Mental Game

[KrudlerAce]

We all know the mental side of golf is so important to playing great golf.

I was curious to hear from members of their best advice for how they manage to stay focused during a round of golf? How do you maintain concentration for the 4 plus hours you are out on the golf course? Do you have any specific drills, tips that you find really work for you?

Cheers.

[Ringer]

Re: Mental Game

We all know the mental side of golf is so important to playing great golf.

I was curious to hear from members of their best advice for how they manage to stay focused during a round of golf? How do you maintain concentration for the 4 plus hours you are out on the golf course? Do you have any specific drills, tips that you find really work for you?

Cheers.

Pre-shot routine. Practice it, and grade it.

I have played many tournament rounds keeping score of my pre-shot routine.

[keiko]

Re: Mental Game

If I hit a bad shot, I remember how many times I have made par the hard way. For instance, I have hit a bad drive, taken my medicine by chipping out of trouble into the fairway then hit my third shot to within 6 feet of the pin and made par.
I never allow myself to think I am going to have a bad round. If I do, it comes as a complete surprise to me; I am just one of those optimists who will see a pile of manure and know there must be a pony under it for sure.

We all know the mental side of golf is so important to playing great golf.

I was curious to hear from members of their best advice for how they manage to stay focused during a round of golf? How do you maintain concentration for the 4 plus hours you are out on the golf course? Do you have any specific drills, tips that you find really work for you?

Cheers.

[Stuart Standrews]

Re: Mental Game

I just try and take each shot as not connected to the entire round, so if I have a bad shot, its a bad shot but doesnt mean a bad score or a bad round of golf. If you worry about the hole rather than the score, that seems to work for me.

[HHPatman]

Re: Mental Game

It seems this is the biggest problem everywhere. I have never thought about my swing after the first lessons as a child. Now I have broke 90 a couple of times I started thinking about my swing more and now I honestly can hit the ball anywhere except where I want it to go. It is crazy I have no idea where it is going with any club except chipping and putting. The funny thing is all I was tring to do is hit a little deeper in the green and take the 30 yard slice out. I gues I am going to have to find a good coach.

[KrudlerAce]

Thanks

Thanks for all your responses members, some great advice given!

[HHPatman]

Re: Mental Game

LOL sorry Ace my post did not help you I was having a bad day. To answer your question my putting is going great right now and I just stay with my routine then just before I hit the ball I try to see it go into the hole. For me the routine is looking at the line, judging distance and pace, line up my putter, line up my body, square off my elbows, look at hole, look at the ball see it in the hole then hit it. I am not the best but I thi9nk my putt avg is around 1.5. Have a great Thanksgiving!!!

[mahbo]

Re: Mental Game

I played a round recently with a mate. We shared a cart, and I was so focussed on my game, my new swing....i was a total bore. My mate told me, it was like he was playing by himself. That rebuke from him, really woke me up.

So basically from now on, I try and just chill out, make small chit chat with who I am playing, and not take it as seriously as i do.....and its helped!

alot of people also say, just focus the 5-10 seconds before the shot. The rest of the round should be carefree. I try and also not think too far ahead, especially if I am playing comp and on target for a good score.

[bill reed]

Re: Mental Game

Hi Ace
i find it hard to keep focused for 4 1/2 hours so what i do is when walking up to the ball (Second or third shot) i line up behind the ball about twenty feet away and as i walk slowly up to the ball i try and see the shot! see how i want to play it, how much fade i want on the ball and if i want the ball to roll of stop quickly, by the time i over with my club i know the shot to play and have seen it in my head.
from that point i walkd the last few feww up to the ball and till i play the shot i don't talk to my partners and only focus on my shot for the next 4 or 5 minuets depending on turns.
i only have to focus for 5 minuet periods of time and that is easy to do. it is hard when playing with friends to focus from tee to green so i dont even try. only the few minuets before teeing off and the short walk up to the ball.
it does work and i dont think you play so many errors or get so tired.
cheers
Bill