Bridgestone Golf MINDSET Visual Technology
Rainy day here in Central Texas. Inside putting on the rug with the Mindset.
I've got several questions about "visualizing" your shot, given I am so poor at it. What is it you "visualize" and is it the same for everybody? Is it your swing you visualize? Impact? The flight of the ball? The end result, where it is supposed to finish? When does the visualization end, at setup? After impact? Can you and do you continue visualizing the shot while concentrating on the green dot or a specific spot on the ball?
It will be interesting to hear the answers, but for me I visualize the ball flight. I take in all my data and decision making. This is where I also think about any swing thoughts and maybe even a practice swing or feel in that moment.. Once there, I then stand behind the ball and visualize the ball flight I want to see, and that includes the general area where I want the ball to land. I step into the shot and focus on the green dot I’m really trying to just let my mind be blank, trusting the body to execute what we just thought about
I’m terrible at visualization and realized that when I was trying to visualize my mind was looking all over everywhere subconsciously.
I stand behind the ball and take all the information in needed for the shot I’m going to hit. This is where I have my internal conversations and commit to my shot. After I commit no more internal conversations it’s all visualizing.
Once that’s done I look at my target (very specific spot, not general line). I close my eyes, take a deep breath and let it out and watch the ball fly to the target in my mind like I would watching somebody else’s ball flight. I don’t focus on visualizing the swing or impact, that’s a recipe swing thoughts to come into play.
Then I open my eyes walk into the ball focusing on my target and finish my set-up (my mind is completely empty). Once I’m over the ball I take one final look at my target while taking a deep breath. As I exhale I come back to the green dot and focus on it once all the air is out I swing.
This whole process calms me down, keeps me loose and lets me focus almost like meditation.
I attempted multiple ways to go about "visualizing" my shot. First tried to see it like it is shown on my SkyTrack, but wasn't really able to. Then tried to just visualize the ball flying how i wanted it and it was better but still not good. Then @hadi05 mentioned closing my eyes and trying it, and that worked much better so my routine now is this:
1. Gather information about distance/wind/elevation and select club.
2. Tee ball and stand behind it picking out a specific target in the distance (window, specific tree, pole) on a line where I want my ball to finish.
3. Close my eyes and see the ball flying through the air from the tee to my target see the ball flight I want it to take.
4. Step up to ball, take stance, one last look at target, back to ball and fire (all trying to keep a clear mind except for the target).
I am unable to close my eyes and visualize a picture of anything. I can visualize text, but not Images. My experience with Mindset has been no less beneficial, but I had to figure out how I could best work within the system given my own abilities and shortcomings. They may not work the same for you, but here are my steps as I take them:
1. Standing behind the ball, I identify my target area (usually about a 10' circle).
2. While still standing behind the ball, I trace my expected ball flight with my eyes (from tee to identified target area).
3. I step up to the ball, think or see "green", and I take my swing.
I treat each target identification and expected shot path as if they've already successfully happened, instead of being hopeful to accomplish the desired outcome. This has allowed me to clear my mind of technical swing thoughts while over the ball.
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I just get a mental picture of the ball flight I want to hit. Kind of like watching my own ball going exactly how and where I want it to on that shot, like a replay of the ball in flight, from my perspective, from a previous shot that I hit perfectly. I don't need to close my eyes or anything, and it doesn't tale as long as if I was watching an actual shot.
I had the rare opportunity to spend the entire day on the golf course yesterday and got in 54 holes. Due to weather and schedule, I hadn't been able to get out to play for a couple of weeks and my last round was mentally awful. I was unsuccessful at utilizing Mindset for the first time (last round), so was anxious to reset and get back on the train yesterday. I saw my expectations and confidence grow and began to trust my process to result in whatever I visualized pre-shot. On the 27 holes in which we played singles, I saw 17/21 FIR (7/7 on the last 9) and hit my target area all day long. My regular playing partners have started asking a great deal of questions about Mindset as they've seen my mental game and shot-making drastically change.
I cannot stress enough how skeptical I was and just how disinterested I was in adding more thinking to my game. I have been so pleasantly surprised at how much LESS thinking I now do over each shot and my game is improving for it.
***Just had a chance to look at Shot Scope data and got some confirmation: +4.35 strokes gained on tee shots yesterday (first 18; and then hit 7/7 FIR the following 9)
I cannot stress enough how skeptical I was and just how disinterested I was in adding more thinking to my game. I have been so pleasantly surprised at how much LESS thinking I now do over each shot and my game is improving for it.
***Just had a chance to look at Shot Scope data and got some confirmation: +4.35 strokes gained on tee shots yesterday (first 18; and then hit 7/7 FIR the following 9)
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Once I’ve gathered all the info on my shot,
I stand behind the ball and focus on visualizing the desired ball flight only. Once I’ve got that visual down, I’ll go to address the ball. No more visualization at this point. I clear my head and just focus on the green dot and hitting.
It’s an interesting question. I suppose you could visualize the entire thing, swing included, as if you’re watching yourself golf. Different things work for different people. I’ve personally tried to keep as much of the swing mechanics out of the three step process as it always invites too many swing thoughts running around in my head.
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Pace of play is starting to be a concern here 
Going to check them out today. Not any high hopes as it's only the second round this year and lessons in progress. Looking forward to it
Going to check them out today. Not any high hopes as it's only the second round this year and lessons in progress. Looking forward to it
One last question about visualization, especially for those that visualize their ball flight. Does your visualization influence the actual ball flight? For example, have you found if you visualize a fade or draw, you're more likely to hit a fade or a draw?
Pace of play is starting to be a concern here
Pace of play really hasn't been much of a concern for many of us testers. That was a question asked early on and all of us actually saw improvements to pace of play. Two reasons for me personally.
1. My pre-shot routine is actually quicker now than it was before.
2. I have less Easter egg hunts to go on.
Last week I walked 9 holes by myself and was done in under 1.5 hours and I was waiting on a group of 2 in front of me several times.
100% it has.
This is one of the intended purposes of Mindset. It has been said that by removing technical thought from the equation, you allow your body to fully to commit to the athletic motion. Do I nail my visualized shot shape 100% of the time? Not a chance, but I've continued to see an increase in "successful" shots as I've become more comfortable with the process.
, but I echo exactly what
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2018
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- 8,724
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- Sierra Foothills, CA
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- --17--
Well one thing for sure, for me anyway, I don't visualize a shot I can't hit. I'm not going to visualize a 300 yd drive when I rarely get one out to 250 anymore. I'm not going to visualize a draw when I'm hitting the long clubs, because that's a shot I can't pull off. I will visualize a nice little fade with the driver, started down the left side and landing center-left in the fairway, and expect to duplicate that visualization with my drive. Doesn't always work, but that's the plan.
The visualization does impact the flight of the ball for me. It seems to commit the rest of my body movements to that ball flight. Although, in a tacit way.