Importance of the mind??

Spudmonkey

I was struggling big time with my putting a few months back, couldn't start the ball online... Found myself dreading 2 foot putts and even started missing them on a regular basis.. Then one day I just said I wasn't going to miss anything inside 10 feet, and I missed one all day. I've started using the same technique on the rest of my game.

Has anyone else found that just thinking more positively makes such a huge difference?

soundsham

tiger woods,padraig harrington, conoooo..........the list is endless:D

Spudmonkey

True but I'd hardly consider them weekend hackers! Or for them to be posting on boards!

soundsham

disagree at least 2 of them were hacking last week maybe not weekend tho'.......

only kidding.......... obviously your mind has to be the sharpest tool in the box no matter what sport you play if your not right in the head you have little chance of succeeding

1 exception to the rule stephen ireland.....but he can't be right in the head there's fook all in there to begin with

sweetswing

positive thinking is allmoste as important as your clubs. if you dont believe you can pull the shot that you want off, then you are going to fail. get rid of frases like "i hope this doesnt go ob" and replace them with "im going to split the fairway with this":D do this with all your shots . if you hit a bad shot dont dwell on it shake it off and prepare for your next one . never talk down to your self never say "im playing crap" "my driving is s*it" "i cant buy a put today" ...............stay positive

PeterJamesDoyle

Sweetswing is right, your positive belief strategy shouldn't change at all when you are playing golf.
Convince yourself that your going to make everything and it will become second nature to you by having a positive attitude. Don't say things like "I hope", but "this will go in". Even if they don't go in, you keep telling yourself they will.
We play golf for 4 hours, but on a good day, you'll only hit between 72 and 80 shots. Even if you think for 30 seconds over each shot, thats only 36 to 40 minutes thinking time. Its not a lot to do when you think about. Just switch off between shots and take your mind off the game, by talking to your playing parter, looking at the scenery etc.

f22

All sounds great in theory. I have been driving terribly the last few weeks (normally the best club in the bag). I have a pretty fiery temper but keep it under control most of the time. The fact that I am strking every iron really well and the short game is sharp makes it even worse.

I have a low handicap and can usually just shrug a bad shot off but yesterday I exploded and whacked a bin out of frustration, right in front of a commitee member too.

Going to get reported for it (no problem there) even though there was no damage. My point is that there is only so much you can contain emotion and there is a level that once breached, something will give.

Happens the best players in the world, even with athe best sports and mind gurus on hand.

whatawaster

f22 wrote: »

All sounds great in theory. I have been driving terribly the last few weeks (normally the best club in the bag). I have a pretty fiery temper but keep it under control most of the time. The fact that I am strking every iron really well and the short game is sharp makes it even worse.

I have a low handicap and can usually just shrug a bad shot off but yesterday I exploded and whacked a bin out of frustration, right in front of a commitee member too.

Going to get reported for it (no problem there) even though there was no damage. My point is that there is only so much you can contain emotion and there is a level that once breached, something will give.

Happens the best players in the world, even with athe best sports and mind gurus on hand.

But the best in the world, if it does happen to them, will have probably completely forgotten about it when they're setting up for their next shot.

SuprSi

This is how guys like Bob Rotella make so much money from golf. I read one of his books years ago and a lot of what he mentions in it made sense and actually helped to one degree or another. I believe that being positive has a huge effect on my golf game. All I have to do is score well, hitting some nice shots in the process, to start believing that I'm going to do well on a particular day. The flip side of this is that if I start a round poorly, it's sometimes difficult to recover.

PeterJamesDoyle

Talk about having a bad start! Captains prize a few weeks ago, I had an eight on the first. 4 over par after 1 hole. However, I was still 4 over after 9 holes so it cheered me up. Could have put my head down, but kept thinking positive.

f22

whatawaster wrote: »

But the best in the world, if it does happen to them, will have probably completely forgotten about it when they're setting up for their next shot.

I cleared my mind completely and absolutely flushed the bin with a 90% swing.

rebel girl 15

when Bob Rotella asked Fred Couples what he thought of when he hit his best shots, Couples replied that just before the shot, he concentrated on the best six iron shot he had hit ever.

The power of the mind is huge, and very important especially in golf.

Funnily enough, I was reading about imagery an hour ago for something else sports related!

JCDUB

f22 wrote: »

All sounds great in theory. I have been driving terribly the last few weeks (normally the best club in the bag). I have a pretty fiery temper but keep it under control most of the time. The fact that I am strking every iron really well and the short game is sharp makes it even worse.

I have a low handicap and can usually just shrug a bad shot off but yesterday I exploded and whacked a bin out of frustration, right in front of a commitee member too.

Going to get reported for it (no problem there) even though there was no damage. My point is that there is only so much you can contain emotion and there is a level that once breached, something will give.

Happens the best players in the world, even with athe best sports and mind gurus on hand.

Haha I'm sorry I missed that, if I was there I'd have reported you too.
Disgraceful behaviour.
I've never done anything in anger on a golf course, except perhaps once or twice knocked the heads off a few daisies.:o

Shame on you f22.

f22

Shame alright, you could have been that bin john. Better still, if it was your brother I would hand been given lifetime membership, not a warning!

Niall09

Golf is 90% mental, they say.

soundsham

and the other 10% is in your head

Spudmonkey

f22 wrote: »

All sounds great in theory. I have been driving terribly the last few weeks (normally the best club in the bag). I have a pretty fiery temper but keep it under control most of the time. The fact that I am strking every iron really well and the short game is sharp makes it even worse.

I have a low handicap and can usually just shrug a bad shot off but yesterday I exploded and whacked a bin out of frustration, right in front of a commitee member too.

Going to get reported for it (no problem there) even though there was no damage. My point is that there is only so much you can contain emotion and there is a level that once breached, something will give.

Happens the best players in the world, even with athe best sports and mind gurus on hand.

I have to say I was the same, very short temper and I really let the game get to me at times, but just thought to myself "This is a hobby, you are supposed to enjoy a hobby", if you aren't, then you need to pick up another hobby!

Since then, rounds that would have otherwise gotten away from me I've actually posted very good scores!

SuprSi wrote: »

This is how guys like Bob Rotella make so much money from golf. I read one of his books years ago and a lot of what he mentions in it made sense and actually helped to one degree or another. I believe that being positive has a huge effect on my golf game. All I have to do is score well, hitting some nice shots in the process, to start believing that I'm going to do well on a particular day. The flip side of this is that if I start a round poorly, it's sometimes difficult to recover.

I have a couple of Bobs books and what he says is so simple.. He wants you to keep it simple!

The way Harrington and Woods think of their own ability is; "I'm the best, in fact I'm so much better than everyone else, even if I play crap, I'll still beat everyone else out the gate... thats how much better I am than everyone!"

It's hard to compete with someone that not just thinks this, but truly believes it!

DublinWriter

It's all about visualisation.