Anyone Completely Change Their Game/Scores with Mental Work?

[Lefty_3Jack]

Question says it all.  We've all been victim to playing better when alone or when confidence is riding high and then wonder where it goes when variance happens.  Has anyone ever done real self inventory and made a big change in their game from the mental approach? 

[b.mattay]

Yes, I went from an 7 handicap to a +3 over 4 and half years by focusing on good mental processes and course management. Swing probably got better too but it wasn't the focus.

[tthomasgolfer605]

Just now, b.mattay said:

Yes, I went from an 7 handicap to a +3 over 4 and half years by focusing on good mental processes and course management. Swing probably got better too but it wasn't the focus.

Of course your swing got better. 

[b.mattay]

5 minutes ago, tthomasgolfer605 said:

Of course your swing got better. 

For sure, but probably 7ish of those shots were being much better mentally/strategy wise and not taking 3 doubles (or worse) per round.

[tthomasgolfer605]

1 minute ago, b.mattay said:

For sure, but probably 7ish of those shots were being much better mentally/strategy wise and not taking 3 doubles (or worse) per round.

Do you have any before/after swing videos or pics? 

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, b.mattay said:

For sure, but probably 7ish of those shots were being much better mentally/strategy wise and not taking 3 doubles (or worse) per round.

Highly unlikely.

[Fuscinator]

The first time I broke 100, I shot an 87. The only two things that were different were using an extremely conservative game plan and only bringing clubs I was confident in being able to hit.

 

At one point, I was able to practice lob wedge, all the time, on all kinds of lies, so I pretty much eliminated chipping and just hit little lobs all around the green. Many years later, with a move, and the opportunity to practice that way is gone. Now, I use putter whenever I can, or chip-putt with the longest club I can get away with using.

 

For me, golf is just something silly I do with my friends, so there's not much dealing with performance pressure. For me, the mental aspect boils down to being realistic about what I think I can do. A much less flashy short game and significantly cutting back on the "hero" shots I try has lead to better scoring, but easily the best results have come from getting much more in depth with reading putts.

[otto6457]

Mental work didn't "completely change my game".  Changing my mental approach to golf certainly made my relationship with golf a lot more healthy. There's all sorts of ways "mental work" will aid in improving your golf game.  Managing expectations, picking better targets, to even pre-planning course strategy with something like DECADE can lead to better scores.  Meditation and getting a better understanding of how you respond and react to the inevitable train wrecks golf throws at you can make your scores improve, and your entire outlook on life improve.

 

A mentally prepared and mentally calm golfer is a better golfer.  But most importantly, a better mental approach to life in general can make you a better, happier person.

 

Win, win in my book.

[Dan Drake]

I am seeing my game continue to improve even though I am playing and practicing less and less over the past 3 years.  I attribute this almost 100% to DECADE, keeping my own stats so that I know what offers me the highest ROI for the practice time I do have, and speed training.  I consider 2.5 of those 3 factors to be "mental."  Also, like @otto6457, I have a MUCH healthier relationship with the game now that I have started to understand how to manage expectations.  Heck, I will even play lefty/vintage sets when I want to have the most fun, because it allows me to set my expectations so much lower than normal that I just go out and have a blast playing a silly game!

[HitSomeMissSome]

Routine, routine, routine… that’s mental work. Choose intelligent targets and then grind on the soft skills. The shot begins with the routine, not the swing. 

[CB67]

No matter how good I felt mentally I still early extended and came over the top steep.

 

For me personally it wasn’t until I got a reality check on video and starting hardcore drilling feels until the feel became real. 

[Lefty_3Jack]

What I’m hearing is it’s more how solid your swing is vs being mentally solid. Or that a sound mental game won’t allow you to outplay your swing deficiencies.
 

I already pick conservative targets, don't try to hit shots I have a slim chance of pulling off, etc. I’ll pitch out, layup on a Par 4 when I’m stuck and try to avoid a 6 or worse. I don’t believe I could get better in that portion of the game.
 

The game speeds up for me out on the course and I have a lot of negative thoughts over the ball. My swing isn’t horrible, but being realistic it’s probably on the bad end for my handicap. Im prone to the heel/shanks and it has shaped the thoughts over the ball since I started playing. Being as honest as I can with myself, the fear of the heel and overall bad results affects my game out on the course.

[SNIPERBBB]

I used to  be the layup guy if I couldn't reach the green with an iron on par 5s . Didn't birdie them much back then.  Since the strokes gained stuff came out, I send it to the green everytime. Lot more birdies and and bogeys are practically eliminated. 

[Santiago Golf]

Some of the keys I focus on :

 

I try to mentally tell myself to hit around 50% of GIR: if I hit more, thats great but don't stress out about missing greens

 

Worst Player on Tour Short Game

Fairway: 6 feet

Rough: 12 feet

Bunker 20 feet 

So my goals are always 10 feet for fairway and 15 feet for rough ... I am the best bunker player I know (sorry about bragging)

 

Putting

Tour pros avg 2 putts from 30 feet ... so if I'm outside 25 feet, I don't get stressed if I three putt

 

I am technically a golf professional but hardly teach currently mostly just caddie at Resorts and Private Clubs and I haven't really practiced much since Winter 2020/2021 and little during Winter of 2022 

 

Almost all my rounds are in the 70s and I will stiff an under par round once in a while 

 

I truly believe if I started practicing again, gained 20 yards off the tee and learned aimpoint, I would be shooting under par 50% of my rounds ... I will be soon at a point in my life to have that time to put the work in

 

Golf is so much about managing your game and expectations 

[aenemated]

Not so much mental as just learning how to approach the game beyond just striking the ball. 

 

I read Tom Watson's "Strategic Golf" when I was a kid that could hit the ball pretty well but wasn't really approaching the game beyond just hitting it as hard as I could somewhere that way, then go find it and hit it again ... somewhere that way. 

 

That book taught me how to use that whole ability to hit the ball to actually play the game for a score. And later and now, Tiger's whole thing about golf being a game of misses ... so in the most likely instance I don't hit my best shot; where would I like my worst shot to wind up? 

 

Basically, plan for and expect the worst and be delightfully surprised if the good or best happens. 

[ezra76]

In progress but getting better. Jon Sherman, 4 foundations of golf. I got it on audible and have listened to it 4 or 5x while at work.

 

So many things that helped me. Probably the biggest was, and not exact quote but basically the shot you just hit has nothing to do with the shot you are about to hit, nor do the shots after this shot. 

Getting out of that negative talk. Accepting poor shots and moving on to not let it affect the current shot.

 

Preshot routine is big too. I worked on that a lot. It's about  7 seconds from club selection to impact now. No time for more thoughts once the club/shot are chosen, target, 3/4 feel swing, go. The coolest thing is even when it's slow I can flip the switch from joking with my buddies to preshot/go mode when it's time to hit.

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by ezra76

[Lefty_3Jack]

1 hour ago, ezra76 said:

In progress but getting better. Jon Sherman, 4 foundations of golf. I got it on audible and have listened to it 4 or 5x while at work.

 

So many things that helped me. Probably the biggest was, and not exact quote but basically the shot you just hit has nothing to do with the shot you are about to hit, nor do the shots after this shot. 

Getting out of that negative talk. Accepting poor shots and moving on to not let it affect the current shot.

 

Preshot routine is big too. I worked on that a lot. It's about  7 seconds from club selection to impact now. No time for more thoughts once the club/shot are chosen, target, 3/4 feel swing, go. The coolest thing is even when it's slow I can flip the switch from joking with my buddies to preshot/go mode when it's time to hit.

 

Do you feel the pre-shot routine has curb negative thoughts?  How detailed is it?  I have a pre-shot routine, but as I start my swing, there can sometimes be a flood of negative thoughts like I'm attempting to sabotage myself.  I've wondered if I need to make it so detailed that I'm telling myself exactly what I'm doing at all times so "you're going to shank it" "don't miss right" "youre losing your grip at the top" version of tourettes doesn't happen as I begin the swing.  

 

When I say tell myself exactly what I'm doing I mean:

-You're going to set your clubface to the target you picked out 

-Align your feet to your clubhead 

-Take your stance 

-Look at target once 

-Waggle once 

-Look at target again

-Good tempo

-Go

 

I don't think that's what people are doing in their routines though.  I tend to do well not being target based and use one swing thought so that it can help block some of those tourette like thoughts. 

[SNIPERBBB]

Need to lobotomize that voice in your head lol . 

 

If I had to bet, most elite golfers are like elite shooters/archers or practically every other sport that if you hook em up to a brain wave monitor, they are almost flatlined.

 

Its a hard thing to teach because telling someone not to think, think of that scene from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, causes them to do the exact thing you don't want them to do. 

[Lefty_3Jack]

17 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Need to lobotomize that voice in your head lol . 

 

If I had to bet, most elite golfers are like elite shooters/archers or practically every other sport that if you hook em up to a brain wave monitor, they are almost flatlined.

 

Its a hard thing to teach because telling someone not to think, think of that scene from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, causes them to do the exact thing you don't want them to do. 

And that was what I fear might be the case.  Some people have a higher biological response to certain things.  

[phizzy30]

I was the type of golfer once when I was much younger where if I had a blow up hole, the entire round would be ruined.  I learned over time to have short term memory out on the course and to learn from my mistakes and then move onto the next hole.  I usually start off slow on the course and usually start to go on a run after 5-6 holes.  What's also important to me is keeping a level head when I'm playing bad.  I've slammed clubs into the ground, thrown clubs around and snapped an iron back in the day but now I channel that negative energy with self talk out on the course.  In terms of course management, I'm much more conservative now which has really cut back on high scores. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by phizzy30

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

18 hours ago, Lefty_3Jack said:

The game speeds up for me out on the course and I have a lot of negative thoughts over the ball. My swing isn’t horrible, but being realistic it’s probably on the bad end for my handicap.

Me too.  In my case, it's because I can't play enough to get attuned to the rhythm and lies of playing on a course, versus practicing on grass.  For me, things get a lot slower and more comfortable, the more time I have to do the activity.

 

Building routines helps.  

[MikeSierra]

Last couple years haven't played much and usually just went for every hero shot because I didn't care about the results. I'd shoot anywhere from 95 to 105. First time out this year I made a plan to keep things simple.

 

1. Swing full shots at 70% effort and keep it smooth/rhythmic even if that meant going up one club yardage wise
2. Chip every missed green with an 8-iron bump and run [my short game is rusty and sucks], even over bunkers to short sided pins
3. Target areas where misses would still keep me out of trouble and allow me a shot at an easier up and down.

 

I shot 83 basically by mentally adapting/planning my play to my less than average current ability. I should also mention I didn't have one birdie or eagle on the round, just consistent boring down the middle safe play.

Edited June 19, 2023 by MikeSierra

[MelloYello]

It's pretty obvious that people who spend time on the internet will say that discussing golf on sites like this helps to make them better in some way. Is that valid? I doubt it but they'll swear by it. 

 

People who focus on strategy will promote that. People who are fitness nuts will go on and on about working out to enhance your physical abilities and your overall stamina. 

 

What I'd tell you is that the biggest actual jumps I've seen (as measured by gains in index) have been when I've invested more time. This has been done through memberships at private clubs, falling into regular groups, playing more competitive rounds (e.g. money games), and when I've addressed some of my underlying swing issues with lessons that helped me better understand what I needed to correct. 

 

Did thinking more about strategy make me better? Well, not really because I always tried to make the best decisions I could. I always experimented with different ways of playing.

 

Do I think talking about golf makes me better? Maybe it does, but IDK, talking about golf on here seems to correlate with periods where I'm actually playing less which tends to suggest that internet posting might be inversely correlated with improvement. 

 

 

.

Edited June 19, 2023 by MelloYello

[ferrispgm]

Biggest help for me was accepting misses and learning to accept shots that are just ok.  I used to get mad when I didn't stuff one from 110 yards or get inside of 10 feet from 150....Now I'm totally content with a 20 footer from 110 yards and hitting the green from 150.  Same goes for tee shots.  I used to get mad when I hit it poorly and found the fairway.  Now I don't really care how I hit it as long as it's playable.  Don't get me wrong, I'll be annoyed after the round but while I'm playing, I'm just happy I have a 2nd shot.

 

From a strategy standpoint, aiming down the middle-ish of the fairway and middle of almost all greens has helped a decent amount. 

 

I wouldn't say mental game transforms your game  but it certainly makes playing well easier and makes even bad rounds semi enjoyable. 

[Lefty_3Jack]

Thanks for all of the replies.  I feel confident that my issue is singular and not like what I'm hearing from others.  I could hook one off the toe into the water and it's not going to make me go on tilt.  Most all my mental woes stem from the fear of heel/shank contact. 

[PracticeSwinger]

49 minutes ago, ferrispgm said:

Biggest help for me was accepting misses and learning to accept shots that are just ok.  I used to get mad when I didn't stuff one from 110 yards or get inside of 10 feet from 150....Now I'm totally content with a 20 footer from 110 yards and hitting the green from 150.  Same goes for tee shots.  I used to get mad when I hit it poorly and found the fairway.  Now I don't really care how I hit it as long as it's playable.  Don't get me wrong, I'll be annoyed after the round but while I'm playing, I'm just happy I have a 2nd shot.

 

From a strategy standpoint, aiming down the middle-ish of the fairway and middle of almost all greens has helped a decent amount. 

 

I wouldn't say mental game transforms your game  but it certainly makes playing well easier and makes even bad rounds semi enjoyable. 

Elaborating on this, we all know the way to diminishing scores is better ballstriking mixed in with good strategy (i.e. no penal misses, Decade and such, aggressive swings to conservative spots), would you say that top players as yourself (and/or pros) find that the strategy aspect is directly related to your ballstriking?

 

Meaning, if you know you usual dispersion cone from 150yds is 50ft wide, that it helps picking your target and even leaving it further from the hole but making sure that your next(s) shot(s) are stress free - compared to other decent sticks (like myself) that rarely go low. I

 

In essence, that pros leave themselves way easier chips / putts than mere mortals and thus that their short game benefits from this.

[iacas]

4 hours ago, SNIPERBBB said:

If I had to bet, most elite golfers are like elite shooters/archers or practically every other sport that if you hook em up to a brain wave monitor, they are almost flatlined.

 

I think you'd be surprised.

 

Not with all, but many pros will have a swing thought or two and are thinking about stuff, and noticing and feeling things, over the ball.

[SNIPERBBB]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

 

I think you'd be surprised.

 

Not with all, but many pros will have a swing thought or two and are thinking about stuff, and noticing and feeling things, over the ball.

Probably but I doubt they're having panic attacks on every shot either. 

[Puppetmaster]

Interesting thoughts all around. I'm in a similar place and just picked up Ray Floyd's "The Elements of Scoring" to get some ideas to refresh my thinking. Or maybe to not think as much....

[Forged4ever]

On 6/18/2023 at 9:16 AM, b.mattay said:

Yes, I went from an 7 handicap to a +3 over 4 and half years by focusing on good mental processes and course management. Swing probably got better too but it wasn't the focus.

THIS!!!

 

Yes, obviously BM's swing improved though the difference between most LEGIT low singles, say 3~ to scratch(0), is the mental game and course management. I know that I had plateaued at 1~ to 2~ when I was younger, thought that I  knew it all, ie., was an ***hole🤪, and didn't listen to my Teacher, who happened to have been the Gent that taught his younger Bro, Sam Snead, how to swing a club. My answer was to hit more balls, spend more time in the short game area and on the putting green, and Play more competitive rounds. That was the incorrect answer.

 

Bottom line was that while I had the physical game of a Plus, my mental game was that of a 10-12 capper. My PSR was inconsistent, my PostSR non-existent, my Pre-round/Pre-Tourney visualization skills erratic and my course management sucked.

 

I finally got tired of getting beat by guys that I should have owned, I picked both my Teacher's and his Brother's brain regarding their visualization habits and skills, and I got serious about the game. Really serious.

 

It worked out well for me, though it did not happen over night, as it took me about 3-3 1/2 years to be a consistent Competitive Plus under the gun.

 

My Teacher believed  that 98%+ of ALL golfers have either no or a terribly inconsistent mental game and closer to 96%+ have no or terribly inconsistent course management skills. That's about right if you go by handicaps under the gun, as the vast vast majority of caps are either vanity or "club caps," which in his mind was your number was at your club/track, with your buds, when you were playin for 💩💩 'n giggles, versus shootin your number anywhere that ya planted the peg, against whomever was on the tee with you, on tracks that you'd never played before for either big money games or Tourneys. 

 

To Play to a Competitive cap, whatever that number may be, and most definitely those with aspirations of Plus under the gun(Pete & Sam's phrase) one must have an extremely strong mental game with excellent course management skills. 

 

Nice post BM🤙

 

Stay Well Brotha👊

RP

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Forged4ever