Rusty’s goal to not play golf swing

I’m 47. Started golfing seriously at 40. Early on I tried to teach myself how to swing. Bought a lot of DVDs. My basement storage room looks like a place where training aids go to die. A few years ago I started taking lessons. A journey that had teachers that just weren’t as committed to helping me improve as I would have liked. Recently I spent a couple of off seasons at Golftec. I enjoyed it but when my instructor left I decided not to go back. In those 2 years I have acquired a great understanding of what I need to do to improve my swing. I even put in a GC2 sim late last summer to help improve.

I realize now that I’ll never have what I consider the perfect swing. I still sway a bit in the backswing, my left arm folds a bit, my hips aren’t open enough at impact, my hands are not forward enough at impact, my miss is to leave the face open and sometimes my weight shift is non existent. If I don’t focus I’ll have slight OTT move. I get it. I’ll continue to work at it hard to try and improve that stuff. It’s part of me. I’m not sure if it’s my personality or what but I seem to be driven to nail this stuff down. I like order and procedures. Probably why I became an airline pilot. Fits me perfectly.

Here’s where this years focus has changed. Or I need it to change. I’ve always played golf swing on the course. I think my drive for the perfect swing has carried over to my game. Last year I said I wasn’t going to play golf swing but I ended up with the same patterns. Hit a shot, evaluate what went wrong or right and think about the swing to correct it.

Well I think it took away from the enjoyment of the game for me. There were many moments of frustration and inner anger. My playing partners could always tell. Probably took away from there enjoyment also. I really don’t want to play that anymore.

I have lots of time to read and I’m currently reading (and rereading) all the Rotella books. I’m on my 4th. He emphasizes solid pre shot routines and acceptance. Golf is a game and it is a game that must be played. It is about not being perfect. Have no expectations. Have fun.

I’ve read many of his books in the past and never really applied what he’s written. This year I’m committed to this. I spend a lot of money on this game. I have a great job and a great family. This is supposed to be fun.

I took this mentality into my first round yesterday. Focused on a solid pre shot routine and zero expectations. Take the good with the bad. I did my new pre shot routine on every shot. I accepted the bad shots. Oh well. I really enjoyed the good ones. I kept myself to one swing thought throughout. Was my swing good? Not really but I still shot a good score. Did I care about my swing. Nope. The difference was that I had an amazing and fun time. Even my wife and regular playing partner couldn’t believe how easy going and fun I was. My wife doesn’t believe that it will last but I really want it to. My buddy texted me last night to say that was the funnest round of golf he’s had.

I started this thread to keep me on track. To keep myself from getting too serious about the game. I only get in around 25-30 rounds a year. Enjoy it. Accept it. Feel free to follow along this season or add your comments if you’re like me.

Here’s a to a great and fun season of golf.

Sounds like you have solid plan in place. You can only play the shot at hand and have to forget about the last shot played, nothing you can do about it to change the outcome.
Enjoy the game and have fun.

Get it, Dave! I'll be sure to follow along!

Molten said:

Get it, Dave! I'll be sure to follow along!

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I remember the round you and I played together at staffproto. I had zero expectations despite being nervous about playing with Vrska. Not caring and enjoying the moment of the event made that one of the most memorable rounds I’ve ever had. It was a great time. Need to get back to that mentality.

Rusty Dave said:

I remember the round you and I played together at staffproto. I had zero expectations despite being nervous about playing with Vrska. Not caring and enjoying the moment of the event made that one of the most memorable rounds I’ve ever had. It was a great time. Need to get back to that mentality.

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Heck yes! I remember that round very differently from how poorly I played but getting to play with Vrska was so nerve wracking back then. Little did I know I had great people in the pairing that wouldn’t care if I shot 120.

Get back to having fun, RC RD. I’m way on board

Snickerdog said:

Sounds like you have solid plan in place. You can only play the shot at hand and have to forget about the last shot played, nothing you can do about it to change the outcome.
Enjoy the game and have fun.

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I thought that I could pick up the game like everything else I’ve done in life. I worked hard to get where I am in my career. I worked damn hard to improve my swing but only recently accepted that it will never be perfect.

The funny thing is I’m usually the joker and the super easy going one despite my kids, wife and fatigue occasionally trying to rob me of that. Not sure why I was different on the course. Expectations I guess. I was becoming Walt from Gran Torino.

Good for you, Dave. Pre-shot routine, pick a target, address, look at the target, look down, start swing. Big bottle of vodka optional.

Shaman said:

Good for you, Dave. Pre-shot routine, pick a target, address, look at the target, look down, start swing. Big bottle of vodka optional.

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Now you’re talking!

Rusty Dave said:

I thought that I could pick up the game like everything else I’ve done in life. I worked hard to get where I am in my career. I worked damn hard to improve my swing but only recently accepted that it will never be perfect.

The funny thing is I’m usually the joker and the super easy going one despite my kids, wife and fatigue occasionally trying to rob me of that. Not sure why I was different on the course. Expectations I guess. I was becoming Walt from Gran Torino.

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I think that you will find golf will be much more fun this year and that will improve the scores also.

Good for you man! Accept your swing, and have fun out there.

I love being on the course with a nice free feeling swing. Feeling loose, feeling stress free, and not worrying about the swing will hopefully lead to good things!

Fun Golf = Good Golf.

I was doing something like this indoors this winter and it was a lot more fun - and effective. Didn't articulate it as well as you did, but I'm looking forward to taking that mindset outdoors.

Reframmellator said:

I was doing something like this indoors this winter and it was a lot more fun - and effective. Didn't articulate it as well as you did, but I'm looking forward to taking that mindset outdoors.

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Honestly I think it’s like any part of my game. It needs work and practice. Hopefully we can both maintain it.

I just love how ppl write about their mental game. I'm in. Been working a lot on being positive and swinging tension free. Not there yet, but working on it. The ball is not my enemy, I don't need to slay and skin it.

Great write up of my golf game last year worrying too much about how it all looks.

Hope that you just get out there and enjoy it


For me having one swing thought that works for me (keep over the ball) has really helped me enjoy my golf more this year

Good for you RD! I am going into this year with the same attitude. I took lessons all last summer and it had me ready to quit golf because I thought I needed the perfect golf swing. The lessons did help me but I was taking it to the extreme and just like you, I was playing golf swing on the course.

The few rounds that I have got in this spring have been much more enjoyable and I am hitting the ball better than ever. Hopefully I can carry this attitude through the summer and find my love for the game again.

Nice post Rusty. I took golf and myself way too seriously in 2018 which was my first year back after a 10+ year break. To my surprise within 2-3 rounds I was shooting mid eighties which is as good or better than I did when I was playing lots of golf. I thought if I was playing this good now I will play and practice nearly every day and I will be breaking 80 by the end of the year regularly. That did not happen, I shot mid eighties or higher all year and that is where I score presently.

After some soul searching I realized that the constant struggle to improve makes golf the opposite of fun. I would go for some torture sessions at the driving range trying to combat the hook and gain consistency and would be ready to quit on the way home. Sometime in the last half of 2018 I just let it all fall off my shoulders, I do no want to stop playing but I do not want to be miserable either. I have been to the range a handful of times since but that was to review something for THP or to go with my son who needs range time.

These days I try to play once a week but the weather has been poor for golf this year. When I go play I accept the bad shots as inevitable and enjoy the good ones. I cherish the time with my son and enjoy being outdoors and not at work. I have confidence knowing that my good shots and good rounds are from my hard work and that I will hit many perfect shots in a given round, I can follow up that perfect shot with a stinker oh well. I am done with golf related stress, as a business owner I have enough real stuff to worry about.

I really like this Dave.

I love this mindset Dave. It’s human nature to want to succeed at whatever we challenge ourselves with, but we have to have expectations with the results based on our skill level.

A long time ago I quit obsessing over the “perfect swing” and embraced playing. Instead of challenging myself to be “perfect” I challenged myself to have fun with whatever swing I brought to the course that day. We are not practicing 8hours a day, 7 days a week.

Play golf, have fun, enjoy your company & go do it again.

Good luck this season and hopefully it will be the one you enjoy the most so far.

mikeg_74 said:

I love this mindset Dave. It’s human nature to want to succeed at whatever we challenge ourselves with, but we have to have expectations with the results based on our skill level.

A long time ago I quit obsessing over the “perfect swing” and embraced playing. Instead of challenging myself to be “perfect” I challenged myself to have fun with whatever swing I brought to the course that day. We are not practicing 8hours a day, 7 days a week.

Play golf, have fun, enjoy your company & go do it again.

Good luck this season and hopefully it will be the one you enjoy the most so far.

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Thanks Mike. This is essentially my goal moving forward. I know it’s like anything else in golf and I’ll have to work at it to improve.

badolds said:

After some soul searching I realized that the constant struggle to improve makes golf the opposite of fun. I would go for some torture sessions at the driving range trying to combat the hook and gain consistency and would be ready to quit on the way home. Sometime in the last half of 2018 I just let it all fall off my shoulders, I do no want to stop playing but I do not want to be miserable either.

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This is the perfect summary of what I’ve been going through. Unfortunately many times I would carry this over to the course expecting all my swing changes to perform on a subconscious level and when they didn’t I would consciously think about them during my swing. It really took away from the experience of playing.

Having fun is great, but nothing makes this game fun quite like playing well.

It sounds like you have a ton of book thoughts in your swing, and not enough instruction, a good instructor can take away all the bad thoughts and complexities and make your swing easy and effective.

Get a good teacher and you can do both- have fun and play well.

Here’s what I have written in my notes in my iPhone. My goal is to read this prior to each round. These are from Bob Rotella’s books so full credit given to him. Great series on the mental game. It’s an evolving list.

Golf mental notes:

-Golf is a game full of mistakes and misfortune. If you truly love golf, you accept this. The essence of golf is reacting well to its inevitable mistakes and misfortunes.
-Instead of remaining focused on target, think of only sending the ball to the target.
-Accept whatever happens after a shot and move on.

Goals:
-I will trust myself and my swing on every shot. I don't have absolute control of where the ball goes. I do have absolute control of whether I trust myself.
-I will execute my pre-shot routine on every shot.
-I will stay in the present moment. I won't speculate in the middle of a round what my score will be. I'll stop worrying about breaking 90. I will refrain from critiquing or analyzing the shots I've taken. I will focus on each shot as it comes and that will be the only shot I care about. When it's over, I'll see how I did.
-I will refuse to allow anything that happens on the golf course to other or upset me. I will accept bad breaks and mistakes and be tough in adversity. I am going to be in a good mood and a great state of mind for the entire round today. I'll enjoy playing.
-I will trust my instincts and be decisive and committed.
-I will get looser, freer and more confident as the round goes on, resist the urge to get tighter, more careful and doubtful.
-I will love my wedge and my putter today.
- I will let the ball go to the target in every shot.
-I will see where I want the ball to go before every shot.
-I will maintain a constant, ideal level of intensity on every shot.
-I will play to play great golf.
-I will be my best friend.

MrDC said:

Having fun is great, but nothing makes this game fun quite like playing well.

It sounds like you have a ton of book thoughts in your swing, and not enough instruction, a good instructor can take away all the bad thoughts and complexities and make your swing easy and effective.

Get a good teacher and you can do both- have fun and play well.

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My last guy was good. Just wanted me to focus on one thing. Problem was I’d get in my own way.

Rusty Dave said:

Here’s what I have written in my notes in my iPhone. My goal is to read this prior to each round. These are from Bob Rotella’s books so full credit given to him. Great series on the mental game. It’s an evolving list.

Golf mental notes:

-Golf is a game full of mistakes and misfortune. If you truly love golf, you accept this. The essence of golf is reacting well to its inevitable mistakes and misfortunes.
-Instead of remaining focused on target, think of only sending the ball to the target.
-Accept whatever happens after a shot and move on.

Goals:
-I will trust myself and my swing on every shot. I don't have absolute control of where the ball goes. I do have absolute control of whether I trust myself.
-I will execute my pre-shot routine on every shot.
-I will stay in the present moment. I won't speculate in the middle of a round what my score will be. I'll stop worrying about breaking 90. I will refrain from critiquing or analyzing the shots I've taken. I will focus on each shot as it comes and that will be the only shot I care about. When it's over, I'll see how I did.
-I will refuse to allow anything that happens on the golf course to other or upset me. I will accept bad breaks and mistakes and be tough in adversity. I am going to be in a good mood and a great state of mind for the entire round today. I'll enjoy playing.
-I will trust my instincts and be decisive and committed.
-I will get looser, freer and more confident as the round goes on, resist the urge to get tighter, more careful and doubtful.
-I will love my wedge and my putter today.
- I will let the ball go to the target in every shot.
-I will see where I want the ball to go before every shot.
-I will maintain a constant, ideal level of intensity on every shot.
-I will play to play great golf.
-I will be my best friend.

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I love it. I'd be tempted to make a voice memo and listen to it on the way to the course.

Rusty Dave said:

Here’s what I have written in my notes in my iPhone. My goal is to read this prior to each round. These are from Bob Rotella’s books so full credit given to him. Great series on the mental game. It’s an evolving list.

Golf mental notes:

-Golf is a game full of mistakes and misfortune. If you truly love golf, you accept this. The essence of golf is reacting well to its inevitable mistakes and misfortunes.
-Instead of remaining focused on target, think of only sending the ball to the target.
-Accept whatever happens after a shot and move on.

Goals:
-I will make up a nice stiff Bloody Mary while in the parking lot to make my day much more enjoyable no matter what I shoot.
-I will trust myself and my swing on every shot. I don't have absolute control of where the ball goes. I do have absolute control of whether I trust myself.
-I will execute my pre-shot routine on every shot.
-I will stay in the present moment. I won't speculate in the middle of a round what my score will be. I'll stop worrying about breaking 90. I will refrain from critiquing or analyzing the shots I've taken. I will focus on each shot as it comes and that will be the only shot I care about. When it's over, I'll see how I did.
-I will refuse to allow anything that happens on the golf course to other or upset me. I will accept bad breaks and mistakes and be tough in adversity. I am going to be in a good mood and a great state of mind for the entire round today. I'll enjoy playing.
-I will trust my instincts and be decisive and committed.
-I will get looser, freer and more confident as the round goes on, resist the urge to get tighter, more careful and doubtful.
-I will love my wedge and my putter today.
- I will let the ball go to the target in every shot.
-I will see where I want the ball to go before every shot.
-I will maintain a constant, ideal level of intensity on every shot.
-I will play to play great golf.
-I will be my best friend.

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Fixed that right up for ya.

Sounds like a solid plan! I try to just have fun every round. I’m not good enough to get upset with something that I’m paying to do.

I will admit that it burns me a little when I ruin a good round with a bad blowup hole. It doesn’t bother me if I start out crappy and stay that way.