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Any tips to help me tell my brain to shut the h**l up during my swing?

Hamfist

Hamfist

I promise not to murder Canadan.
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I'm being plagued by swing thoughts at set up. Anyone know a good way to slap a gag on my stupid brain and it's motormouth?
 
Sounds like you're used to hearing yourself during the swing. Try this, hum just loud enough to hear yourself and during the swing you want the hum to stay the same volume and tone. You don't want the hum to increase in volume or tone during the swing. If it does you're swinging too hard. Swing smoother (think Fred couples) and keep the volume and tone the same during the swing.
 
Hamfist said:
I'm being plagued by swing thoughts at set up. Anyone know a good way to slap a gag on my stupid brain and it's motormouth?
Click to expand...
Right before I swing I normally think about something completely unrelated to golf, like what I'm going to eat tonight, or when my next hockey game is, or what I'm doing later.... and then swing. Forces my brain to stop thinking and just do what I'm supposed to do
 
Hamfist said:
I'm being plagued by swing thoughts at set up. Anyone know a good way to slap a gag on my stupid brain and it's motormouth?
Click to expand...
Practice. The more you swing, the more accustomed you will become and the less thoughts you'll have. Ask your instructor about how he would approach this. Of all the thoughts you should have, what should be the one or two main things you should focus on.

For me nowadays, it's alignment ... and I'm going through my mental checklist during my pre-shot routine. Once I'm at address though, I'm focusing on the back of the ball and doing my best to not stand there looking like an idiot. The longer you're over the ball, the more things that can go wrong in my opinion. You can take your shot in a timely manner without speeding up your swing ... know what I'm saying?
 
Mach2 said:
Sounds like you're used to hearing yourself during the swing. Try this, hum just loud enough to hear yourself and during the swing you want the hum to stay the same volume and tone. You don't want the hum to increase in volume or tone during the swing. If it does you're swinging too hard. Swing smoother (think Fred couples) and keep the volume and tone the same during the swing.
Click to expand...
Hmmm...interesting. (See what I did there?)
 
dwchockey13 said:
Right before I swing I normally think about something completely unrelated to golf, like what I'm going to eat tonight, or when my next hockey game is, or what I'm doing later.... and then swing. Forces my brain to stop thinking and just do what I'm supposed to do
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OK, doughnuts it is!
 
deuce said:
Practice. The more you swing, the more accustomed you will become and the less thoughts you'll have. Ask your instructor about how he would approach this. Of all the thoughts you should have, what should be the one or two main things you should focus on.
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Deuce, this is what I strive for. My usual thoughts are "Sweep the penny." & "Still head." Both from my instructor. However, I have a real hard time blocking out the rest of the clamoring mob.
 
Hamfist said:
Deuce, this is what I strive for. My usual thoughts are "Sweep the penny." & "Still head." Both from my instructor. However, I have a real hard time blocking out the rest of the clamoring mob.
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Let it go ... :tongue:
 
Mach2 said:
Sounds like you're used to hearing yourself during the swing. Try this, hum just loud enough to hear yourself and during the swing you want the hum to stay the same volume and tone. You don't want the hum to increase in volume or tone during the swing. If it does you're swinging too hard. Swing smoother (think Fred couples) and keep the volume and tone the same during the swing.
Click to expand...

Funny that you mention Freddie Couples, when I need to relax on a shot I say his name.
 
That has been my challenge as well. So what I have done is develop a pre-shot routine where I focus on target and visualizing the ball flight. Then, during a round I keep track of how many holes I can perform my routine before each strike. If I focus on score, shot result, or swing mechanics during my swing I don't get to circle that score.

Another thing I do is at the range I use a portion of my session to practice the above routine, plus I think not on how to mechanically swing (internal focus) but rather making the club head hit the ball to my intended target (external focus).
 
When you get to the point your swing is more of a natural thing, after a lot of practice, the overthinking will go away and you can concentrate on just one or two things, hang in there.
 
Pre shot routine is huge. Put ur focus on that and not on the shot. Ur body will be able to perform. It's not different then a free throw in basketball. Going off what someone else said, hum or sing a part of a song as you are standing over the ball. Not sure but it has something to do with parts of the brain.


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Next time you are golfing with someone have a conversation about non golf why you are addressing the ball, look down and swing then carry on the conversation.

Oddly enough my problem is totally opposite. I take way too many shots with out being committed to them.
 
deuce said:
Practice. The more you swing, the more accustomed you will become and the less thoughts you'll have. Ask your instructor about how he would approach this. Of all the thoughts you should have, what should be the one or two main things you should focus on.

For me nowadays, it's alignment ... and I'm going through my mental checklist during my pre-shot routine. Once I'm at address though, I'm focusing on the back of the ball and doing my best to not stand there looking like an idiot. The longer you're over the ball, the more things that can go wrong in my opinion. You can take your shot in a timely manner without speeding up your swing ... know what I'm saying?
Click to expand...

I quoted Deuce because this, IMO, can be a big part of it. How long is your setup?

For me, I do all my planning before I address the ball. I'm probably too fast but I basically step up and swing. That way, I don't give me brain a seat at the table on my swing
.
 
chew gum while you play. Weird but it can work.

have a trigger to start your swing. sometimes that can help take your mind off thinking of starting your swing and make it automatic.
 
Hamfist said:
I'm being plagued by swing thoughts at set up. Anyone know a good way to slap a gag on my stupid brain and it's motormouth?
Click to expand...

stop thinking too much ... One swing thought at a time. No matter what. Works for me!
 
I hear ya ... (pun intended)

Starting up after a winter break, I have hit a handful of shanks with partial wedge shots. I have a good idea of how to fix those, but the terror of the dreaded S word puts crazy swing thoughts in the brain. That is anything but helpful. The one thing I find helps is to speed things up. Pick club and visualize shot behind ball and then step up and quickly hit, no delays. It feels almost like the walk up to the ball is part of the shot; that fast. I tell myself, hit don't think. Sort of helps.
 
Sing a song or find a calming phrase to recite


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I changed my pre-shot routine, especially on tee shots, to a much quicker one and it has helped me a lot. I stand behind the ball, visualize my landing spot, grip, and walk up and align. I used to do practice swings before tee shots and it would get me thinking about all the mechanics I need to do and by the time I set up my head was full of all the things I needed to do.
 
Deep breath. Push the thoughts away as you breath out.
 
Be the ball!
 
JMN57 said:
I quoted Deuce because this, IMO, can be a big part of it. How long is your setup?

For me, I do all my planning before I address the ball. I'm probably too fast but I basically step up and swing. That way, I don't give me brain a seat at the table on my swing
.
Click to expand...
Set up time is maybe 5-10 seconds, on average.
 
Treat your mind like an annoying roommate: ignore it. Youre never going to completely stop the inner dialogue but you can learn to ignore it. If you had an annoying roommate who felt the need to comment on anything and everything and never seemed to shut up, you would eventually conclude that they were an idiot and would stop listening to them. The part of your mind that talks to you in the back of your head is no different.
 
Hamfist said:
I'm being plagued by swing thoughts at set up. Anyone know a good way to slap a gag on my stupid brain and it's motormouth?
Click to expand...

If you MUST have an active mind, just shorten the thoughts. Meaning, give yourself 3 swing thoughts or less....less the better.

Step up to the ball and remind yourself 1)______2)______3)_______then interrupt yourself with the swing.
 
breath in and out, and concentrate on feeling your breath hit the back of your throat. Its a simple thing, but if you concentrate on that, you will find its impossible to think of anything else and focus will be easier.

And make a deep full breath part of your pre-shot routine,when you are back behind the ball and getting the mental image of your ball flight and swing to get it there. It serves as a way to reduce tension in your body. You see basketball players do this before they take a free throw shot.

Works for me
 
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