Letting Go (mentally)

[drvrwdge]

So a little background, I’ve played for nearly 30 yrs played a little D3 golf many moons ago and currently play to scratch. I work with a local pro and practice a decent amount since I have a net out back. I putt pretty well I feel averaging 30 putts a round but admittedly my wrong game is sub par (no pun intended). I’m long but don’t take advantage when I have scoring opportunities. My problem and question is in tournament play I make several very very poor swings a round and generally just don’t swing as well as when I’m just playing with the fellas or in a weekly game. Bottom line is I’m nervy. I feel good behind the ball and with my pre-shot routine and strategy and I feel good over top of the ball but somewhere in my swing I generally completely just bail on it making a nerve the guided swing with no lower body. I’m just subconsciously I guess afraid to let it go. It’s something that’s just recently crept into my game and I just can’t figure out how to get rid of it. From God is with a lot of tournament experience how do you get rid of it?

[b.helts]

Something to try is to create, develop a feel that you work with that comes at the end of the swing. Maybe a followthrough position or something like that.

 

if your feel comes after impact, it may free you up on the backswing and through impact.

[goaliedad30]

I was struggling with similar things, and moved to a final swing thought of "swing in balance, finish in balance". I mentally say that at address, then pull the trigger. It works wonders for me, because I stay focused on the process of swinging in a balanced way, all the way through the finish.

[cadoipi]

Option 1) Make your practice have stakes: Eg you need to hit the fairway 5 times in a row with a high draw. If you mess up, you need to start over and you cannot leave until you succeed. Adjust the target/club/shot/number as needed to make it challenging but doable (in a few attempts).

Option 2) Raise the stakes in your normal rounds to simulate the level of nerves you feel in tournaments. Eg for every bad swing you make you need to do something you hate (but is not harmful and preferably beneficial to you).

[Justsomeguy]

I heard a story about Shaq in high school. He's huge right, but couldn't get the timing down to dunk the ball consistently. So his coach swapped the ball for a wadded up pair of socks. Dunked every time. Just beat the mental block.

Golf equivalent is to tee it up from the ladies tees a few times. Go 10 under if u can. Go nuts. Get used to writing down 3s like it's your job.

Then go play your tournaments and see if you haven't embedded the confidence.

[chipa]

When I'm playing well it's like I'm rebounding off my right leg, or like a dance as Tom Watson says. It gives me confidence because it is something I can focus on feeling at the end of my backswing.

[SNIPERBBB]

Shorter club to force a more aggressive swing.