Think too much?

[dankiz]

I am seriously impairing my love for the game of golf by overthinking my swing! Absolutely nothing, not one part of my swing seems natural anymore! I have got transfixed by trying to improve, looking at 1000's of videos, images, and remodelling as a result more times than I care to remember. It struck me the other day that all the top pro's have differing swings, little nuances that make their game unique. The basic principles are the same, but their swings aren't all the same. Admittedly, I only play of 20 but I would like to improve, unfortunately with family commitments, I only get to play every 4 weeks. Think I need to forget about how my swing looks at the top and whether my wrist is cupped etc and just go out and enjoy the game once more! Too amazing a sport to fall out of love with.

My swing fwiw : https://youtu.be/cjZu_Hiu4kg

 

[Slab]

You definitely need to do something to help you enjoy golf again and I'm sure the real experts will be along to give their thoughts

Generally what is the shot result of your swing?

 

[Doh]

Dan try to get a video done where you're hitting balls it will be more helpful to the experts on here.

 

[Paul77]

It's so easily done. Spare bit of time on the internet and all of a sudden you start to think your swing is all over the place. On the range and on the course, all those videos and 'tips' come flooding in all at once and before you know it 80 balls or 6 holes have gone by and you have no idea whether it's New Year or New York.

You feel you owe yourself a more consistent swing to at least give yourself a half chance out there. Hand on heart, I know exactly how you feel. Been doing the same since I got back into the game a few months ago. My good lady laughs at me duffing it up the range sometimes, but some don't realise how hard it is to consistently hit that wee white ball as well as we do, yet we always strive for more and more.

After watching a few vlogs on youtube of the guys doing tutorials, like Rick Shiels, Peter Finch, Mark Crossfield and the others, it's settled my mind a wee bit. Not all good players play well all the time. Granted their bad shots are some of my good shots, but it's good to see.

I'm of the mindset now of just keeping it simple. After watching most of these videos this morning https://www.youtube.com/user/eandtbooks/videos I don't think I'll be filling my head with anything else.

 

[bobmac]

If you are thinking too much, try this.

Golf can be broken down into only 2 components.......
Contact and Direction
or
How I hit and where I hit it.

If your contact is rubbish, duffs/tops/thins, think keep my head still
If your direction is rubbish, check your grip and swing path.

If both are rubbish, you could consider dominos

 

[Paul77]

If you are thinking too much, try this.

Golf can be broken down into only 2 components.......
Contact and Direction
or
How I hit and where I hit it.

If your contact is rubbish, duffs/tops/thins, think keep my head still
If your direction is rubbish, check your grip and swing path.

If both are rubbish, you could consider dominos

On most forums you can hit 'Like' on someones post if it helped you out. Shame I can't do that here. Nice, easy and simple. Cheers.

 

[Marshy77]

In a fairly similar position in that I can only get our maybe once a fortnight so just enjoy it, try to have a decent round and accept that you'll hit a few bad/terrible shots.

 

[SugarPenguin]

pretty similar to the OP at the moment.
Im playing every shot with a different swing. Need to bloody stop

 

[IanG]

One tip I picked up on here which I'm finding helpful just now - 'Severiano Ballasteros'

I have a tendency to lash at the ball and get too quick, both in the backswing and followthrough. By slowly 'saying' Severiano to myself on the back swing that keeps me even paced and the space between forename and surname on the end introduces a tiny pause at the top. Ballasteros on the way down maintains an even tempo through the ball. There are two side benefits I find from this. Firstly the name itself has sufficient syllables that you have to focus a little on saying it so that drives all the other swing thought
distractions out of your head and secondly, since we all love Seve, it puts a positive mindset into you're head when your swinging.

Your mileage may vary as the say but I'm finding it good for clearing my head.

 

[Hobbit]

Genuinely, what is a cupped wrist? I try and make sure my alignment is right, then think slowly back. Then I hit it, find it and hit it again.

Here's something for you to try. Get a 6 iron and take it and a bucket of balls down the range. If you hit half shots you'll be pretty straight and true. Slowly wind up the swing over a number of shots till you reach the point where you're having trouble controlling the shot then wind it back a bit till control returns. Having reached your max controlled point hit lots of shots. The max control point is not your max power point - call it hitting it at 80% power. The feel/muscle memory or whatever you want to call it will be come ingrained. That is the feel you want for every club.

As for thinking my way through the swing; I'm not the sharpest knife in the box, and thinking hurts. Hit it, find it and hit it again - simples!!

 

[Hobbit]

One tip I picked up on here which I'm finding helpful just now - 'Severiano Ballasteros'

I have a tendency to lash at the ball and get too quick, both in the backswing and followthrough. By slowly 'saying' Severiano to myself on the back swing that keeps me even paced and the space between forename and surname on the end introduces a tiny pause at the top. Ballasteros on the way down maintains an even tempo through the ball. There are two side benefits I find from this. Firstly the name itself has sufficient syllables that you have to focus a little on saying it so that drives all the other swing thought
distractions out of your head and secondly, since we all love Seve, it puts a positive mindset into you're head when your swinging.

Your mileage may vary as the say but I'm finding it good for clearing my head.

I think my mate has a stutter... his backswing takes forever...

 

[jamielaing]

The problem with watching internet stuff is that you need to know what you are doing wrong to implement it. For example the internet may say to bring the club back in to out but you may already be doing that and by adding more you are adding new problems.

Also, once every 4 weeks is never going to put you in a position to ingrain a swing change so you will find yourself guessing what you are trying to do.

Get a stock swing, one that you can easily repeat and stick to that for your monthly games. Don't think about scores and enjoy the experience of being out and playing.

 

[dankiz]

You definitely need to do something to help you enjoy golf again and I'm sure the real experts will be along to give their thoughts

Generally what is the shot result of your swing?

With my three wood probably a slice! With my irons, some straight but quite a few pulls

 

[dankiz]

Thanks for responses, much appreciated! I do love the game but get exasperated when a good shot is followed by a top or duck hook! Will keep persevering

 

[Face breaker]

Nobodies swing is or ever will be the same as anyone else's, you just gotta go to the practice ground and swing a club continuously and without thinking about it until it just feels right and when you achieve that then you've found the swing and rhythm that best suits your build and flexibility or at least that's what I did anyway, I spent hours looking at this and that and just ended tying myself up in knots !...:thup:

 

[User20205]

Listen to Bob!!!

Or to paraphrase 'less homer, more snelly' :thup:

Not a criticism of any individual, but there seems to be an inverse correlation between ability and technicality.

The only cat 1 player who seems too bury himself in technicality on here is 3645 (right numbers, wrong order??)

I may be wrong, it's just a casual observation

 

[ScienceBoy]

I definitely think too much, out on the course it showed.

I was hitting the driver naturally, miles! Couldnt hit an iron (usually the other way around!). I just had a head full of thoughts, even when I tried without I couldn't find a natural rhythm.

Back on the range and I managed to work my way back to a good swing by analysing my flight, really hitting good irons just 2 days later!

 

[dankiz]

Listen to Bob!!!

Or to paraphrase 'less homer, more snelly' :thup:

Not a criticism of any individual, but there seems to be an inverse correlation between ability and technicality.

The only cat 1 player who seems too bury himself in technicality on here is 3645 (right numbers, wrong order??)

I may be wrong, it's just a casual observation

Loving the avatar, Calvin rocks!

 

[TeetoGreen]

One tip I picked up on here which I'm finding helpful just now - 'Severiano Ballasteros'

I have a tendency to lash at the ball and get too quick, both in the backswing and followthrough. By slowly 'saying' Severiano to myself on the back swing that keeps me even paced and the space between forename and surname on the end introduces a tiny pause at the top. Ballasteros on the way down maintains an even tempo through the ball. There are two side benefits I find from this. Firstly the name itself has sufficient syllables that you have to focus a little on saying it so that drives all the other swing thought
distractions out of your head and secondly, since we all love Seve, it puts a positive mindset into you're head when your swinging.

Your mileage may vary as the say but I'm finding it good for clearing my head.

CLASS!!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have worked hard at playing with an empty mind on the course and getting results. Still overthinking in practice but it's getting better. If I was the OP I'd forget about scores for a few rounds and do as Bob says and focus on strike and direction