What Part Does Psychology Play in golf

[HomerJSimpson]

Rotella swears by having a set pre-shot routine and sticking to it and focussing on a specific target. The thinking is that if you do the same thing everytime the brain just accepts it is going through the same old and doesn't focus on the trouble. Look at the top players and time their routine and most are almost to the second on every shot.

 

[joma1108]

Well a quick update, played last night and got to 14 again and surprisingly (or not) was -4 again at 14.....anyone feel like this is groundhog day.
standing on the tee i could feel the tension rising, now all through the round i had been picking the smallest target i could find even down to a leaf in a tree i was aiming at (Bob Rotella Golf is a game of confidence (i think) and surprisingly was landing within 10 feet of my line which for me is an excellent shot.
now back to the 14th, i took my 3W (which hasnt been working) thought about the hole from a previous post and concentrated on the poitive and not the troublem picked a spot 210 yards up and pictured a slight draw.

hit it sweet the draw was slightly further than i had wanted and put me close to the treeline and left me a seve shot or a pich out to the side, for this experiment it was a pitch out about 5o yards further down the fairway, next one on the green from 165 yards leaving a fifteen footer, lipped out and walked away with a 5 scorecard intact, finished -5 for the handicap and with an 81 so almost broke 80 as well which is my target.

I wouldnt say i was in the zone however i wasnt concerned with my line, breaking the wrists making sure i get the hips turning and follow through to a finish.

The thought was pick a target concentrate on that and hit it, and was so much easier and strikes were consistently better.

I appreciate all the tips on this and went out and bought a few mental game strategies for the kindle and started reading them.

Heres to a wonderful season

Positive thinking begins now

I WILL break 80 this season

 

[Curls]

I WILL break 80 this season

I don't doubt it for a moment, well played!

 

[GreiginFife]

Curls, I posted a thread up the other day about the mind ruling the game. After starting a round with three bogeys I literally took a step back from it and game myself a mental shake, changed my attitude and then proceeded to have a reasonably good round that could have been so bad if I had just kept going with the "here we go again" thoughts that I carried off the third green.
For me, mental state and thought trail plays a huge part in the game, confidence in your self, your swing and your ability is a huge thing.

 

[Curls]

Curls, I posted a thread up the other day about the mind ruling the game. After starting a round with three bogeys I literally took a step back from it and game myself a mental shake, changed my attitude and then proceeded to have a reasonably good round that could have been so bad if I had just kept going with the "here we go again" thoughts that I carried off the third green.
For me, mental state and thought trail plays a huge part in the game, confidence in your self, your swing and your ability is a huge thing.

Indeed, been reading Zen Golf and have a Rotella book ordered, I tied myself up in technique last year, changing my attitude this year and concentrating much more on the mental side, will see how it plays out but early signs are good