Swing thoughts?

[crdb]

How does everyone remember their swing thoughts?

I was at the range last night & struggled to feel confident over a shot because I've got too much to think about. I do one thing right but forget something else, so frustrating.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

How does everyone remember their swing thoughts?

I was at the range last night & struggled to feel confident over a shot because I've got too much to think about. I do one thing right but forget something else, so frustrating.

I try not to have any swing thoughts on the course. I've been working very hard on the mental side of things to get a robust routine where I rehearse the shot I want to hit (practice swing) and visualise it. After that as soon as I step into the ball it is one look at my target and then go. Trust the swing and work done on the range and commit

On the range I try and limit any thoughts to one (2 maximum) swing thoughts/feels but find the best way to ingrain these is through rehearsal rather than hitting ball after ball. I practice the swing and feel whatever it is I want to change and do this several times and then simply step into a shot without trying to think about it and let the rehearsals kick in and simply assess the shot to see if I achieved what I needed to. Don't forget golf is not a game of perfect

 

[Neilds]

Get the thoughts out of the way as you walk up to the ball and get set up. Trying to do things whilst swinging is just asking for trouble imo

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I have a host of thoughts but try to empty most of them at the actual point of hitting the ball. I have one or two when stood over the ball, the most important ones for that moment, forget the other 12 , but then try to just swing with a clear mind when it come to it. If I hold onto a thought when swinging I tend to get stuck and make a hash.

Work out your key 2 thoughts, then stop thinking about them. If you are not hitting it well due to something different to your initial 2 thoughts, change them for the next shot. For example, I will start with left eye on the back of the ball (dominant eye), keep my lower half still, not swaying. If I hit a couple of bad ones, I think about keeping my left arm straight, not over swinging. I have others but I try not to think about more than 2 at any time. As @Neilds has posted, do that thinking before you actually swing. If you have these thoughts then, your swing will become clunky and it wont work as well.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have a host of thoughts but try to empty most of them at the actual point of hitting the ball. I have one or two when stood over the ball, the most important ones for that moment, forget the other 12 , but then try to just swing with a clear mind when it come to it. If I hold onto a thought when swinging I tend to get stuck and make a hash.

Work out your key 2 thoughts, then stop thinking about them. If you are not hitting it well due to something different to your initial 2 thoughts, change them for the next shot. For example, I will start with left eye on the back of the ball (dominant eye), keep my lower half still, not swaying. If I hit a couple of bad ones, I think about keeping my left arm straight, not over swinging. I have others but I try not to think about more than 2 at any time. As @Neilds has posted, do that thinking before you actually swing. If you have these thoughts then, your swing will become clunky and it wont work as well.

I agree. I have an imaginary line where I do my rehearsals (practice swings) and visualisation and once I step over that into the shot then once I am over ball I exhale (a relaxation technique that helps clear the mind) and swing

 

[garyinderry]

I have 3 thoughts at least on every swing. Sometimes more.

The ones I'm always thinking about is trying to keep width on the way back. To that you can add if I'm taking it back on the outside or sometimes inside. It will depend on what shot I'm trying to hit. Then there's how long the swing is.

At the top of the swing for a brief moment I might be telling myself to slow down the transition. Not rush from the top.
Or I'm thinking then how I want to come into the ball. Am I trying to drop it inside some or do I want to hit the outside of the ball.

I'm always thinking of how I want to exit the the ball.

Always thinking of the clubface. Am I holding it off or letting it release.

Finally there may be shots I'm cutting off the follow through or swinging right through.

My brain is definitely firing during the swing. It's not an option for me to clear the mind and swing. There's a lot going on in a short space of Time but I am certainly trying to control what I can control.

I have a fairly lazy backswing which may give me the time to organise some of these things in my head.

I enjoy hitting shots at the range stopping at the top of the swing for 2 seconds. I find if you can flush it doing that you will have good structure in the swing and be well on the way to good ball striking.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don’t have any swing thoughts. I have a shot visualisation and address process that I follow for every shot and let the swing take care of itself. So swing thoughts? None. They get in the way and confuse.

 

[Slab]

Maybe @crdb could give some examples of the kind of swing 'thoughts' he says he might forget about that's resulting in the lack of confidence (& the ones he remembers)

I see he's a single figure golfer. So he knows how to get a ball round and already has a swing reflective of that handicap, so I'm thinking it wont be a big list

 

[crdb]

Maybe @crdb could give some examples of the kind of swing 'thoughts' he says he might forget about that's resulting in the lack of confidence (& the ones he remembers)

I see he's a single figure golfer. So he knows how to get a ball round and already has a swing reflective of that handicap, so I'm thinking it wont be a big list

You give me too much credit

I have around 6 currently as i'm working on a fix to stop coming over the top..

1. Right thumb is tucked in on my grip (stops my club from lagging too far)
2. Head facing downwards so stop early extension, also keep it as still as possible (my thought here is the ball is straight from my eyes as opposed to looking at it next to my nose, if that makes sense..)
3. Right both heals to stay down until after contact with the ball
4. Backswing is started by my right hip moving behind me
5. Downswing is started by the left hip moving behind me
6. Weight should be on my left heal on follow through, not the side of my left foot. (this causes me to hit a huge slice because my club is too far behind. (Linked with the head tip, if it moves ahead then I slice).


The actual movement on the 'swing' is pretty natural & ball striking is absolutely fine, these thoughts are purely to hit my driver & 3 wood. No issues with iron shots & can easily take a bit of power off them to straighten me up. I just can't get my head around the 'driver swing'

 

[crdb]

I don’t have any swing thoughts. I have a shot visualisation and address process that I follow for every shot and let the swing take care of itself. So swing thoughts? None. They get in the way and confuse.

Can't wait for the day that this is the way I play golf

 

[crdb]

I have 3 thoughts at least on every swing. Sometimes more.

The ones I'm always thinking about is trying to keep width on the way back. To that you can add if I'm taking it back on the outside or sometimes inside. It will depend on what shot I'm trying to hit. Then there's how long the swing is.

At the top of the swing for a brief moment I might be telling myself to slow down the transition. Not rush from the top.
Or I'm thinking then how I want to come into the ball. Am I trying to drop it inside some or do I want to hit the outside of the ball.

I'm always thinking of how I want to exit the the ball.

Always thinking of the clubface. Am I holding it off or letting it release.

Finally there may be shots I'm cutting off the follow through or swinging right through.

My brain is definitely firing during the swing. It's not an option for me to clear the mind and swing. There's a lot going on in a short space of Time but I am certainly trying to control what I can control.

I have a fairly lazy backswing which may give me the time to organise some of these things in my head.

I enjoy hitting shots at the range stopping at the top of the swing for 2 seconds. I find if you can flush it doing that you will have good structure in the swing and be well on the way to good ball striking.

Thanks, I might try slowing things down a little, I might be letting frustration get the better of me & speed up in practice sessions.. I'll give the 2 second pause a go, see if my brain can catch up

 

[nickjdavis]

How does everyone remember their swing thoughts?

I was at the range last night & struggled to feel confident over a shot because I've got too much to think about. I do one thing right but forget something else, so frustrating.

Simple...I dont have any.

The time to think about your swing is on the range. If you are on course and trying to consciously think about needing to be in X,Y,Z positions at various stages of your swing then it is likely to be mechanical and un-natural.

By all means have a pre-shot routine and pick a target point, but let whatever swing you bring to the course on the day flow naturally.

 

[crdb]

Simple...I dont have any.

The time to think about your swing is on the range. If you are on course and trying to consciously think about needing to be in X,Y,Z positions at various stages of your swing then it is likely to be mechanical and un-natural.

By all means have a pre-shot routine and pick a target point, but let whatever swing you bring to the course on the day flow naturally.

I've heard that before but just don't trust the driver enough to rely on the natural flow unfortunately.

 

[Kennysarmy]

Thinking throughout a dynamic process that lasts less than a second is a recipe for disaster.

You do the thinking during your practice swing only in my opinion.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Can't wait for the day that this is the way I play golf

You can do it today.

Just grip the club, address the ball taking a stance and an address that feel comfortable…and then hit it. Do this enough times and you’ll come to believe, and then know, that you can hit a golf ball pretty darned well without consciously knowing quite how you are doing it. Have faith…

 

[bobmac]

Rehearsal swing...
Don't set the wrists on the backswing
Slight pause at the top.
Drive through to a balanced finish.

Actual swing...
Don't set the wrists on the backswing
Slight pause at the top.
Drive through to a balanced finish.

It's surprising to me to see so many with no swing thoughts.

I don't think of it as a practice swing, ( I do that on the range with 100 balls), it's a rehearsal swing, and then try and replicate it when I hit the ball with the same swing thoughts

 

[crdb]

You can do it today.

Just grip the club, address the ball taking a stance and an address that feel comfortable…and then hit it. Do this enough times and you’ll come to believe, and then know, that you can hit a golf ball pretty darned well without consciously knowing quite how you are doing it. Have faith…

Worth a try, be some good practice for recovery shots..

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Worth a try, be some good practice for recovery shots..

Absolutely not just recovery.

Once you successfully start hitting the ball short distances with a little short backswing you just gradually increase the force you apply to hit it further - and length of backswing will increase by itself. At least to start with that can get you scoring quite well, but most importantly, with satisfaction and enjoyment.

We will never be Bryson or Rory - so why do we want to swing a club even vaguely like the way they do. We don’t need to to get the best from what our game offers.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Rehearsal swing...
Don't set the wrists on the backswing
Slight pause at the top.
Drive through to a balanced finish.

Actual swing...
Don't set the wrists on the backswing
Slight pause at the top.
Drive through to a balanced finish.

It's surprising to me to see so many with no swing thoughts.

I don't think of it as a practice swing, ( I do that on the range with 100 balls), it's a rehearsal swing, and then try and replicate it when I hit the ball with the same swing thoughts

Problem I have with this…is that you suggest doing things such as ‘setting the wrists’ - and though that’s part of how the golf swing has (traditionally?) been taught - it sounds complicated…and my belief is there is no need whatsoever for beginners (especially) to be wondering what on earth ‘setting my wrists’ is, or does - and trying to achieve it. Of course I’m not saying it’s not right, it just seems too complicated. And hitting a golf ball reasonably well and consistently is not that difficult, unless we decide to make it so - and it might actually just be that words, not the practice, that makes it seem so.

 

[YandaB]

Wide, full, pauuuse, target