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The Mental Side of Golf

DucatiGirl

DucatiGirl

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I find staying positive about my round helps my score. Focus helps a lot too. But I notice a lot of people struggle with finding the good during and after a round.

What are your strategies mid round to right the mental ship? What about after a round?
 
I forget about any bad shots immediately!!! After the round I like to see the positives in my putting, no 3 jacks is a big one for me.
 
this is a really hard one for me. i get down on myself a lot, expecting more of myself than is honestly reasonable. the times i can right the ship or when i slow down a bit, take in my surroundings, and just focus on finishing strong.
 
I tend to subscribe to the "don't worry about bad shots during the round" philosophy as there's nothing that can be done to undo it after it's been made. It's hard to do but I've definitely found myself able to right the ship easier if I forget the bad shots quickly.
 
I keep reminding myself to look at the big picture. I am not good enough to be upset with bad golf, but I am good enough to play well.

If I am not playing well then why is it? Its usually a lack of practice or just going through the motions and not concentrating. Unless I dedicate time, I take what the golf gods gave me that day, be happy I was physically able to enjoy the game many count, and hope to do better next time. Glass half full.
 
Most of the time bad shots are easy for me to shrug off. The only times I really find that difficult is when I have a string of bad shots/decisions. Generally that happens when something is just not quite right with my set up and then even though I know I shouldn't, I try and figure out and fix it during the round. After the round just depends. I always take the positives and enjoy those as much as I can but if it was a really just a horrendous round that has me all out of kilter I will call a pro on my way home and schedule a lesson for as soon as he is available to get it fixed. I think confidence is a big part of the mental side of golf and it can go down the toilet in a hurry. Getting the feedback I need to fix my issues helps me rebuild that confidence and move on.
 
I try to go with the “no bad shots” rule but can sometimes fall victim too! There’s a great ideal from BJJ that says “you either win or you learn” and I try to take that to golf (and to life!).
 
I keep everything in perspective and know that in the scheme of things, golf is a game that I'm there to enjoy.
 
I am not good enough to let the mental side of the game get to me yet. Bad shots roll off my back and I step right up and try again. Once I am a bit better and can actually tell what I am doing wrong, maybe it will start affecting me.
 
Although it is a very frustrating game I try to keep in my it is just that a game
 
Scarnici;n8883321 said:
Although it is a very frustrating game I try to keep in my it is just that a game
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Here’s my hopeless optimism again - I think it’s challenging but not frustrating
 
I just try to enjoy the round of golf and who I am with. I understand there will be many bad shots and hopefully some good ones too. After the round, I don't dwell much on the game except to look at the data and see where I can improve.
 
At this point, I try not to concern myself with the bad shots - but work on correcting them going forward.

There was a time, years ago, I let bad shots get in my head. Now I just laugh about them and try to do better in a similar situation. I enjoy the good ones and try to retain what went right - in muscle memory, not between my ears.

I’ve found that I do better when I follow the VISION54 think box, play box process. Figure out what I’m going to do, then go hit the ball.

As I address the ball, I go into a sequential process, trying not to think about what I’m going to do and not overthink the situation. I’ve done fairly well with this process on the tee and green - it’s from 125 yds in where the train derails - from lack of confidence in the shot. It’s slowly getting better, but still needs some work.


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I give myself 10 yards to think about a bad shot, then forget it and concentrate on the next.
 
Just taking life as it comes and not dwelling on it beyond that moment is one of my greatest attributes these days. I wish I would have had it more back when I was a pitcher. Wife misinterprets it for apathy on occasion, but I roll with all outcomes pretty well. My focus can wander though. To work, especially. Once I'm aware of it, it only takes a moment to block it out. Awareness is the issue. Usually takes one out of character poor shot for me to think - 'wtf?... ... Oh, I was thinking about work. Come on dummie. You're here to golf. Get to golfing.' and I'm back in it.
 
Nothing better than being able to follow up a huge number on one hole and par or birdie the next hole. I struggled with this for a really long time, but I found that just taking a deep breath and putting the round aside and just focusing on the next shot only. Just sort of slowing it down in my head and not thinking about the round as a hole but only focusing on making good golf shots the rest of the way. When I do that i can usually turn a bad hole into a respectable round.
 
Maric;n8883599 said:
I give myself 10 yards to think about a bad shot, then forget it and concentrate on the next.
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Ooo I like this strategy!
 
There are no bad shots. I get a lot of mishits, and as a result, I get some high scores. But, the concept of bad is something I try to avoid. After a mishit, the object is to recover from it and still try to do my best.
 
There’s a great mental routine from Golf With Aimee - the 3Rs after every shot. Allow yourself a moment to admire or get annoyed, then Review, Remind, and Release. Review the shot - I hit it thin, and my instructor said I usually move my head too soon when I do that. Remind yourself okay on the next shot, I’ll do (whatever instructor said to compensate) and I’ll hit a better shot. Release with a big deep inhale and blow out all the emotion.

Seems to work!
 
olperfesser;n8883670 said:
There are no bad shots. I get a lot of mishits, and as a result, I get some high scores. But, the concept of bad is something I try to avoid. After a mishit, the object is to recover from it and still try to do my best.
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I’m reading “golf is not a game of perfect” by Bob Rotella and this is something that I’m really working on. Every shot will be good, hit to a target, and move on. Easier said than done, but I like your way of looking at it, too.
 
During? If I have momentum or swinging well, it's focusing on continuing my swing keys that have gotten me there. If its been a struggle, I will basically play faster if I can. By that I mean, I will take yardage, grab the club, come from behind the ball, step up and swing away with not thoughts what so ever. typically frees me up enough to at least finish respectably and sometimes turns it into a decent round down the stretch. Afterwards, I basically just forget about everything and try to focus on my family :)
 
Bad shots definitely get in my head. I worry that I'll do it again and play defensively with that club for the next shot or two. If I hit badly again then it's a struggle the rest of the round. The mental golf game is likely where I need the most improvement.
 
DucatiGirl;n8883122 said:
I find staying positive about my round helps my score. Focus helps a lot too. But I notice a lot of people struggle with finding the good during and after a round.

What are your strategies mid round to right the mental ship? What about after a round?
Click to expand...

Like a few have commented on here, I sometimes put too much expectation on the results: expectations that frankly my handicap doesn't warrant. I'm expecting a single digits result off a bogey golf handicap. What I try and consciously do now, before I play a shot, is to understand what sort of shot I'm hitting, and set my expectations accordingly.

If I'm going for a high risk, low percentage, hero shot, because sometimes they're fun, I can't really get upset if it goes wonky - it's all upside.

If I go full stress free, ie just pat an 8i to GW distance, and that 8i shot is horrible, then I can get upset at the poor execution, but even then, I can't change it, so start planning the next shot on the same premise. Continue to play, but cognisant of the results / difficulty tradeoffs inherent on each shot.

I also try and play 6 smaller matches of 3 holes each round, trying to see how many I can play better than +3. Breaking that 18 down into smaller chunks keeps it fresh and focused on a simpler (and closer) target.
 
As of late, I've been performing like a mental midget at times when I hit a bonehead shot, but better than previously. A friend of mine told me to try not to hit two bad shots in a row. That's been the focus lately and I'd say it's working. I also try to remember to have fun playing the game I love and enjoy time with my friends.
 
When playing poorly, my mental game goes to crap and takes the actual game with it.

I try to stay positive, and give myself good feedback, but it is hard for me.
 
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