!!!!!!

Have to agree. Golf should be played to be enjoyed. If analysis is spoiling the enjoyment, then what's the point.

 

[ball_basher]

i think you can over analise , but dont worry to much because it will do no end of good in the long run , when it does finally start coming together all that knowledge that you have taken in will be invaluable , my game fell apart for four years but i kept on studying and i have had the most wonderfull start to the new year , hope it works out for you !!

 

[golfcitydweller]

just work on the part of ur game that`s letting u down ...simple..if it was an easy game we`d all be good at it !!!

 

[Marko77]

Slaighty, feel your pain man.

Celtic Manor - just take one or two thoughts with you to have in mind, be it grip/posture or posture/swing speed...etc don't get too hung up on every part of your game (easy to say) just enjoy the occassion of playing the course.

Don't worry about any bad shots and get back working on the game Saturday.

Good luck, enjoy it.

 

[RGuk]

I'm not a good person to help with this side of things since my whole life has been spent learning to do various "physical" things that require patience, practice and experience. (Golf, Snooker, Cricket, Music (piano), just to think of a few). Whatever it is, the expression "paralysis through analysis" doesn't have any relevance to me as when it comes to doing these things under pressure or in a live/competitive situation, I just let things happen and am rather philosophical about whether it goes perfect or not....worrying about it at the time makes me nervous/tense and f**** it all up big time.

I practice (including as much or as little analysis as feels right for me) and then UNFAILINGLY spend some time just "doing it" and forgetting what I have been thinking about....a sort of "clearing" of analytical thoughts. So, in the case of golf, I'll practice 3 days in a row, but the last session or half session is just "doing it". If things go really bad and I run out of time/balls/money! then I will delay my next game or get to the club early and just swing "as it comes".

I might carry one swing thought on the course....but that's just a small one to stop me getting confused with all the big one's that are there in my mind.

I know it may sound a bit muddled or odd, but it works for me...practice, practice, relax, then play.

 

[USER1999]

Swing thought for the day - grip it and rip it. That's all you need. Stop trying to be technical, your body knows the rest if you get your head out of the way.

 

[medwayjon]

As I may have said before, think about the 1st four letters of analysis and therein lies the problem.

If you get too anal about something it can impact on what you are trying to do.

 

[stevelockie]

I got a good tip at my lesson last night. I get quite static over the ball, my head filling up with mechanical thoughts.
Apparently a lot of the pros do this, helps them when they're under pressure.

You basically describe what your doing (talk to yourself) as you go through your pre-shot routine. Something like this.

"Standing behind the ball, club in left hand, pick my target. Move to the ball adding the right hand to the grip, Stand at the ball, line up the club head, right foot the left foot stance, settle down into position, waggle, look at the target, waggle, final look". Then you pull the trigger.

When you are saying all this to yourself you don't have any time to think about swing mechanics.

I did it quite a lot last time, mostly out loud! It's very good. Not one mechanical thought entered my mind!

 

[The23rdman]

A good trick to stop this happening is to mix up your range work. Hit half a dozen balls working on technique then hit half a dozen just swinging nice and smooth trying to find some flow and rhthym.

A good flow drill is to address the ball then raise the clubhead above the ball and move it forward about two foot into the followthrough. From here just swing back over the ball to a full backswing and down and through. All you're doing is allowing it to flooooooooooooooooooooooow!

 

[viscount17]

took the day off, temp 0 but who cares - it's golf.

I may have found my solution. I didn't start well, driver's not bad but can't swing the irons at the moment. After the third I put the mp3 on, bit of Queen, Stones, Phil Collins, and started to get a bit better - or worry less! Not a swing thought in sight.
Then I found it, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Pink on the greens, nailed six from 12 to 15 ft, and on the last 35 ft from the fringe to 2 in - damn that would have been a birdie.
Still cr*p with the irons though!

 

[USER1999]

Pink, fair enough, but Phil Collins and Sophie Ellis B, come on. golf is supposed to be fun, not torture.

 

[The23rdman]

It's a good job you had Phil Collins on through headphones. If I heard that on the course I'd be most vexed ;-)

 

[viscount17]

It was the Genesis stuff, but I also have Steppenwolf, The Blues Brothers, Meatloaf, Foreigner, Madonna, Santana, Kylie, Elkie Brooks, Elton, Alison Moyet . . .