What Part Does Psychology Play in golf

[joma1108]

Im standing at the 14th Tee on the Saturday medal -4 for my handicap and hitting the ball well after my recent bout of the unmentionables, well apart from a slice on my driver, not huge, but enough that i cant get away with calling it a fade.
14th at mine is a big dog leg to the right, trees down the right side and not a chance to go for the green if you go there, on the left is trees and OB, fairway is pretty generous however carry to long you go into more trees or if you are lucky the bunker.

Standing on Saturday with a driver in my hand, normally a 3W there but im struggling with a block left just now with it. anyhoo at the left of the tee box and then the bushes to my left caught my attention, thats when the doubts started creeping in, thinking a block left kills my round (or could) or if i pull left with that big bubba watson slice im in the bushes, so i moved over to the middle of the tee box

a wee voice in my head is saying dont block left....what did i do, thats right block left into the trees about 2o yards from the tee box and a Yul Bryner later (Magnificent Seven) as i couldn't find the ball i thought the round would blow up, thankfully i recovered to get back to 4 under.

next day in the sweep again playing to -4 off the handicap got to the 14th hole, now prior to the day before i had never been in the trees on the left was now concerned about doing it two days in a row, guess what same again almost exact same place, again a seven, this time a collapse and finished level par for the handicap lost a shot at each of the next three holes and then gained one going up the last.

Im sure this is really common amongst the amateurs however is there a hole that fills you with trepidation and what have you done to overcome it as i'm now not looking forward to getting back there on Saturday for the next medal.

 

[chrisd]

All of the pyschology books tell you to never think of the word "dont" before an action. Apparantly the brain doesn't understand "dont" and if you say "dont hit it in to the water" you migh as well say "hit it in the water".

They will tell you to focus and visualise the shot that you want to play and use internal self talk ie " i've hit this shot well in the past and can hit a great shot today" I am convinced it does work and yesterday I had match play 4BBB semi final and was playing the 1st extra hole, I need a good drive as our opponents had both hit into trouble. I concentrated, visualised what I wanted and hit 269 down the middle with a slight fade ( I know that the yardage was accurate as its 362 yards off the yellows and my Skycaddie gave 93 yards to the centre)

Visualise and positive self talk is the key

 

[AmandaJR]

I'm just reading The Inner Game of Golf and finding it really useful and most chapters I think "blimey - that's me and exactly what I think then do"...

Only a third of the way through but he refers to our Self 1 (conscious controlling blighter) and Self 2 (sub conscious who can play golf if Self 1 would shut the f up and let him). So the very "helpful" final advice from Self 1 about what happened last time or what might happen if needs quietening down.

Anyway, not yet read enough to get to the detailed part where there are tips to occupy Self 1 enough to keep him interested but quiet so Self 2 can get on with the job of playing golf.

Just read that back and I sound quite mad but have gone from not being able to hit a ball to scoring well under handicap with just a simple mental drill...

Edit - the answer to your question for me is MASSIVE! It is the weakest element of my game despite reading everything Dr Bob has written on the subject...

 

[Curls]

the brain doesn't understand "dont"

Is the right answer. Maybe take an iron and play for a 5 with the hope of a cheeky 4? Even dropping the shot you will have done what you set out to do and it might boost you to pick up another shot or two on the way home.

 

[garyinderry]

one of the easier holes at my course which i dont have a shot on tends to cost me a lot. im going to nail that sucker this year though. it got it my head before! dont hit the barn, dont hit the barn !!

 

[HickoryShaft]

It like seeing myself in the mirror here.

I have a similar process going on at times in my mind. Tends to get worse when play is slow and I am 'over thinking' a hole whle waiting for the fairway or green to clear. You tend to mull over the 'poor outcomes' that you have had and try and combat those. I had better start on the approach Chris has put forward there and try and think of the good ones I have hit to those holes in the past and focus on the positives.

I have been working hard on putting recently and I have to admit that I have relaxed a little hitting into greens now that I think I can get down in maximum 2 rather than 3 (even if I don't always) - before I would be thinking 'if I don't drop this close I may end up with a ....' - worst possible start to a shot!!

 

[joma1108]

Is the right answer. Maybe take an iron and play for a 5 with the hope of a cheeky 4? Even dropping the shot you will have done what you set out to do and it might boost you to pick up another shot or two on the way home.

Now that is very interesting, i didnt know that the brain doesnt understand the word dont, i might try that, as for the 5 iron ploy, my usual is a 3W 210 yards (5i wont go that far) down just enought to get a look at the green and leaves around 180yards to the centre but that club isnt working at the moment.

I do have the Bob Rotella 'golf is not a game of perfect' however that deals more with when you hit a bad shot forget about it and move on, and thats what i did having a good final four holes.

Might try to get that book about the self 1 and self 2 and see what that is about.

I will try anything to improve.

 

[Curls]

Now that is very interesting, i didnt know that the brain doesnt understand the word dont, i might try that, as for the 5 iron ploy, my usual is a 3W 210 yards (5i wont go that far) down just enought to get a look at the green and leaves around 180yards to the centre but that club isnt working at the moment.

Sorry I meant play for a bogey 5, as in drive with a long iron. If you still have 180 after a good drive I'll wager thats a tough GIR anyway, so 3 iron (180) plus 6/7 iron (150) would leave you a more comfortable 100 in. As I say, you make the bogey and then you've achieved what you set out to do, which puts you in a more positive frame of mind down the finishing stretch

 

[garyinderry]

theres two holes at my course where if i dont get a good drive away i always lay up and take the bogey. this increases to about 4-5 holes when playing off the back tees and the wind doesnt help. id tell me myself, i have the shots, use them and move on. plenty more holes to score at.

 

[MadAdey]

I remember some years ago reading something that Ithink was said by big jack. He says the distance of the hardest shot in golf is 6", basically the distance from ear to ear. I think it is spot on, the only times I hit a bad tee shot is when I do not stand up there, just focus on the middle of the fairway and just hit it. If that element of doubt ever creeps into your mind then you are not going to commit 100% to your shot.

 

[joma1108]

Curls, will give that a go, i think i could just about get away with that would go with hybrid rather than 3 iron (what is that anyway ) bogey 5 i would take every day there as is one of the hardest holes on the course SI 1 or 2.

 

[Curls]

Curls, will give that a go, i think i could just about get away with that would go with hybrid rather than 3 iron (what is that anyway ) bogey 5 i would take every day there as is one of the hardest holes on the course SI 1 or 2.

Good man, just pick a specific area in the fairway you know distance wise you can hit with the hybrid, even visualise a green out there complete with pin and waving flag at 180, if that was a green I bet you'd get it pretty close if not on, so focus on that - anything you can do to focus your mind on hitting a positive target and soon you're just not seeing the negative areas you don't want to be - let us know how you go!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

one of the easier holes at my course which i dont have a shot on tends to cost me a lot. im going to nail that sucker this year though. it got it my head before! dont hit the barn, dont hit the barn !!

gary
You have solved your own problem. Did you not know that there is no such thing in golf as an easy hole.

 

[joma1108]

I remember some years ago reading something that Ithink was said by big jack. He says the distance of the hardest shot in golf is 6", basically the distance from ear to ear. I think it is spot on, the only times I hit a bad tee shot is when I do not stand up there, just focus on the middle of the fairway and just hit it. If that element of doubt ever creeps into your mind then you are not going to commit 100% to your shot.

Thats easier said than done, although when im playing really well and flying im pretty sure thats what i must do, as i just walk up and hit it and generally it goes where im wanting it too.

Still positive thinking i agree has a large part to do with it.

 

[chrisd]

I've read a lot of books on the subject and, for me,this is the best one and is for sale on Amazon:

Mental Management for Golf - Dr. Bee Epstein-Shepherd

It doesn't spend ages with a whole chapter explaining a problem and then how the guru fixed it for some tour player back in the 1980's.

Very concise and I must have read it 6 times over the years and I have to say that it got me through 18 holes with Smiffy!!!

 

[SAPCOR1]

Can't get my head 'round this post .....

 

[garyinderry]

gary
You have solved your own problem. Did you not know that there is no such thing in golf as an easy hole.

true about no easy holes. i blanked a tiny par 3 at a links course which was less than 100yards as i couldnt decide what club to clip at it. pared the next par 3 two holes later which was 190yards with wind left to right. funny oul game this!

 

[Smiffy]

The 9th hole (par 4) at Crowborough does my head in.
I've never played it particularly well, it's a dogleg left but the dogleg doesnt really affect your drive. You just need to smack one up the middle and the slope of the fairway will take the ball out to the right hand side opening up the green for your approach.
But there is a line of fir trees and heather all the way down the left and if you pull or hook your tee shot you not only block yourself out for the second shot, but invariably find a crap lie to boot.
The number of times I've stood on that tee and thought to myself "don't pull it left, don't pull it left" and what do I do??? Pull it left!!
I hit a better one up there on Sunday, decent length drive straight up the middle. Trouble is, I was so surprised I'd managed it, I cocked up my second shot and put it in a bank of heather by the side of the green. And then when I addressed the ball for my chip, the bloody ball rolled an inch down the bank.
Blob. Bollocks.

 

[Spiral]

Interesting stuff the psychology of golf. It doesn't help that we have oodles of time to think about it - the little white ball aint going nowhere until we hit it! In other sports you act and react instantly to what's happening.

So far the best thoughts I try and adhere to is to focus on where we DO want to hit it rather than where we DON'T want to hit it. I've read a couple of the Bob Rotella books, and the main thought I've picked up is to have a detailed, specific target in mind - even off the tee. Not just 'somewhere up the middle' or 'left side of the fairway' but a specific target up ahead. The idea here that it gets out mind working on where we are going to put the ball rather than worrying about where we don't want it to go.

If we're properly focussed on where we're hitting it, there's a better chance we'll hit it there, If we focus on where we don't want to hit it - guess what?

Easier said than done, of course - and the irony is that we tend to think clearly and with the appropriate focus when we're playing well and 'in the zone.'

Fascinating stuff, though - and we know it can happen to the pros both in a good way and a bad way. Witness the various amazing blow ups/charges we can all think of from various pro tournaments down the years.

 

[MadAdey]

Looking at the psychological side of golf is an interesting thing. If you look at your own course and go hole by hole, would you ever be in much trouble if you just hit a half decent straight shot everytime? Would you not get round in a really good score?

But if I asked you to talk me through hole by hole you would spend more time talking about the hazards, than how easy the hole is. If I talked you through the first at my place it would probably go something like this.....

The first is a long par 4 with a 30 yard wide driving area. Out of bounds all the way down the left, loads of very big low hanging trees down the right. the green is elevated with a 12 foot drop off on the right with a green that slopes severely right to left and front to back.

If I let that lot get in my head on the 1st tee there is no way I am getting a par from it. How about if I describe it without thinking about the problems.

The first is a par 4, nice 30 yard wide driving area. Leaving a short/mid iron into a very receptive green.

I think that is the difference in the mental game. I just described the same hole in 2 different ways. Yet the second description just focused on hitting the fairway and the green, not thinking about the hazards.

I got that one from Faldo many years ago. I think he is spot on, it is about looking at what you are going to do not what may happen if you do not hit it straight.