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Mental Focus

White Rhino

White Rhino

SANDBAGGER!!!!!!!
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With the Morgan Cup on the horizon and also alot of people here play in leagues and/or tournaments I thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss.


How do you focus or relax your mind when you have a big match or tournament?

Also if you lose focus mid-round, how do you get back on track?
 
For me, my focus is all centered around my routine. I like to socialize on the course, but when it's my turn to play my routine brings my back to where I need to be. I try to do the same thing on every shot, and that is what gets my in the proper mind set to execute the shot at hand. Even when things are going poorly or you're not swinging your best, your routine will (should) always be there. There's a reason most pros really stick to and talk about their routine...it works! It seems trivial, but it's not. If you haven't tried it, develop a routine for yourself and stick to it. Stick to it on the range and on the course and my guess is you'd be surprised how much it helps your game.
 
http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...Testing-Swing-Thought&highlight=swing+thought

It is not for everyone but it really has made me slow down and focus on each shot. I literally have a routine now where I get my alignment right, take a look at the focus band, take a deep breath, address the ball and swing. It has really helped me shoot in the 80's consistently. Before I started doing this I was all over the high 90's and low 100's.
 
To me, mental focus is completely overrated at the amateur non-elite level and because of the lack of skill and predictability of a repeatable extremely accurate golf swing.

Nerves become soothed and stronger through experience.
 
AHA brings up some good points. A routine is huge. It's like setting yourself up to get serious via habits. I go into every round with a target score and goals in mind, no matter the occassion. I like to shoot 40 or less on each 9, no score worse than a 5 on a hole, and no 3 putts. I won't force myself into hitting x amount of fairways or greens b/c that's undue pressure that I don't need. I try to be a realist and always remember how fortunate I am to be playing golf. I have a problem of losing focus at times and I really have to stay on top of myself to keep it going.
 
Concentrate on your breathing and stick to your routine.
 
TC said:
AHA brings up some good points. A routine is huge. It's like setting yourself up to get serious via habits. I go into every round with a target score and goals in mind, no matter the occassion. I like to shoot 40 or less on each 9, no score worse than a 5 on a hole, and no 3 putts. I won't force myself into hitting x amount of fairways or greens b/c that's undue pressure that I don't need. I try to be a realist and always remember how fortunate I am to be playing golf. I have a problem of losing focus at times and I really have to stay on top of myself to keep it going.
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Nothing bothers me more than a bogey or worse on a par 5! Especially ones that are reachable in 2!!!
 
AHA said:
For me, my focus is all centered around my routine. I like to socialize on the course, but when it's my turn to play my routine brings my back to where I need to be. I try to do the same thing on every shot, and that is what gets my in the proper mind set to execute the shot at hand. Even when things are going poorly or you're not swinging your best, your routine will (should) always be there. There's a reason most pros really stick to and talk about their routine...it works! It seems trivial, but it's not. If you haven't tried it, develop a routine for yourself and stick to it. Stick to it on the range and on the course and my guess is you'd be surprised how much it helps your game.
Click to expand...

This. Well said.
 
This. Playing with you at the Putter Challenge opened my eyes to course management as well as setting realistic goals before and during a round. undue pressure is the worst and I've finally removed that clutter from my head....I think lol

TC said:
AHA brings up some good points. A routine is huge. It's like setting yourself up to get serious via habits. I go into every round with a target score and goals in mind, no matter the occassion. I like to shoot 40 or less on each 9, no score worse than a 5 on a hole, and no 3 putts. I won't force myself into hitting x amount of fairways or greens b/c that's undue pressure that I don't need. I try to be a realist and always remember how fortunate I am to be playing golf. I have a problem of losing focus at times and I really have to stay on top of myself to keep it going.
Click to expand...
 
I have a routine and find if I am using this routine stuff goes well.. seems like this is what most people are saying.

If I lose focus I take a deep breath and try to refocus and get back into my preshot routine.
 
I listen to alot of pink floyd before I play, it relaxes me. I think mental focus comes and goes, when I lose it for a hole or two I focus on the ball and watch the flight and it seems to bring me back down pretty quickly
 
Hanks said:
This. Playing with you at the Putter Challenge opened my eyes to course management as well as setting realistic goals before and during a round. undue pressure is the worst and I've finally removed that clutter from my head....I think lol
Click to expand...

I think once you can seriously rid yourself of that pressure you put on yourself, you'll break through and start becomming the golfer you have the potential to be buddy.
 
I try to stay focused on the course and being relaxed. I try to not think much about what the opponents are doing. Pace and rhythm are important. Develop a rhythm that allows you to spend as little time as possible over a shot. Focus on what you want to do with a shot. Always positive thoughts, never negative. For example, think; "I will hit this shot down the right side", not the negative; "don't go left".
 
This is indeed a big one and it seems that the bigger the event the more negative pressure we put on ourselves. I try my best to remain confident in my game. Even if I just hit a horrible shot I try to go into the next shot with complete confidence in what I'm trying to do out there. This along with a good solid on course routine as AHA and TC said are the two biggest things for me to continue to do.
 
I try to control my breathing and ignore my nerves. Having a consistent routine helps a lot.
 
I'm learning some things in this thread. I like TCs ideas of getting specific with goals. My goal is usually to "play well" which for me means a score between 90 and 97. I do need to work on a preshot routine as well. I don't have any consistency in my game, and that consistent routine might help a lot.
 
White Rhino said:
Also if you lose focus mid-round, how do you get back on track?
Click to expand...

I'm dying to hear more on this one (get better at it).

Far too often I'll hook a drive on like 11 or 12 and my game is gone, this after starting out the round like a scratch golfer. If I could refocus after a bad tee shot or hole, I'd lower scores by several strokes.
 
TC said:
I think once you can seriously rid yourself of that pressure you put on yourself, you'll break through and start becomming the golfer you have the potential to be buddy.
Click to expand...

Great post and I am sure that is what my problem is at the moment, I subconciously put pressure upon myself when I play with friends that I do not have when I play alone or with strangers. How would you or anyone suggest accomplishing this "break through"?
 
During a tournament I focus a lot more, during a casual round it's more difficult for me to do so. At my last tournament (a match play event) our opponents told me I shot a 36 on my own ball on the front nine from the back tees. I've never come close to doing that. I had no clue either. I was just so focused on each and every shot and winning the hole. During a casual round I don't play with nearly that kind of intensity.

For me, there has to be something on the line.
 
Every shot is independent of itself. As long as one remembers that, nothing else matters.
Course management and knowing that you are never out of a hole as long as you stay true to the idea of every shot is independent of itself will make every person a better golfer.
 
JB said:
Every shot is independent of itself. As long as one remembers that, nothing else matters.
Course management and knowing that you are never out of a hole as long as you stay true to the idea of every shot is independent of itself will make every person a better golfer.
Click to expand...
True that.
 
JB said:
Every shot is independent of itself. As long as one remembers that, nothing else matters.
Course management and knowing that you are never out of a hole as long as you stay true to the idea of every shot is independent of itself will make every person a better golfer.
Click to expand...

I'm taking that and keeping it somewhere. I've adopted the one shot at a time motif but it being put this way is excellent.

Not my thread but I needed that.
 
Definetly agree that routine is a big part of it. I find that having a routine and sticking to it so that everyone shot feels that same and you have 1 less thing to think about helps.
I also think that having the mindset of 1 shot at a time and not mulling over bad shots or bad holes is huge too.
Also, I find that relaxing your focus between shots helps me to not get too stressed out during a round. I will focus on the shot Im about to hit but between shots I will let my mind wander and think about other things and just enjoy being out on the course.
 
I usually listen to music before I play. When I am on the course I try to stick to my routine. This keeps me focused. I also try to visualize the shot before I hit it. This helps slow me down and commit to the shot.
 
TC said:
AHA brings up some good points. A routine is huge. It's like setting yourself up to get serious via habits. I go into every round with a target score and goals in mind, no matter the occassion. I like to shoot 40 or less on each 9, no score worse than a 5 on a hole, and no 3 putts. I won't force myself into hitting x amount of fairways or greens b/c that's undue pressure that I don't need. I try to be a realist and always remember how fortunate I am to be playing golf. I have a problem of losing focus at times and I really have to stay on top of myself to keep it going.
Click to expand...

I agree with TC. I do not set impossible goals on the course, for any round. I also stick to a pretty tight routine. I stay close to my bag when playing, and don't even think about approaching the ball until it is my turn to play. Same way on the green. If I'm close, I mark my ball and get out of the way. When the player right before me is putting, and say he/she misses, I don't move until it is clear whether or not they intend on putting out or waiting. Once they are clear, I will then read my putt, place the ball and go. I never read a putt before it is my turn to play.

On shots from the fairway, I never lineup the ball to a target and then wait on another player to play. I do that only when it is my turn, so the image of the shot I want is fresh in my mind. Its all about the timing. I play ready golf, but I still have a routine I need to go through and I never break that routine.
 
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