Golf is not a game of perfect - Man, what a great read!! <or listen :-)>

N00b2fitness

Read this last week – 3 times. (I tell a lie, I purchased the audio book and listened to it 3 times). First of all let me admit that it’s just one round and I’m not getting ahead of myself but the early signs are good. Totally amazed at the difference it made in my last round (which was a comp). Having read it I was itching to get out on the course because I was confident I was going to play well afterwards. I quickly recognised that my mental approach to the game (which I felt was quite good) was not giving me a chance at all… Amazing that something so logical and simplistic can have such an impact on your game. I always knew the mental side of the game is huge… really can’t say I realised how much. Having applied what I learned, I came off the course knowing I couldn’t possibly have given myself more of a chance mentally and I still had a laugh and was relaxed, all the way around.

I’d been averaging about 28-32 points for the last 10 rounds or so and got 44 at the weekend. Driving has been an area where I have struggled recently for any sort of consistency and I’ve had 100’s of different swing thoughts buzzing around my head all (ahem) summer long. Forgetting about the mechanics of the swing, picking a target and believing my ball was going to go where I aimed, resulted in every single tee shot on all 18 holes being no worse than 5-10 yards off target which for me is a huge improvement. Many drives were long and in the fairway and I hit all par 3 greens in regulation. Also, all drives cleared the 220 distance which was more important as I often have 2 or sometimes even 5 drives which I would mess up completely and hit no more than 115 yards. I can honestly say I didn’t think once about how I was going to swing the club at any stage. I just focussed on the target and hit the ball without a care or thought how I was doing it.

The main ideas in the book which I have tried to think of when playing were as follows:

• Pick as small a target as possible for every shot, don’t just ‘aim down the left’ or ‘aim for those trees’ – pick a branch on a tree. The lesson is, if you aim at nothing, you will hit it.
• Get a solid set up routine which you can repeat every time, this involves picking a specific target, lining up, looking at the target, looking at the ball and trusting your brain and body will coordinate to send the ball in that direction. The setup can be your little bubble that you can step into at pressure moments and shut out all outside distractions.
• Focussing on a solid setup routine is a way to focus the mind and eliminate any swing thoughts or mechanical thoughts while standing over the ball. Thinking about making a slow takeaway or tempo or keeping the left arm straight etc. should be kept to the range – once on the course you must trust your swing and your athletic ability to make the shot. Thinking mechanics on the tee over the ball is, ironically, ruining any chance you have of making a committed, fluid shot.
• Remember the best shot(s) you hit with whatever club you have on that hole and believe and trust that every shot you are about to hit will be the same. If you can, visualise the shot in your head, going towards the target and landing, rolling, stopping.
• Practice the short game more than spraying balls at the range. If you’re not practicing 80% of your balls inside 120 yards, then you’re not giving yourself the chance to be as good as you can be.
• Relish every chip and putt you have and every awkward shot you are faced with. Learn to love the opportunity of getting the ball in the hole. If you’re faced with a 15 yard chip over a bunker, love it… love the opportunity to show off and get the ball in the hole.
• When chipping, take some practice swings while looking at the target to get the feel for the shot. Short game is all about feel – get the feel – look at the target, look at the ball, then take your shot.
• Think of holing every chip and putt, no matter how far away you are. Be confident that they are going to go in the hole.

Has anyone else found that this has improved their game dramatically? I have to say, I’m sorry I didn’t get this at the start of the year. Really excited to see where I can go from here with a new mental approach to the game. Ok, it’s only one round, but it’s given me a new lease of life on the course and I believe I’m not going to be half as nervous as I was before and twice as confident for all my rounds as long as I can continue to practice bringing the right mental game to the course every time…

stockdam

I read it and like most books it gives an initial buzz that soon wears off (for me).

The best advice is to find somewhere to practice your short game (including putting)........a guy with a great short game is always hard to beat even if they aren't hitting the fairways from the tee.

N00b2fitness

Agreed about the short game. Of the 84 shots I took on Saturday... 61 were inside 120 Yards. :eek:

You mention the buzz wears off, that's natural enough. Does the change in approach only work short term or does it result in long term improvement to your mental game?

Personally, I intend to make an effort to approach the game like this all the time. I'm sure the next time I go out, something else will mess up and I'll need to concentrate a bit on that but hey, that's golf.

Sionnachster

I've been threatening to read it as I've heard so much about it but it's never in the book stores I've wandered into. I ended up with the Golf is a game of confidence one instead....

This audio one you mentioned, where would a man go about finding such a thing?


P.S - I know I can get the book on Amazon.com I'm just lazy is all...

PhilipMarlowe

I read it for the first time during the week and had 23 points on Sunday... yes, for 18 holes.... and I play off 4. Maybe I should look for my money back?
It's definitely an interesting read alright but the concepts in it need to be practiced...
Well done on the low round and hopefully it will continue for you.

N00b2fitness

Sionnachster wrote: »

This audio one you mentioned, where would a man go about finding such a thing?

P.S - I know I can get the book on Amazon.com I'm just lazy is all...

You can get the audio CD from Amazon also... it's a bit pricey though if you get it shipped from the U.S.

N00b2fitness

Licksy wrote: »

I read it for the first time during the week and had 23 points on Sunday... yes, for 18 holes.... and I play off 4.

To be fair, if you play off 4, you've obviously got a lot of talent in addition to probably a good mental approach to the game already... More likely to have a larger impact to higher handicappers who maybe have good timing and athletic ability but a piss poor approach to the game. Maybe not going to have much of an impact for guys at your level...

...although having said that, he teaches this stuff to pro's as well and it seems to have some success... I dunno. Working so far for me anyway!

Blunder

I got it on the audiobooks section of Itunes. Bout 7euro i think. It definately helps you approach your game differently and from the limited rounds of golf i've played since I read it I reckon I'm about 2 or 3 stupid shots less than before I read it.

Saturday off 10 I had 29 points. I lost 6 balls (expensive morning) which lead to blanks meaning I had 29 points off 12 holes = -5 under par. Rough very wet and clingy meaning that even a yard off the fairway the ball was lost. Got fed up the 2nd time it happened so didnt hit provisionals or anything as I was more interested in trying to get through the 2 Lads infront of us who were taking the P**s. but thats another story for a different thread!!:D

arg

I read it a few weeks ago and it helped me get back on track - was struggling to break 90 for a while; hit my best round of 83 (+11) last week. The main difference is I don't let a poor shot worry me - I know my swing is decent enough so I don't try to change anything mid round and start worrying about the mechanics.

Adiaga 2

I agree it's a great book and would benefit most golfers. I also sort of agree with what Stockdam says about the initial buzz and of course short game practise, which Rotella himself puts emphasis on. I read it last year and for my first round afterward, I had a poor front nine of +9(playing off 14) all the while trying to put into practise what I'd read. On the back 9 I shot +1 that unfortunately included missing really short par putts on the last 2 holes. Not the most sparkling round overall but the best 9 holes I'd ever shot. The ideas that I really like are about zoning in on the target on your preshot routine and also the idea of trusting your swing. "Putting Out Of Your Mind" is also worth a read or a listen . I may try get the audio versions myself.

slingerz

I thought it was just full of stuff you'd do already or at least i did it already anyway such as not letting a bad shot get to me etc

Blunder

Yeah thats the jist of it alright. Thats the beauty of the book....Its so simple. I thought the same, that i do all this but After really trying to do stuff from the book i notice the difference.

ShriekingSheet

@ Stockdam & Adiaga 2

Funny you mention the initial buzz working and then wearing off. I think it's the first paragraph of his new book (your 15th club) highlights exactly this issue and actually apologises and accepts that GINAGOP doesn't offer any guidance on maintaining the ideas that it promotes.

I've experienced the same - a drop off in form when I feel like I'm doing the same things I was when I played well - physically and mentally. But usually when you go back to your pro thinking you are still making the same good move you were previously, or you go back to the book and skim it thinking "yeah, I do all this - still pick small targets etc", invariably you come accross some aspect you've forgotten that, or you've gotten careless in some way with say, pre-shot routine.

And of course, the better you get, the elements that make all the difference become smaller and smaller - tiny little helpers (physical, like a swing drill - mental, like leaving expectations behind) can trigger great scores. The best guys just keep honinig, gradually improving, giving themselves the best possible chance to hit form.


That's part of the beauty of sport in general. You work on getting good posture and set-up in your first few lessons ever. You gradually get it nailed down but it's not 100% in the bag for life. 10 years later you could be off scratch - you still need to check your basics every now and then.

The same is true with what's taught in GINAGOP. You can't say "aw I read that twice last year" and expect that you've retained all the points that worked for you. It takes regular effort to retain that initial "buzz" as Stockdam put it.