best mental game book

garbo.

whats the best mental game book anyone has read. i've read most of the rotela books but am still not thinking well on the course when going very well. playing off 3 and if i go under par i'm all the time trying to mind the score instead of trying to make more birdies. would want to read something simple, not into the ones that you need to sit for two hours a day thinking positive thoughts!!:eek: any other advice would be appreciated

mr.mickels

I am not sure any golf specific mental books can make much difference and I don't know of any such books.

At the end of the day the reason you don't make more birdies is because you don't want to make more birdies, sure you would take them if someone gave them to you, but who is going to give them? After you make birdies you don't even want to make pars, as in having a strong desire to get more, what you want is NOT to make bogies, so you are now focused on bogies, it doesn't matter if its with a positive or negative sign, meaning whether you want or don't want bogies, bogies is what you are focused on, so your chances of getting them has already increased. The only solution is simple, next time you make birdies you got to really want more birdies, meaning you look straight down the centre off the tee, and only down the centre and hit that ball down the centre because you want to, not because you need to. Just get more focused on being hungry for birdies is my two cents worth.

garbo.

interesting way of looking at it, will try it out (if i can get under par again that is!)

jimmystars

Read somewhere that harrington used to play scrambles by himself or better ball when out practicing and he credited it with helping him to get used to shooting low scores. I think that once you get used to shooting low it helps with the mental barrier.

Hope this helps

mr.mickels

jimmystars wrote: »

Read somewhere that harrington used to play scrambles by himself or better ball when out practicing and he credited it with helping him to get used to shooting low scores. I think that once you get used to shooting low it helps with the mental barrier.

Hope this helps

I wouldn't want to argue with Harrington about how to improve your scoring, but lets bear in mind he is a very highly skilled golfer and this is how/why he shoots low scores and he obviously believes in himself, even though it took him a very long time to win his majors, in his early years he was known as Mr.2nd if I recall correct.
When I used play in my teens years ago I met many other players and some of them used this trick and I never saw any of them make any progress as a result. I never did that, and I know Faldo or Nicklaus would certainly not approve of such a move. I saw those players only totally fooling themselves with their scrambles scores as those scores are pure fiction. Whats worse, they were training themselves to be careless over their first shot because they had it in their head they could try for a better effort the second time, you have no such luxury in strokeplay golf, the first shot is the only shot, so better make it count. I know Faldo and Nicklaus used play 2 balls when on their own, usually draw versus fade and see what score they get, that type of practice is ALOT more useful than playing scrambles with yourself.

jimmystars

A guy playing off 3 is highly skilled as well. Seems like it his mindset is stopping him and he doesnt believe in himself. I would imagine you play a lot more cocky when playing two balls and get used to this instead of defending and getting tight . Playing two balls better ball instead of scramble is def more worthwhile imo but wouldnt rule out harringtons method totally. What works for one might help the op.

Russman

The Rotella books are good IMO, especially the original one, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect.
If the Op starts trying to mind his score when he's under par, it suggests he's worried about something (ie ruining the round). I reckon he needs to put things in perspective on the course, if he makes a few bogeys and ruins the score, its not the worst thing to ever happen to somebody and at the same time, if he makes more birdies, its a better number but he's still the same person as he was 4 hours previous.
Just relax and not be too bothered about the scores or results, keep playing and at the end of the round add up all 18 holes and see what your score is. Try not to know how you're doing half way through the round.

My tuppence worth anyway.:)

garbo.

it's definitely a mind problem. I've played matchplay games before and realised after the round that I was 4 or 5 under, I wasn't thinking about my score, just taking each shot and hole as it came. In strokeplay I just can't help but think about my score and getting cut etc.. I know exactly what my problem is but find it very difficult to stop it:(

Russman

garbo. wrote: »

just can't help but think about my score and getting cut etc..

My advice would be don't worry about getting cut, that will happen of its own accord. Your handicap is just a number, don't put so much importance on it. Plenty of (if not most) guys off scratch can't play to it anyway. Don't take this the wrong way, but nobody will think any more or less of you if you're off scratch or 3.0 or 2.4 or indeed 12.0
Similarly don't worry (if you do) about the prospect of getting 0.1s, at your level of golf, one good round will get rid of any you've built up.

Speaking from experience, you'll enjoy your game much more and probably play better if you forget about your handicap. Play your game and your handicap will be be what it will be. If you are off three you already have the game and the tools to go lower, just let it happen.