Recommend a book for my psychotic mind

[Shanker84]

Background, I can smack the ball around decently and am a 14 cap with most holes bogeys being tap-ins so I'm usually up around the green in reg and just fail to get up and down.  Rarely do I hit a drive OB, shank, skull chips, three-putt, get stuck in bunkers or any of the real nasty stuff we hate to see. I'm not horrible really, just not really great at anything. I usually play by myself. 

 

Recently I've had few rounds that I was really looking forward to, the course, the people. Whatever. I was excited to play and hoped to play well (or at least not horrible). 

 

And it never fails. I get to the course that day and it's just a disaster. Can do nothing well. Can't get off the tee, irons are garbage, no feel on short game and can't buy a putt. 

 

I can only imagine that it's mental. I know golf is golf and everyone has off days but the correlation here is pretty shocking. Can anyone recommend a good book on the mind? I'm wanting to be more zen (or whatever) and just go out there and enjoy it and experience it but there must be something going on in my tiny brain that's messing things up. I don't actually feel nervous or anxious but I know something isn't quite right. 

[ezpz]

ego is the enemy

[Lasorcier]

Anika sorenstam book, "every shot must have a purpose" or something like that is pretty good.  Only golf book I have ever purchased.

[jholz]

Having mentioned the term "Zen," I would recommend Dr. Joseph Parent's "Zen Putting" book.

 

It's specifically a book on putting, but I think the general ideas can be applied to the entire game of golf.

 

The general thrust is to shift your focus from outcomes and instead focus on those things you can control - and in golf there aren't that many. In putting, that can be limited down to making solid contact and starting your putt on your intended line. After that, it's all out of your hands. 

 

In the end, you just have to focus on things like that and simply let the scoring happen - good or bad. If you are making solid contact throughout the bag and hitting your shots on line, decent scores certainly become possible. 

 

 

[Shushwap]

I try to sing in my head or something goofy to take my mind of what I'm doing...played mens night last night.. I was up by 1 and I put it in the drink.. I used to get all in my head and sewer the next shot.. 

Started singing I got sunshine in my head.. came out with a bogey and took the money as buddy took a bogey as well.. 

As my buddy always says to me.. u could be scratch if u just cleaned out between the ears lol 

[FredZollner]

20 minutes ago, Shanker84 said:

Background, I can smack the ball around decently and am a 14 cap with most holes bogeys being tap-ins so I'm usually up around the green in reg and just fail to get up and down.  Rarely do I hit a drive OB, shank, skull chips, three-putt, get stuck in bunkers or any of the real nasty stuff we hate to see. I'm not horrible really, just not really great at anything. I usually play by myself. 

 

Recently I've had few rounds that I was really looking forward to, the course, the people. Whatever. I was excited to play and hoped to play well (or at least not horrible). 

 

And it never fails. I get to the course that day and it's just a disaster. Can do nothing well. Can't get off the tee, irons are garbage, no feel on short game and can't buy a putt. 

 

I can only imagine that it's mental. I know golf is golf and everyone has off days but the correlation here is pretty shocking. Can anyone recommend a good book on the mind? I'm wanting to be more zen (or whatever) and just go out there and enjoy it and experience it but there must be something going on in my tiny brain that's messing things up. I don't actually feel nervous or anxious but I know something isn't quite right. 

There is only one book for your situation.

 

The seminal book by Michael Murphy: Golf in the Kingdom

 

[Medson]

Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella

[JohnnyCashForever]

IMO, don't waste your time with a psychology book.

 

You say that you normally play decently, but by yourself.  I would try playing golf with strangers.  It's easy to get into a comfortable rhythm playing as a single.  To really stress-test your swing, playing golf with strangers can be very helpful, especially if the strangers have different personalities than yours, don't really have many social graces, or are a lot better than you.  After proving yourself under those conditions, where all you can fall back on is knowing your swing and executing it, playing new courses with your buddies should be a cinch...and a welcome relief.   

[Pepperturbo]

Strictly guessing, you're too focused on score and not enough on properly executing each and every shot.  Yes, that probably is mental... but it's NOT a deep psychology issue at this juncture.  Simply "you are purposely getting in your own way" of accomplishment and success.   Lots of people do that in golf and other aspects of life.  

 

Given how you framed your perception, you've over simplified why you're a mid-index.  As if knowing why I am a low-single-digit.  I don't see self-help books benefiting you for the same reason you can't figure out what's preventing you from being a single digit golfer. 

[aenemated]

One shot at a time, my dude. 

[Hawkeye77]

Sybil

[TwistedSister]

deleted

Edited September 3, 2021 by dhacker56

[xmanhockey7]

Most anything Bob Rotella is good. “Golf is not a game of perfect”. Another one I recommend is by Dr Lardon “Mastering Golfs Mental Game”

[elwhippy]

Harvey Pennick's Little Red Book. Full of simple wisdom and a relaxing read. 

[myspinonit]

Extraordinary Golf  by Fred Shoemaker and/ or The Inner Game of Golf by Timothy Galwey. 

 

Time for me to reread them too.

[bladehunter]

On 9/3/2021 at 12:10 PM, ezpz said:

ego is the enemy

Yep. ^ this is the rabbit hole to enter. It houses the answers you seek.  

[Tax77]

The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, unabridged version.

[myspinonit]

deleted comment by author.

Edited September 8, 2021 by myspinonit

[baudi]

Zen in the art of archery by E. Herrigel

30 second swing by TJ Tomasi

[TheDeanAbides]

Extraordinary Golf by Fred Shoemaker. It's like Golf in the Kingdom but in much more accessible language. 

 

The easiest way to stay centered whilst playing is to learn to treat those twin imposters of victory and defeat the same. How? Smile after every shot even if it's terrible. 

 

It's almost impossible to have negative self talk when you smile. 

[The Pearl]

Everybody gets exactly what they want from playing golf.  Some people win by playing horrible golf, so they play horrible golf. 

[miamistomp]

 Requiem for a Dream- Selby

 

Then you know it could be worse

[PJ Blake]

Thanks for starting this thread Shanker...some great responses and book ideas. I just started a book called The Cosmic Laws of Golf (and Everything Else) by Printer Bowler. Never heard of him or the book but thought I'd give it a shot. It got some decent reviews so we all shall see.

Edited November 12, 2021 by PJ Blake

[Millbrook]

Already recommended - Inner Game of Golf, Timothy Gallwey.

 

Review - 'Gallwey, who knew virtually nothing about the mechanics of golf, understood that even the best technique collapses when the mind cracks under the game's pressure. The new edition of this groundbreaking instructional features what Gallwey calls "awareness exercises.'

 

Check this video out;

 

 

[bluedot]

On 9/8/2021 at 3:38 AM, TheDeanAbides said:

Extraordinary Golf by Fred Shoemaker. It's like Golf in the Kingdom but in much more accessible language. 

 

The easiest way to stay centered whilst playing is to learn to treat those twin imposters of victory and defeat the same. How? Smile after every shot even if it's terrible. 

 

It's almost impossible to have negative self talk when you smile. 

I reread "Letter to My Younger Self" from Extraordinary Golf all the time.  It helps.

[ZAP]

Chop wood carry water

Pound the Stone

Win in the Dark

The Twin Thieves

 

None are "golf " books but all have a way of helping you keep your mind right while playing and trying to get better.

[againstthegrain]

Lanny Basham has a bunch of great mental game books.  Most of the golf books above I have read.  The Inner game, anika"s book, and golf is not a game of perfect were outstanding.  Pelz's picture book on course management is good, it gets into shot selection and how to choose which shot to take for example 3w or layup sort of thing.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Medson]

On 11/12/2021 at 2:07 PM, bluedot said:

I reread "Letter to My Younger Self" from Extraordinary Golf all the time.  It helps.

Absolutely. This letter puts a lot of things into perspective. 

[Barfolomew]

One of the keys is to actually look forward to playin.... but its gotta be real obviously

 

Then it overflows while playin into.... I wanna hit cause its a blast.  Is it my turn to hit yet, look forward to it.  Instead of trepidation and playin apprehensively like I see so often lol 🦆

 

Next time you're out playin ponder the thought, is this where I wanna be or not, If you do then enjoy playing golf

[Brayden Wilson]

Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella is a great book. I'm interested in the topic of psychology, consciousness and knowing yourself, finding the meaning of life and things like that. I read a lot of literature about it, as well as on the website https://studyhippo.com/test-answers/means-end-analysis/ I solve tests and find answers to tests that deal with meaning, analysis of a person's life path, etc.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Brayden Wilson