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Can you turn off the conscious mind?

tequila4kapp said:
A point I was trying to make is that we are never forced to think about swing on the course during a round. We can always choose to think about how we're going to advance the ball to a preferred spot and scoring (and maybe scoring is not how to make birdie, but how to not make worse than bogey), even during blow up rounds.
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I'll agree with one thinking about what the next play needs to be. There has to be a plan imo. And when the shots don't go as expected, then a new plan must be designed. And while we don't have to think much about our swing, I still say that once the swing goes bye bye and starts producing bad results hacking up the course we will be forced to start thinking about it eventually.
 
T2GRN18 said:
Actually the point I'm trying achieve is the opposite. Forcing myself (if you will) to not think swing. Hence turning off the conscious mind.
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I really don't think it's possible. On a 0 to 100 % scale maybe you can reduce the focus 10-15% but not entirely because the task at hand is what you're trying to eliminate, hit the ball! The moment you don't hit the ball exactly where or how you want the first thought is what did I do wrong in my swing which brings the swing back into focus! IMHO!
 
RNG said:
I really don't think it's possible. On a 0 to 100 % scale maybe you can reduce the focus 10-15% but not entirely because the task at hand is what you're trying to eliminate, hit the ball! The moment you don't hit the ball exactly where or how you want the first thought is what did I do wrong in my swing which brings the swing back into focus! IMHO!
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I am going to disagree. There are times when it is going good. That I don't think anything. It is simply pick a target and let it fly. Good or bad the previous shot is forgotten as soon as it happens and it is onto the next to shot. During these rounds I don't even know my score until the card is added after the round.
 
I can honestly say coaching these kids and playing counselor on the course with them has made it possible for me to turn it off in my game. It's been kinda crazy, and freeing.
 
rollin said:
But the point we are talking about is being forced to think about the swing when on the course during a round. When things go bad you will start to think what, how, why, etc.. about your swing. That's just the way it is. The range is irrelevant.
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When things go bad the goal is the same, lowest score. For Kevin if he starts to think then he is not playing golf. He is now managing his swing instead of the game. If the goal is ball meet hole, then he will figure out the best way to so. His frustration is that he knows and I know he is leaving shots on the course thinking about the swing.
 
RNG said:
I really don't think it's possible. On a 0 to 100 % scale maybe you can reduce the focus 10-15% but not entirely because the task at hand is what you're trying to eliminate, hit the ball! The moment you don't hit the ball exactly where or how you want the first thought is what did I do wrong in my swing which brings the swing back into focus! IMHO!
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If this is how you play then I can understand your point. But letting go of that shot and just gearing up to hit the next one is the quickest way to lower numbers. Sure they may be a time to think about your setup and path but that has to be quick and on to the next shot.
 
Referring specifically to the constant chatter going on in a person's head no matter what they're doing, I think it's very difficult to completely turn it off. Personally, I think the key is learning to differentiate between that chatter what what it is you're focusing on. I try my damnedest to focus on scoring, which has been very difficult for me lately since I've been battling the shanks. There's a good book called The Untethered Soul that talks about that chatter, and it's well worth the read!
 
rollin said:
that's great, its beautiful, but when your non thinking swing goes bye bye and continues to offer bad result after bad result you can fool yourself all you want but you will eventually still have to start thinking what's going on with the swing. Its unavoidable unless you want to continue to hack , chop, flop, and mop your way around the course. One can start off with a clear mind, continue to play with one even if the swings are poor, but your going to have to think if it keeps going the same way. This is not the crime everyone is making it out to be. It just is what it is. So many people will say they play their best when not thinking but its really a false logic because its actually the good play itself that is allowing the no thinking.
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Dude? Let me say this. I never said its a effing crime! I'm not sure anyone eluded to it being a crime. My goal is to play golf with entirely different mental strategy. Focus on score an not on the mechanics of swinging the club.
 
Interesting reading, this thread. I'm not sure I can go along with "turning off the conscious mind", but it may be just a matter of semantics. It's impossible for the mind not to be focused on something, but, if it's swing mechanics, it's no bueno. I've played the game for a lot of years, and my worst rounds have been when I was thinking about my swing. I have shot my best rounds when I'm able to focus on little else but the target. It's not always easy to do, especially if I'm having a bad day. Hitting a couple of wretched shots can start one to wonder wtf is going on. The challenge for me is keeping the "proper" focus for 18 holes and not letting my mind wander to other things. One thing I've found in my case is that if I start to think about the swing, it only gets worse. I try to save that for the range.
 
T2GRN18 said:
Dude? Let me say this. I never said its a effing crime! I'm not sure anyone eluded to it being a crime. My goal is to play golf with entirely different mental strategy. Focus on score an not on the mechanics of swinging the club.
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Woooow, slow down there. Whats with the dude and the foul language with exclamation? You got the wrong guy for that kind of talk unless its for fun and jokes :)
Debate within discussion is good. When did the discussion or any debate here become disrespectful to warrant this talk? :(
Focus on what you want. I not and never am trying to tell you what to do. I just feel that no matter what one focuses on that he/she will eventually start thinking about his/her next swing if they continue to keep failing at them poorly enough for too many times. We will think about how to make the next shot to continue playing the hole. I don't even think we are too far apart in the gist of the discussion to be honest. But cheeeze. when did we become uncivil in this thread?
 
rollin said:
Woooow, slow down there. Whats with the dude and the foul language with exclamation? You got the wrong guy for that kind of talk unless its for fun and jokes. Debate within discussion is good. When did the discussion or any debate here become disrespectful to warrant this talk? Focus on what you want. I not and never am trying to tell you what to do. I just feel that no matter what one focuses on that he/she will eventually start thinking about his/her next swing if they continue to keep failing at them poorly enough for too many times. We will think about how to make the next shot to continue playing the hole. I don't even think we are too far apart in the gist of the discussion to be honest. But cheeeze. when did we become uncivil in this thread?
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Ok great thanks for that.
 
T2GRN18 said:
Ok great thanks for that.
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And now we are insultingly sarcastic? and not in a friendly way. I'm not appreciating it. I am not confrontational on a personal level. I been through a lot of "outside the box" thinking on these forum pages which has caused a lot of debates but I'm not disrespectful to anyone and always (99%) maintain a civil discussion and debate. But I am not an idiot and I wont be mocked without standing for myself. If this was not your intent then my apologies but that last statement (even after I reached out to ask where this was heading) sure sounds more like a "yea whatever" type of mockery than it does anything to make a respectful peace.
 
So the whole process of turning off the sort of conscious mind is maybe something I approach a little differently, because to me that sort of being in the flow of things where you're not thinking about technique or getting wrapped around the axle with thoughts is way more likely to happen for me in a sort of reactionary sport, like boxing/martial arts, or soccer. I really believe there is that sort of state where you're able to anticipate with awareness rather than technique. A good example is a boxer who can just develop a sense of when his opponent is going to feint or actually throw, and being able to slip those punches. That's not him thinking about how to slip jabs. He's just doing it. A great soccer player just has a sense of where his body is in relation to the ball and the other players. He doesn't think, "I have to really snap my foot closed through impact to impart spin that will bring this ball from right to left for a cross...annnnnnndddddd, go!" he just does it.

Golf is a little different to me because it's not reactionary. That ball will just sit there forever until I hit it. The best I can hope for is the occasions where I can say, "OK, I'm feeling the wind, this is the shot I want to hit, I have the target fixed in my mind, and I'm thinking about where I want to ball to land and how I want it to get there," and I just swing, and the ball gets in the way of that swing. I'm a million miles away from thinking about bowing my wrist or keeping my left heel flat (or not) or redirecting the club this way or that on the downswing. I am void of all thoughts about path or face and just picturing in my mind's eye the shot I want to hit. I don't get there very often. I'm happy if I can put together two shots in a row like that...but those two shots are usually good ones.
 
Clear the last shot out of your mind. After you've lined up everything, you've addressed the ball. You have your final swing thought which may be something simple like "weight forward". Take a breath. Visualize the shot - the flight of the ball, where it is going to land - let your breath out and start your back swing.
 
rollin said:
And now we are insultingly sarcastic? and not in a friendly way. I'm not appreciating it. I am not confrontational on a personal level. I been through a lot of "outside the box" thinking on these forum pages which has caused a lot of debates but I'm not disrespectful to anyone and always (99%) maintain a civil discussion and debate. But I am not an idiot and I wont be mocked without standing for myself. If this was not your intent then my apologies but that last statement (even after I reached out to ask where this was heading) sure sounds more like a "yea whatever" type of mockery than it does anything to make a respectful peace.
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Nah, I'm just not going to engage with someone that is just trying to argue or debate. I come her for the fun of the game, and the fun of hanging out with like minded people. I'm not here for debates, or to bludgeon people with my ideals, nor do I want to be subjected to it. I've looked over most of your posts in this thread and to me they are antagonistic, and baiting. There is a debate section on THP for that.

Once again I will say. As the OP, my goal is the turn off the conscious mind and focus on score.
 
I guess the biggest part of scoring is knowing you have the swing to make it happen. A swing that can go on auto pilot. Once you've reached this point it just a matter of focusing on something else other than your swing. The end game is score so that is one thing. How do you get this done? By hitting the shot at hand. Wide open fairway, swing away. Dogleg right, play a fade, need to keep it low from a group of trees, back in he stance punch. These are shots not swings. The swing is on auto pilot. The shots are needed and can be produce because you've reached that point.

It will be a mixed bag until it becomes second nature. But trust me if you think about the shot and end game on the course, the swing will take care of you. Now if you don't practice then this will never happen. You get out of the swing what you put in.
 
InTheRough said:
Clear the last shot out of your mind. After you've lined up everything, you've addressed the ball. You have your final swing thought which may be something simple like "weight forward". Take a breath. Visualize the shot - the flight of the ball, where it is going to land - let your breath out and start your back swing.
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Great advice, I wish I was good at doing it! Oh well, more things to work on!
 
Yesterday was the 1st day in a long time I was relaxed (most customers off for the Holiday) and played late for us (11:45 tee off) and the Course was full of Senior out of state Golfers so it was going to be slow. From the 1st swing it just felt different, I was not thinking of my grip or my stance or trying to drive it farther or making a full turn, just get up there pick a target and go. Best start and round in weeks, even putting which is normally my biggest source of stress was automatic. I was seeing lines and speed was just there for some reason.

We got rained out on 13 but I think it would have been a mid 70's round the way it was going and it was FUN, I hope tomorrow I can have the same attitude and non stress process. Playing the same Course and it will be slow again I'm sure, but having the confidence that the ball striking is working and Putts will roll should make for another FUN round.

But back to the OP's thread, it was not a dedicated effort to turn off anything but a release from other burdens that seemed to help. Could be it is the same thing and maybe it was just the "Zone" I hear about but rarely experience. Great thread and the point and idea that sometimes less is more certainly makes sense.
 
When my swing isn't coming natural, my mind goes into overdrive. I wish I could just turn it off, but sometimes it's impossible.

When I get in that funk, only 3 things are capable of digging me out. Good company, good music &/or good booze.
 
I played a lot of match play last season. I learned in that format how nothing matters except your score on a single hole: Hit a drive that had a different flight characteristic and didn't go quite as far as usual? Whatever, gotta play my best next shot from where it lies. ... My body or swing feels off? Whatever, gotta figure out a way to play with whatever I've got that day. ... My opponent striped one down the middle further than I can hit it? Whatever, I've got to play my ball the best way I can. ... I'm in the trees? Whatever, gotta figure out a way to get it in the hole from there. In every instance, whatever happened with my swing to produce the result is completely irrelevant to my next shot. Then at some point it dawned on me - why don't I play that way all the time? The scorecard doesn't care about any of the details; the goal of the game is to score, not hit perfectly beautiful shots. That realization was really freeing. I may not always do it as well as I'd like, but this is my version of staying in the moment and having a clear conscious mind.
 
My swing is my swing, and it’s a beautiful thing.
It takes care of me when I trust, even when I have a little rust.
All is fine when I'm focused on the target, but, sometimes I forget.
Then, sadly, I begin to think, and hit it in the drink.
 
tequila4kapp said:
I played a lot of match play last season. I learned in that format how nothing matters except your score on a single hole: Hit a drive that had a different flight characteristic and didn't go quite as far as usual? Whatever, gotta play my best next shot from where it lies. ... My body or swing feels off? Whatever, gotta figure out a way to play with whatever I've got that day. ... My opponent striped one down the middle further than I can hit it? Whatever, I've got to play my ball the best way I can. ... I'm in the trees? Whatever, gotta figure out a way to get it in the hole from there. In every instance, whatever happened with my swing to produce the result is completely irrelevant to my next shot. Then at some point it dawned on me - why don't I play that way all the time? The scorecard doesn't care about any of the details; the goal of the game is to score, not hit perfectly beautiful shots. That realization was really freeing. I may not always do it as well as I'd like, but this is my version of staying in the moment and having a clear conscious mind.
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I completely agree with this Frank.
I used to play a stupid version of golf where I was constantly trying to fix my flaws from tee to tee - hence the user name ArmyGolf. If I hooked on the first hole, I would block it right on the 2nd, and then hook the 3rd. I couldn't stop thinking about the grip, the takeaway, the transition - and I sucked.

The best way to snap out of a funk for me is to literally just whack the ball and go find it. I'll inevitably find my rhythm at some point doing that.
 
So I've been a musician for 35 years with 26 years playing the guitar as my main instrument... and I know that I make the best music when my conscious mind is "off" and the music is just flowing.

I'm on my able to do that because I've put in the hard work necessary to have the skills and/or the songs nailed down to the point where I don't have to think; I can just execute.

Only been playing golf seriously for about 5 years now... and while I'm starting to see glimpses of that same ability to turn off my mind and just execute, I'm not there yet - because I haven't put in the work like I have with my guitar.

Lots of parallels between the two... for me, anyway.


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I played golf today with this in mind and what I concluded was that I could turn off my mind off , in relation to my swing, once the swing started but not before. I tried the visualize the shot but to be honest my typical flaws were in my mind up to the point of my take away. I can't seem to do better than that at this point, maybe with practice! I'll have to keep working on it as I do see the merit of being able to do it!
 
I tried to work on this today and felt like with my irons and wedges it was working well. Some swing thoughts crept in on the few driver swings I had and made some bad swings.
 
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