Swing Thoughts

[PhatJohnny]

I have been reworking my swing with an instructor for a couple years. I think I am doing everything correctly, I practice or play 5-6 days a week. I live very close to a driving range and I have a simulator in my house as well, which helps get in practice time. On one hand, my scores have gone down significantly, I am now an 8 handicap where I was once an 18. My current instructor tells me that I should not have swing thoughts during competition, but if I try to eliminate the swing thoughts, all of the bad swing characteristics come back. Any suggestions?

 

[Jaoffo]

As the TV lawyers would say, "asked and answered".

 

[WLG1952]

The whole idea of playing golf is to walk off the last green with lowest number of over all strokes possible

What ever works to record lower scores is what should be done.

 

[rocullen]

Like you, I practice almost everyday. Mine is into a net tho. So I cant really know the ball flight therefore I go to a range once a week or so to verify.
Seems all practice is fleeting to some extent, but at the moment "visualizing the club path" is my only swing thought. Seems like the more you practice your swing, the easier it is to make minute changes when needed; at least until all the wheels fall off!

All of my practice is to make the next segment of the swing "automatic".

To ensure a proper lower body initiating the down swing, I worked on the back swing...getting to a position with the hips and shoulders so that the start of the downswing is automatic. There's no place else to go. If the downswing starts correctly, the rest of the body reacts properly..most of the time. Setup also enhances the "automaticness".

I still have trouble keeping the arms and hands out of the swing as much as possible. I played for decades using the hands as a timing device so it's hard to undo that tendency. I have converted my swing from an upper body swing/hit to a rotational swing with the club working as a flail or as TGM advocates an "endless belt". If I visualize the club path, for the most part the swing is ALMOST automatic.

Of course, being in the state of flux, sometimes it all comes discombooberated.

Some times the game is pretty easy, others it's a ..........

Then again, I am certainly not a coach. I am searching for the ultimate tip/lesson/feel that will keep my fri..... hands from trying to take over and your post just provided an outlet for my hunt.

 

[Scott F]

I think swing thoughts are important to my game. Having even a simple one like I’m using lately, which is slow down on my backswing, helps me concentrate on the shot and get other distractions out of my head. More than one or two is too many for me.

 

[BigTreble]

So not that i have the skills that anyone should be taking my advice. But I'm not sure i have one at least during my swing. I tend to think more about position prior to the swing, get to that point and i feel relaxed, then i focus on the front quarter of the ball, and something happens and boom.......maybe this is my problem

 

[G-Man]

Think I'm owing down on back swing but a bit too quick on downswing... My swing completely disappeared yesterday.

 

[WLG1952]

I don't usually use swing thoughts when playing for a score. I might think of my one piece take away a few times. Other times I might think silently to myself a couple of words to help with my swing tempo. Not much else.

I just think there's not enough time in the "scoring" swing for swing thoughts.

I usually just get my aim line, step up to the ball, and swing the club head. I like to think my swing is automatically correct. Sometimes it is. Other times, not so much.

I save all my swing thought stuff for practice routines, both driving range, and short game practice routines. Even my putting practice takes more time than when I'm putting for a score.

Now if someone needs to use swing thoughts when playing for a low score, there's nothing wrong with that either. I'm all for it.

 

[-CRW-]

Most tour pros admit to having swing thoughts, and you can see many practicing a certain feel through a partial move/swing rather than a full practice swing. I think the goal is to use that thought for a practice swing or partial swing to refresh the feeling in the mind, but then just trust it and swing when it comes time to hit the ball.

5 PGA Tour players reveal their favorite go-to swing thought

Every golfer, no matter what level they enjoy the game, has that one swing thought that always works for them. We asked PGA tour players for theirs.

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[razaar]

The trick to this question is to have thoughts related to playing golf as opposed to playing golf swing.
Many handicap golfers find this advice extremely difficult to put into play because they have difficulty relinquishing their swing thoughts to their subconscious mind and letting the conscious mind deal with playing thoughts - problem solving and decision making.

 

[rocullen]

I was under the impression you did your planning and decision making to determine the swing and how you were going to hit it.

Then you step up and make the swing as planned.............or not.

 

[OldandStiff]

There's probably some semantic wiggle in this conversation. If you're out there competing, outside of just game/shot/club management thoughts, you're probably better off thinking about feels. Find the feel or hold it in your mind that you want, and make it happen. I feel like that's a little different than swing thoughts, but thoughts and feelings get pretty mixed up.

 

[pattyboy21]

I find it helpful to focus on just one. That varies from day to day, but I have a little 3-syllable sound I repeat in my head for timing, along with a single swing thought (lately it has been to keep my left bicep connected with my chest).

 

[Carolina Golfer]

I thought Harris English's holding of the left arm tight to the body with his right arm in the back swing at The Travelers was pretty cool. It's hard to compare us to the pros. It would be interesting to know if he continues with this thought during the swing or just swings. My problem is having my left arm lift in the backswing. This would be good for me. Now, half the battle is remembering these swing thoughts, lol.

Even Harris had a different swing thought not too long ago.

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[Hamfist]

I find it helpful to focus on just one. That varies from day to day, but I have a little 3-syllable sound I repeat in my head for timing, along with a single swing thought (lately it has been to keep my left bicep connected with my chest).

"Free. Brit. Ney!"?

 

[Hamfist]

Mine is, at the moment, "Swing within yourself." Which is a mental cue/picture of not trying to do anything but swing the club in a controlled, deliberate way.

 

[uitar99]

My swing thought is "to try and stop thinking about the last missed shot"

 

[Carolina Golfer]

My swing thought is "to try and stop thinking about the last missed shot"

Agreed. Also, stop thinking about an amazing birdie or par. I've just totally lost it after a good hole, thinking I have it all figured out. One shot at a time as they say.

 

[InTheRough]

My swing thought is... "weight forward."

 

[Reframmellator]

I find it helpful to focus on just one. That varies from day to day, but I have a little 3-syllable sound I repeat in my head for timing, along with a single swing thought (lately it has been to keep my left bicep connected with my chest).

"Free. Brit. Ney!"?

At one point, Tom Watson (I think) advocated the silent singing of the word "Edelweiss" to manage tempo.

 

[Luchnia]

I think it would be difficult to remove all thoughts about the swing, however I think you can minimize them and focus more on the goal of what you are trying to accomplish. I have gotten to the point now my main focus is where my target area is and that has completely changed my game by redirecting my thoughts more especially with chipping (night and day difference for me). I had once read that good golfers are thinking about the "where" more than the "what" it takes to get it there.

I am sure some need to think more about the swing than the target as we all have differences in our mental aspects of our swing, but for me it is the target which is the goal of the shot anyway. Most of the time I rarely think about any swing mechanics and let my ability control hitting the ball to the target area. So far it seems I am improving in getting more and more shots to a target area (or close).

 

[rocullen]

That's a pretty good summation of my process these days.

I take a practice swing or two with about six swing thoughts(???) highlighting the feel I want. Over the ball I'm thinking one thing; club head path and resultant ball direction.

 

[PatsFan]

Straight left Arm dummy!!

 

[Lane]

I think it would be difficult to remove all thoughts about the swing, however I think you can minimize them and focus more on the goal of what you are trying to accomplish. I have gotten to the point now my main focus is where my target area is and that has completely changed my game by redirecting my thoughts more especially with chipping (night and day difference for me). I had once read that good golfers are thinking about the "where" more than the "what" it takes to get it there.

I am sure some need to think more about the swing than the target as we all have differences in our mental aspects of our swing, but for me it is the target which is the goal of the shot anyway. Most of the time I rarely think about any swing mechanics and let my ability control hitting the ball to the target area. So far it seems I am improving in getting more and more shots to a target area (or close).

That's a pretty good summation of my process these days.

I take a practice swing or two with about six swing thoughts(???) highlighting the feel I want. Over the ball I'm thinking one thing; club head path and resultant ball direction.

That's a pretty good summation of my process these days.

I take a practice swing or two with about six swing thoughts(???) highlighting the feel I want. Over the ball I'm thinking one thing; club head path and resultant ball direction.

That's a pretty good summation of my process these days.

I take a practice swing or two with about six swing thoughts(???) highlighting the feel I want. Over the ball I'm thinking one thing; club head path and resultant ball direction.

That's a pretty good summation of my process these days.

I take a practice swing or two with about six swing thoughts(???) highlighting the feel I want. Over the ball I'm thinking one thing; club head path and resultant ball direction.

Rocullen- it is factual that the human brain can ONLY perform ONE (1) task in the 2/10 seconds of time allotted for the DS - and for any action that requires such a fleeting moment of time. So- in that case it makes no sense to try to remember 2-3-4 , whatever. That just creates anatomical confusuion.

 

[Carolina Golfer]

Does anyone have a swing tip for a driver vs irons? I always thought, it would be hard to do. Now, I think it is worthwile trying.