If you lose focus during practice, should you stop?

[Albatross85]

If you are unable to retain your focus during practice, is it better to stop and come back another day or to just keep banging away?

 

Example, you spend a few hours practicing short game. 90 minutes in you are mentally drained and just going through the motions without your 100% focus. Do you gain anything at all by continuing your practice? Or are you hurting more than helping?

 

Same example on the range. You hit 50 balls with absolute focus, then you are tired and lose interest, should you finish the bucket? Continue to bang away?

 

What do you guys think is the best option? I see both sides, one could simulate real golf by trying to regain the focus and push through. Or one could ingrain bad habits by not giving their 100% attention to the task at hand.

[CasualLie]

I don't see any benefit to doing anything without some level of focus. Banging balls away mindlessly? What does that do? Exercise? Find another way.

 

It's no problem to practice all day and still have focus. It looks something like this (actual time varies):

 

Practice X for 20 - 40 minutes

Take a break for 5 - 20 minutes

Repeat

 

It's much better to be focused, and when you are going to start losing focus, take a break, make a phone call, sit on a bench and think about what you are doing, count blades of grass, whatever...just do a reset.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

This is why I generally cap myself at ~75 balls in a range session. Just enough to get warmed up and hit 40-50 solid shots with full focus. No point in my mind in just rapid firing balls off.

 

If I am working on something specific I might get a large bag ~100 balls and switch from full swing to short game halfway through to change it up.

[isaacbm]

You spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how to refocus. If you lose focus during a round, do you quit? If you have the time, try to work on your breathing, try to push yourself past your current level. That's how you improve. Focus is a skill just like anything else.

[Albatross85]

You spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how to refocus. If you lose focus during a round, do you quit? If you have the time, try to work on your breathing, try to push yourself past your current level. That's how you improve. Focus is a skill just like anything else.

That's good advice. What is the proper amount of time to practice before taking a break you think? I know with your background you may have better insights than most. Thanks in advance

[Qqq123xx]

I usually take a break, go get some water, watch other golfers, space out which I am an expert at. Then have at it again. If focus still not there I just give whatever balls are left away and I go away.

[isaacbm]

You spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how to refocus. If you lose focus during a round, do you quit? If you have the time, try to work on your breathing, try to push yourself past your current level. That's how you improve. Focus is a skill just like anything else.

That's good advice. What is the proper amount of time to practice before taking a break you think? I know with your background you may have better insights than most. Thanks in advance

 

I guess it depends on what I'm practicing. Sometimes I'll literally hit 1200 balls for days in a row in a very short period of time. In that case I'm not actually really practising anything, i'm more just trying to ingrain a particular feel. Other times I just look at the beginning of my downswing in A mirror for hours without actually hitting a ball.

 

Generally though, if I feel dehydrated or if my hands start to hurt to the point where I have no sensation of touch, usually I stop practising.

 

These things are all dependent on where a person is at in their development. I'm of the old-school belief that whatever you think is enough practice is probably about half as much as what you should do.

 

Some of my best breakthroughs have come when I'm exhausted and I'm finally able to shut off my mind and just let my body react. Half of the trick is tuning into your subconscious by finding a way to shut your conscious off . Exhaustion can be a really good way to shut off your mind and quiet the hamster spinning the wheel .

 

Again, I was talking about trying to reach the pinnacle of the game and I was a lot younger man at the time so my recovery took very little effort when Id go that hard. I'dlikely be in the hospital if I did that now!

[MonteScheinblum]

20 on 10 off

[moehogan]

Late this afternoon was hitting bullet fades with my 1973 Hogan Apex 1 iron into a 15 mph wind, gusting to 25, with an air temp of 41 degrees ... grass range, outdoors, no cover or heaters. Unfortunately, no rain and the sun was shining, so it wasn't quite perfect! LOL.

[DavePelz4]

I absolutely LOVE to hit golf balls. Can be very happy on the range for hours and hours on end. But there is always a purpose to every shot and overall session goal. Sometimes I'll play an upcoming round on the range and go through hole by hole until hitting the shots the way I'd like to.

 

There have been times when it just isn't there and I'm forgetting my goals for the session and shot. When that happens I'll go hit putts, chips, etc. and sometimes it's more appropriate to go home and come back when the focus is there.

[Matchplay10033]

It took me 36 years to walk away when I daydream. As my game improves I find playing and hitting multiple shots from different positions more benificial than banging balls for hours. I also can stay more focused working on my short game and putting. i usually catch myself hitting 4-5 bad shots and realize im not in it.... then I focus on one last shot and hit it good. I always try and walk away with a good positive shot

[sailfishchris]

Sometimes if I start to zone out/lose focus. I try to time how long it would be to "get to the ball" if I was on a course. Most times that reset period brings me back

[jslane57]

Once you zone out, are you still having fun? Personally I think there is value to having fun, zoning out, and just letting the club hit the ball. 100% focus is very hard to maintain, and maybe not healthy or possible when on the golf course.

[Albatross85]

My issue is im always chasing that "compression" feeling. There is nothing better to me than striping ball after ball and you barely even feel the ball leave the clubface. When im swinging that way ill pound balls until i run out of money or time, but when im swinging poorly i will do the same thing trying to get that feeling again and i think its hurting me more than helping me. Some days i think i should just leave and reset, come back the next day and try again.

 

A cluttered mind is my biggest enemy on the course. I can shoot 64 when im not overthinking and i can shoot 84 when im chasing that compression and over-analyzing every swing. Consistency is my biggest issue. If you took 15/20 scores instead of 10/20 my hdcp would probably be 2-3 instead of a +.

[jbw749]

Yes, the entire practice session is supposed to be about focusing. So if you're not focusing you aren't practicing.

 

Try focusing on NOT repeating the same swing twice. Treat each swing as a new swing don't try to replicate one you think will work. By doing this you won't fear that the swing won't work, because you really don't know you haven't tried it before. On video they will all look the same. This keeps you FOCUSED on making your brand new swing and not dwelling in the past or worrying about the future.

 

Hitting balls isn't supposed to make you focus. You focus in order to be able to hit balls.

 

 

[jslane57]

This must focus is interesting. In many sport you practice till you can achieve the motion without focus. Same with golf, when you get to where you can do it right without focus, you've got a swing. But yes, you should still practice.

[rawdog]

This must focus is interesting. In many sport you practice till you can achieve the motion without focus. Same with golf, when you get to where you can do it right without focus, you've got a swing. But yes, you should still practice.

 

Just began reading "Your 15th Club" by Bob Rotella and you basically wrote the thesis line of the book.

 

There was a thread about getting in "the zone" and the theme of that thread was how mindless it felt when one was in it.

 

I likened it to me working in Excel all day. I know every keyboard shortcut and do them mindlessly while reading or talking, but the minute I stop and think about what I'm doing, my fingers get clumsy and I hit the wrong keys.

 

Your post highlights the importance of getting your mind out of the way, which could be considered the opposite of focusing. Just let your body take over and swing with your subconscious.

 

Now, focusing on a target is a totally different concept. Yes, you shouldn't mindlessly hit balls without aiming. Picture the shot shape and target, then body takes over.

[jslane57]

This must focus is interesting. In many sport you practice till you can achieve the motion without focus. Same with golf, when you get to where you can do it right without focus, you've got a swing. But yes, you should still practice.

 

Just began reading "Your 15th Club" by Bob Rotella and you basically wrote the thesis line of the book.

 

There was a thread about getting in "the zone" and the theme of that thread was how mindless it felt when one was in it.

 

I likened it to me working in Excel all day. I know every keyboard shortcut and do them mindlessly while reading or talking, but the minute I stop and think about what I'm doing, my fingers get clumsy and I hit the wrong keys.

 

Your post highlights the importance of getting your mind out of the way, which could be considered the opposite of focusing. Just let your body take over and swing with your subconscious.

 

Now, focusing on a target is a totally different concept. Yes, you shouldn't mindlessly hit balls without aiming. Picture the shot shape and target, then body takes over.

Thank you! One of my favorite quotes by any golfer is by Fred Couples. "When I'm playing well, I don't even take aim."

 

I like your Excel example. I liken it to playing 3rd base. The moment you think about how hard and what direction to throw the ball to 1st, that is when you toss it in the dirt, etc. Uber focus in golf may keep the ball in bounds, but it will never get it as close as just doing it, if you've got it...

[rawdog]

This must focus is interesting. In many sport you practice till you can achieve the motion without focus. Same with golf, when you get to where you can do it right without focus, you've got a swing. But yes, you should still practice.

 

Just began reading "Your 15th Club" by Bob Rotella and you basically wrote the thesis line of the book.

 

There was a thread about getting in "the zone" and the theme of that thread was how mindless it felt when one was in it.

 

I likened it to me working in Excel all day. I know every keyboard shortcut and do them mindlessly while reading or talking, but the minute I stop and think about what I'm doing, my fingers get clumsy and I hit the wrong keys.

 

Your post highlights the importance of getting your mind out of the way, which could be considered the opposite of focusing. Just let your body take over and swing with your subconscious.

 

Now, focusing on a target is a totally different concept. Yes, you shouldn't mindlessly hit balls without aiming. Picture the shot shape and target, then body takes over.

Thank you! One of my favorite quotes by any golfer is by Fred Couples. "When I'm playing well, I don't even take aim."

 

I like your Excel example. I liken it to playing 3rd base. The moment you think about how hard and what direction to throw the ball to 1st, that is when you toss it in the dirt, etc. Uber focus in golf may keep the ball in bounds, but it will never get it as close as just doing it, if you've got it...

 

3rd base example is perfect.

 

I used to have a more formal job than I do now and after wearing a tie to work 4 days a week for over 2 years, I woke up one morning and simply couldn't tie the tie.

 

It was one of the strangest moments of my life. Next day I was fine!

[naval2006]

I'm used to hitting 30 balls every other day during the week. It's a number I can handle because I can get concentrated on it, I can work on ONE single thing on my swing (usually to do with feel) and I don't have to rush. Now I'm not driving range material so I practice because I can't play during the week. But a 20 minute span seems to work for me.

[RichieHunt]

Yes. There's nothing to gain by hitting balls if you don't have the focus.

 

If I hit 50 balls 'corrrectly' and 0 balls 'incorrectly' in a day, that will help me more than if I hit 200 balls 'correctly, but 200 balls 'incorrectly' in a day.

 

It's not the quantity of swings that matters. it's the quality of swings. Bad quality swings on the range are very addictive. I bad swing takes about 3 good swings to get it out of your system.

 

 

 

 

RH

[Petunia Sprinkle]

I don't think mindlessly hitting balls is a bad thing. It can be very relaxing.