Mental vs physical golf ratio

[Templet0n]

I'm going with 60/40 because I've seen some incredibly physically capable people be an absolute potato with a golf club in their hands.

But I guess we'd have to define what percentages mean, and at what level we're trying to get to.

I was thinking about this. The greatest athlete that has ever lived can be absolute trash at golf. When I think physical. I think the ability to efficiently swing a club in a repeatable manner. You can be very unathletic in the conventional sense but be able to swing a club.

That is what I talk about. I dont think it matters how "golf smart" you are if you cannot repeat a swing in any kind of reasonable fashion.

I think the mental side of golf I highly highly overblown.

 

[PatsFan]

80/20, You can have a great swing but if your head is not right your probably not going to play as well as you hope.
Somedays it's 100 percent mental.

 

[NeverWiff]

I'd say if you have the physical tools to put a decent swing on the ball, 75% of the game is mental... 25% Physical.

I was going to paraphrase Yogi Berra and say 90% of the game is half mental..... but didn't want algebra to get in the way.

 

[seniorcubuff]

I would say it depends on how a person learned and how athletic they naturally are. For someone who learned the "correct" way to swing a golf club, either at an early age or later in life, it seems that the mental/physical ratio would be less than 70/30. For someone like me who has some ingrained swing flaws and occasionally too many thoughts going on, the mental/physical ratio is probably higher than 70/30.

 

[JHolt]

I’ll go with starting out it’s 80% physical and 20% mental. As one gets better the mental aspect becomes more important and when approaching single handicaps and lower it’s more 20% physical and 80% mental.

 

[Canadan]

I was thinking about this. The greatest athlete that has ever lived can be absolute trash at golf. When I think physical. I think the ability to efficiently swing a club in a repeatable manner. You can be very unathletic in the conventional sense but be able to swing a club.

That is what I talk about. I dont think it matters how "golf smart" you are if you cannot repeat a swing in any kind of reasonable fashion.

I think the mental side of golf I highly highly overblown.

It requires clarity on what scenario you’re in though.

If you’re hitting to an island green and things start feeling weird, nothing about the mental part of the game is overblown haha

 

[Daddio]

I'd say I'm at 70M/30P now. The physical component has continued to increase as I've aged. Would've said 85M/15P back when I was 60 but body not what it was now that I'm 70.

 

[Bernoulli]

50 / 50 for me. I have been playing golf for 55 years. I truly appreciate the importance of the mental game.

 

[Templet0n]

It requires clarity on what scenario you’re in though.

If you’re hitting to an island green and things start feeling weird, nothing about the mental part of the game is overblown haha

I dont consider that a mental thing.

 

[Canadan]

I dont consider that a mental thing.

What part of that scenario isn’t 100% mental?

 

[WLG1952]

Im guessing with my physical limitations, its probably 65 mental, and 35 physical. I'm thinking more to play easier.

Not sure how much luck might be involved in both of those.

 

[Templet0n]

What part of that scenario isn’t 100% mental?

It’s a can you hit the shot or not thing to me.

 

[Papa 3-Putts]

I can't believe that two pages deep in this thread and nobody's dropped:

"Golf is 90% mental...the other half is physical."

I think it is about 75% mental/25% physical. Every shot has a multitude of variables you have to think through before taking it and engaging in the physical portion.

 

[JonMA1]

Defining what is mental and what is physical seems like an easy thing to do until somebody says "well the brain controls the body". Which is of course true, but IMO not in the context of this discussion. And there are gray areas (no pun intended) that could be considered either mental or physical.

To me it's...

Mental: emotions, strategy, focus, realistic confidence.

Physical: ability, execution, touch/feel. This is kind of the autopilot of my game - or so I strive for.

Assuming you are able to completely trust your swing without any thoughts - something I try to do as much as possible - I can have all the mental components going well pre-swing - no stress, have all the factors considered, be laser-focused, and have 100% confidence - but if my hand-eye coordination and balance are off, or if I didn't complete my backswing or leave the face open or whatever, I can't blame that on the mental game.

OTOH, if I don't have confidence, or I'm angry about the last shot, or an opponent has gotten into my head, or I rush a shot, it's going to likely prevent me from switching to auto pilot once I start my swing.

At least that's how I look at it.

 

[Canadan]

It’s a can you hit the shot or not thing to me.

and it changes completely when you have nothing in front of you, a pond in front of you, people working in a bunker by the green, etc etc.

All of that is totally mental.

 

[Templet0n]

and it changes completely when you have nothing in front of you, a pond in front of you, people working in a bunker by the green, etc etc.

All of that is totally mental.

I guess to me at the end of the day you can hit the shot or not. So I still think the mental side is way smaller than everyone thinks.

 

[darthweasel]

someone already mentioned it is golfer dependent, with which I wholeheartedly agree.

I am who I am...an aging, out of shape just north of middle age man with declining physical capabilities. For me, it is 99%+ physical, <1% mental...

but...and Mix a Lot will like it because it is a big but...

I often say golfers are the most mentally weak athletes out there. For some...not all, but many, their powers of concentration seem to be infinitesimal.

Having played a wide variety of sports including having someone bodying you down low and sticking one hand in your face and the other trying to block the shot when driving to the basket and trash talking me in basketball...the often dead run full extension trying to hit to a spot I can't see because by rule my competitor is going to jump over the ball at the right time in racquetball...the movement on a really good curve as I try to time my bat...none of those bother me nor the overwhelming majority of people I have played those sports with.

Then you get to golf and heaven forfend the wind should blow a leaf four fairways over or someone be standing 20' behind the person swinging or some slight sound occur when the ball is addressed, there is just no way some golfers can swing under those trying conditions.

Those people it seems to be mostly mental...

 

[rollin]

Physical ability and its not even close.
Mental--knowing whats involved in your golf swing and understanding how to do it in all parts of the game. And of course once playing, knowing how to make correct or better choices.
But physically doing the task of basic ball striking as repeatedly as possible so you can function well enough out there is far and away what its about. Having a good mental understanding of how and what and why helps but its far an away physical ability.

 

[MtlJeff]

90% physical and 10% mental IMO

 

[Buckeyegolfnut]

Physical ability and its not even close.
Mental--knowing whats involved in your golf swing and understanding how to do it in all parts of the game. And of course once playing, knowing how to make correct or better choices.
But physically doing the task of basic ball striking as repeatedly as possible so you can function well enough out there is far and away what its about. Having a good mental understanding of how and what and why helps but its far an away physical ability.

90% physical and 10% mental IMO

Interesting, as are the "mentalists" out there. I actually think that some of this can be chalked up to age. A few years ago my main golf buddy's Son wanted to go play an older course in western Pennsylvania that he had heard about named "Blackhawk"! I had played there before many, many years before so thought it would be interesting to go back and have another look at it.

I remembered that it was "hilly", but maybe I didn't remember exactly enough. I wondered how I ever walked this place in the day. I had to be part mountain goat!

Back in that day the physical part of golf was never even considered. I was young, in shape, and in my 20's. Why should physicality concern me? It didn't, so I concerned myself with the other side of golf.

 

[rollin]

Interesting, as are the "mentalists" out there. I actually think that some of this can be chalked up to age. A few years ago my main golf buddy's Son wanted to go play an older course in western Pennsylvania that he had heard about named "Blackhawk"! I had played there before many, many years before so thought it would be interesting to go back and have another look at it.

I remembered that it was "hilly", but maybe I didn't remember exactly enough. I wondered how I ever walked this place in the day. I had to be part mountain goat!

Back in that day the physical part of golf was never even considered. I was young, in shape, and in my 20's. Why should physicality concern me? It didn't, so I concerned myself with the other side of golf.

I wasnt referring to that kind of physical nor do I think some others are. But much more about the physical task of swinging a club in a manor that can strike balls well enough and do it well repeatedly and consistently enough.
The tiring and age parts , sure thats physical too. But being good or better at the game? I think this physical vs mental question is much more about placing the good swing on the ball (not due to tiring but just the task itself) vs if that issue is one that is more mental. But I here ya about the part of physical you refer to. Thats real too.

 

[rollin]

IMo when your good at this game you have the physical ability to repeat a good swing and so mental may then play a bigger role.
But an inability to place a consistent repeatable good swing on a basic ball strike is a very physical thing. Simply lack the physical ability to repeat a good swing.

 

[rollin]

I can't believe that two pages deep in this thread and nobody's dropped:

"Golf is 90% mental...the other half is physical."

I think it is about 75% mental/25% physical. Every shot has a multitude of variables you have to think through before taking it and engaging in the physical portion.

and every shot needs one to posses the ability to physically take it. Basic ball striking consistency. Forget the special shots, the recovery shots, the flighting, etc....just basic ball striking failing vs successes is the biggest reason your a 9cap and not a 17.
Physical ability to repeat a good basic ball striking swing time after time. And its physical far more than anything for the avid participant.

 

[Papa 3-Putts]

and every shot needs one to posses the ability to physically take it. Basic ball striking consistency. Forget the special shots, the recovery shots, the flighting, etc....just basic ball striking failing vs successes is the biggest reason your a 9cap and not a 17.
Physical ability to repeat a good basic ball striking swing time after time. And its physical far more than anything for the avid participant.

The more I think about it, the more I think you're right.

I went through a really rough patch with ball-striking in the late summer. It got better as we got into fall, but it still wasn't where it usually is.

I stopped posting hcp rounds after Thanksgiving...we can post year-round in TN, but the course conditions tend to be roll of the dice...so I've just been playing. Not thinking about score, not thinking about whatever swing thought was rattling around in my brain all year - just playing. Walking up to the ball, getting my line, setting up, and striking.

I've been playing the best golf of my life over the last 6 weeks...and I think it's because I trusted my physical abilities and stopped overthinking everything.

Or I'm just a wildly inconsistent head case. All of these things could be true at the same time.

 

[rollin]

The more I think about it, the more I think you're right.

I went through a really rough patch with ball-striking in the late summer. It got better as we got into fall, but it still wasn't where it usually is.

I stopped posting hcp rounds after Thanksgiving...we can post year-round in TN, but the course conditions tend to be roll of the dice...so I've just been playing. Not thinking about score, not thinking about whatever swing thought was rattling around in my brain all year - just playing. Walking up to the ball, getting my line, setting up, and striking.

I've been playing the best golf of my life over the last 6 weeks...and I think it's because I trusted my physical abilities and stopped overthinking everything.

Or I'm just a wildly inconsistent head case. All of these things could be true at the same time.

nothing in golf is ever 100%. There is always exceptions and different reasons for things and everyone is different. Thinking too much can be and is for many a big issue. Im never implying menta doesnt exist.
But in general for most people the reason they aren't say a 10 but are a 15 or 18 comes down to the physical inability to repeat a good swing time after time for basic ball striking. Most mid to high cappers are not having mental issues nearly as much as just plain physical inability to place the good swing regularly enough.