Pre-shot becoming more target and less golf ball focused

sickyspider

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After all the basic mechanics of the swing are more or less in place the mind can still mess up your ball striking if your focus is wrong. This is what a PGA coach told me today. It makes total sense to me and I can personally vouch for its authenticity. My worst shots/mishits frequently occur when my focus becomes the ball and hitting it - often a nasty habit of coming over the top as well!

For the better ball strikers out there, how do you focus and maintain it right up to pulling the trigger?
 
I won't call myself a "better ball striker", but my game has been more consistent by doing waggles and pre-shot swings by looking at both the ball AND target. I start out grooving the clubhead lag, then the hip action, then a full slow swing, then a full fast swing, in each swing looking at the ball and target.

My bad shots have been less with this routine. For the past four games, I've stayed in the mid nineties, playing in different and unfamiliar courses.
 
Will be following this for sure.


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Maybe I am not the best ball striker but what I know is that the target is where your focus needs to be. To get to the point where my focus gets right I need a routine. What happens in my routine doesn't matter as long a the last place I focus is on the target. I work on my routine everywhere including on the range because I need to get to where I pick a distance, a club, get behind the ball and then pick a target and visualize the ball flying to the target. I can then step up set up and remember my picture before I swing.

The level of focus needed is determined by the individual. Some need focus from the start of the round others can bring their focus up when they get to the ball.

I would do some reading to help yourself. The Unstoppable Golfer by Bob Rotella or Zen Golf by Joseph Parent are a couple of good places to start. For my money having read both books Zen Golf is the easier read and easier to re-read with simple strategies to improve your mental game.
 
Maybe I am not the best ball striker but what I know is that the target is where your focus needs to be. To get to the point where my focus gets right I need a routine. What happens in my routine doesn't matter as long a the last place I focus is on the target. I work on my routine everywhere including on the range because I need to get to where I pick a distance, a club, get behind the ball and then pick a target and visualize the ball flying to the target. I can then step up set up and remember my picture before I swing.

The level of focus needed is determined by the individual. Some need focus from the start of the round others can bring their focus up when they get to the ball.

I would do some reading to help yourself. The Unstoppable Golfer by Bob Rotella or Zen Golf by Joseph Parent are a couple of good places to start. For my money having read both books Zen Golf is the easier read and easier to re-read with simple strategies to improve your mental game.

Thank you this is the kind of stuff I'm searching for! The more I play and learn I realise this is such a mental game. Any doubts or misguided focus over the ball will likely kill your shot as I keep finding out!
 
As Harvey Penick used to say, and also taught, "Take Dead Aim." I make the last thing I look at is the target for that shot. How many time do we see someone look at the lake in front of the green and that is the last thing they look at, and that's where they hit it. For me it's all about a target, not where I want the ball to end up.

Try it, if you don't already. Dogleg right, get on the right side of the tee box and pick a target down the left side of the fairway. Make that target your focus, get over the ball and look at the target and pull the trigger. Water is short, left of the green then look at the right side of the green and make that your target.
 
From Sandra Gal, LPGA Tour Pro:

During the first part of my routine, I gather information about the shot: the distance, the lie, the wind, the pin position. According to my game plan in combination with the way my game is going that day, as well as my feel (which apart from all the numbers is a very important ingredient in choosing the right club), I decide on a certain club and shot type. Once I decide, the most important moment during the pre-shot routine occurs: the moment I commit to my decision. This is the moment, where I transition from thinking to no-thinking. At least no conscious thinking. Unless the outside conditions change, there is no way back and I trust the first part of my routine. The better I manage to do this, the better my result.

The second part of my routine is all about staying in the present. As I mentioned, the goal is to not think, which is however, virtually impossible. So how do we get as close as we can to not thinking and being focused on where we want the ball to go?

It’s actually quite easy – focus on something that keeps you in the present. And this could be bunch of different things.

For example, keeping the image of the flag stick in your mind, or focusing on light grip pressure, or seeing the trajectory of the shot you envisioned or “feeling” the shot you are about to hit. There are many different ways to keep your mind focused, but all of these tools have one thing in common: they keep you focused on what you want and not on want you don’t want. They keep you focused on the task at hand. You can play with it to find the right tool for you and you may also develop different alternatives.

It takes a bit of courage and commitment, but what doesn’t?

So try it one day out on the course and you will see a huge improvement in your shots. Even if it means envisioning a pink elephant instead of a flag stick.

When I've hit my best shots, there has been a state that happens that is very difficult to explain. It's not on what I have to do. Or on what I must not do. I've seen the shot I need to hit in my mind. My thought is "weight forward." Then I blank. I relax my arms, take a breath, let it out, then rip it. No finesse. I'm not a finesse player.
 
I'm a spot hitter. It is impossible to aim at something 150/200 yards away. I stand behind the ball and pick a spot 4 to 5 feet in front of the ball in line with the target, and then only look at that spot during my set up. I also pay close attention to the turf with my practice swings to be sure I'm lined up correctly, just brushing the grass, then I go.
 
If all of your swing mechanics are in place then there is nothing else to focus on other than the target. The target becomes secondary to many because they don't have a repeatable swing. So the mind is constantly raising back to 'for do this or don't do that'. The golfer flinches and a less than expected shot ensues. This is normal and common.

The best pre shot routine can be negated by a daily swing. And that is why most hit it well 50% of the time and really screw up the other 50%. It all comes back to having a repeatable swing so you can go on auto pilot.
 
If all of your swing mechanics are in place then there is nothing else to focus on other than the target. The target becomes secondary to many because they don't have a repeatable swing. So the mind is constantly raising back to 'for do this or don't do that'. The golfer flinches and a less than expected shot ensues. This is normal and common.

The best pre shot routine can be negated by a daily swing. And that is why most hit it well 50% of the time and really screw up the other 50%. It all comes back to having a repeatable swing so you can go on auto pilot.

This so true! I'm currently working on developing a repeatable swing within the limitations of my own biomechanics. That being said, the mind is a powerful force and can ruin a potentially good shot by focusing on the wrong stuff. My better shots often follow when I feel comfortable with my setup/pre shot routine/alignment and just relax and let it go! I wish I could nail that feeling on a totally repeatable basis!
 
If all of your swing mechanics are in place then there is nothing else to focus on other than the target. The target becomes secondary to many because they don't have a repeatable swing. So the mind is constantly raising back to 'for do this or don't do that'. The golfer flinches and a less than expected shot ensues. This is normal and common.

The best pre shot routine can be negated by a daily swing. And that is why most hit it well 50% of the time and really screw up the other 50%. It all comes back to having a repeatable swing so you can go on auto pilot.

pretty much explains how I used to be and where I fall back to periodically. I notice when I don't get to the range at least once a week my swings gets a little wonky
 
My focus is first on any adjustments I need to make for wind, lie, and uphill/downhill and pretty soon, temperature. Second I find what part of the green I'm aiming for and finding a target a foot or two in front on my ball that is on that line(keeping in mind wether I'm hitting a cut, or draw) and then square up to that spot on the ground. From there it's a couple looks back and forth to the target making sure that I've squared the face and my feet/hips/shoulders and I pull the trigger. I don't have room for swing thoughts in this entire process that takes no more than 20 seconds. Swing thoughts are for the range. The exception to this is when I'm having a very bad ball striking day, I will think "start the club slow the first 18 inches of the backswing".
 
I'm a spot hitter. It is impossible to aim at something 150/200 yards away. I stand behind the ball and pick a spot 4 to 5 feet in front of the ball in line with the target, and then only look at that spot during my set up. I also pay close attention to the turf with my practice swings to be sure I'm lined up correctly, just brushing the grass, then I go.

I very much do this as well. But my last step before pulling the trigger is to take a couple glances at the final target. I set up to my intermediate target, and then swing to my final target. I think this is a good blend of the two most important targets.
 
Great stuff here, on the other extreme I played 9 yesterday with a 20 something guy and his dad. He took and I stop watched it 45- 60 seconds over each shot and the driver was even worst. line up, fix the glove, waggle the hips, shoulders, arms, fix the golf again, repeat the process then hover the club 4 inches over the ball and let it go. He was long with his driver, but most shots where all over the place. 2 hrs, 45 min. for 9 holes.

It was very tough to stay in my game, which is look it over, try to see and commit to the shot and go.
 
I was trying this season to be all target focused however most of my shots were pushes or weak fades. I couldn't figure out why my range swing was different than my course swing. I tried target focus but wasn't having great success. I recently read "the practice manual" by Adam Young and the book pretty much nailed everything I was going through. It came down to my focus and practice. You might want to read it, it takes you through all the steps to where you want to be.


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I was trying this season to be all target focused however most of my shots were pushes or weak fades. I couldn't figure out why my range swing was different than my course swing. I tried target focus but wasn't having great success. I recently read "the practice manual" by Adam Young and the book pretty much nailed everything I was going through. It came down to my focus and practice. You might want to read it, it takes you through all the steps to where you want to be.


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I ordered this book the other day and it should be with me tomorrow and really looking forward to reading it!
 
I'm a spot hitter. It is impossible to aim at something 150/200 yards away. I stand behind the ball and pick a spot 4 to 5 feet in front of the ball in line with the target, and then only look at that spot during my set up. I also pay close attention to the turf with my practice swings to be sure I'm lined up correctly, just brushing the grass, then I go.
I'm the same way. I struggle with taking dead aim because I'm left eye dominant and hit right handed. I get behind my ball, pick my target, then I pick a blade of grass or shadow or something on the line of my target about 5-6' ahead of ball.

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