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How do you replace bad swing thoughts?

jdtox

jdtox

Lord Tox
Albatross 2024 Club
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We've all been there right? Everything is fine at the range, good in fact, but then you get on the course and you hit one bad, then another and then its all you can think about. You stand over the ball longer than normal, you starting thinking oh man I have no idea where this ball is going. How do you clear your head of those thoughts and get your head back in the game?
 
jdtox said:
We've all been there right? Everything is fine at the range, good in fact, but then you get on the course and you hit one bad, then another and then its all you can think about. You stand over the ball longer than normal, you starting thinking oh man I have no idea where this ball is going. How do you clear your head of those thoughts and get your head back in the game?
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Don't rely on "swing thoughts".
My preference is to rely on address fundamentals (grip-posture-alignment). On the course while playing shots the "thoughts" are about the target.
 
I try to think about the good shots and slow down my mind and just swing. If that doesn't work I find the cart girl and add whiskey to the mix..

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Forget the past.

Go through every aspect of my routine.

Visualize the good shot

No swing thoughts - it's all about tempo and feel.

Check tempo going back (usually it's too fast and you can't feel).
 
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Bad shots happen, and you forget just as quick, that is the key. You can't do anything about it so no reason to dwell on it.
 
DG_1234 said:
Don't rely on "swing thoughts".
My preference is to rely on address fundamentals (grip-posture-alignment). On the course while playing shots the "thoughts" are about the target.
Click to expand...

This is excellent advice!!! focus on something that you can do perfectly. You can be a terrible golfer but have the perfect grip or stance. Try to make your swing thoughts about these.....
 
Like a QB that just threw an INT, take the learning aspect from it, forget the rest, and move on.
 
jdtox said:
We've all been there right? Everything is fine at the range, good in fact, but then you get on the course and you hit one bad, then another and then its all you can think about. You stand over the ball longer than normal, you starting thinking oh man I have no idea where this ball is going. How do you clear your head of those thoughts and get your head back in the game?
Click to expand...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It's like you're speaking to me! This is what I do. Very difficult for me to overcome. As of now I have no sure fire reliable way to get my head back in the game!

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jdtox said:
We've all been there right? Everything is fine at the range, good in fact, but then you get on the course and you hit one bad, then another and then its all you can think about. You stand over the ball longer than normal, you starting thinking oh man I have no idea where this ball is going. How do you clear your head of those thoughts and get your head back in the game?
Click to expand...

Hit 900 balls at the range during the week, play your round on the weekend, repeat as needed.
 
Personally? Throw something, hard. Repeat until the anger is done.


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Honestly I have no idea how to get over this other than just grinding through until I hit a couple good shots. It's something that I really need to learn.
 
The only important shot is the next one.

I have been listening to “me and my golf” podcasts they are helpful.


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This sounds like my Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning this weekend! My heart starts to race and I get really embarrassed and it tends to go downhill until I can calm myself down.
 
Stay positive and think that it's better than work.
 
Mike's Hard Lemonade.
 
Its strange that I can be upset and angry and dissapointd and yet when i take the next shot I just dont think anything about what just happened. It dont mean Ill hit a good one. And it dont mean I wont still get upset if its not a good one. But imo you hit ebough balls through the years you just know that whatever just happened doesnt mean a darn thing. You just move on. And yea I might hit another 3 bad ones in a row. Or I might birdie the next hole. Whatever I just did simply doesnt apply to what is about to happen. The only thing the past did was to then leave me whevere it did. But other than that the next shot is now all that matters. Thats the only thing I have any control over. Yea I often suck at this game. Ive even left after 9 ocassionally cause it just was that bad and not fun. But even in that kind of midset (I know its hard to beleive) but I still can hit the next ball like its the first one of the day.

Too many years playing and most the time struggling and I know all too well that last great or last poorest shot/s means zero(0) when taking my next one. I can go par, triple, birdie, triple, par, tiple or any other cpmbo you can think of. Triple, quad and then 3 pars in a row or the oposite. The last shot/s mean absolutely zero(0). I just simply take my routine, setup, and swing for the next shot the way i been taught and with what i know. If that one works, then great, if not, I do it again either way. One shot at a time is all i can play, try to make good choices, hopefully execute them, and let the score fall it where it may.
 
I heartily endorse all the alcohol-related cures, and will add one that is not booze-fueled.

After yelling whatever you like, at whichever volume, approach the next shot thusly:

After getting set up, and addressing the ball, think to yourself "Push." This simply means to push backward with your left hand to start the swing. It's really helped me to clear my 80 bajillion swing thoughts out of my melon over the last few months. Simple and effective. As always, YMMV.
 
I will grab the driver between shots and swing really hard at an imaginary ball.
I then grab the correct club and address the ball. Then the only thought in my head is ... "One...and...two".
(one going back...and is the slight pause at the top....2 is the impact through the ball)
 
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