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Focus while swinging

fistfullofbeer

fistfullofbeer

Akshay ("Ak" + "Shay")
Joined
Apr 10, 2017
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Location
Whidbey Island, WA
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20's
I am curious about what most of you guys are thinking of or focusing on while swinging.

One of my biggest weaknesses is that I am thinking of too many things which generally lead me to:

- Rushing my swing
- Hitting way behind the ball
- Lifting my head

I also seem to lose focus on what I am trying to do and there are times I have hit a bad/terrible shot and realized that I had absolutely no single point of focus. For my next shot, I step back, stare at back of the ball, start my swing and make good contact (as long as I maintain that focus on hitting the back of the ball).

So what do you guys generally think of while swinging? Any tips for me maintaining focus through the round?
 
It depends on the day for me. But, I try to maintain only 1 swing thought. But, that swing thought be different on a day-to-day basis. For the most part, though, I try to just think about the ball going towards my intended target. But.....

Sometimes, it's "keep your head still"
Sometimes, it's "slow take away"
Sometimes, it's "hesitate at the top"
Sometimes, it's "initiate lower body"
 
I try to focus on maintaining my tempo and just swing. I find that if I think too much my play suffers.
 
Good topic. The more I try and remember all of the swing thoughts the worse I play. When I just breathe, stop thinking and swing I enjoy the game much more and actually play better. It is a tough thing to do even though it sounds so simple.
 
I try to not think about anything when I'm over the ball. I get it all put in my pre shot routine. My main thought is make a good turn because when I do then everything else falls into place.
 
Tempo and keeping my weight forward (I tend to lean back on bad shots)
 
most the time its only about tempo. But it may all depend just how well or poorly the swings have been going.

There will always be a percentage in every single one of these threads who will come on and tell us how well they play when they don't think. And while I do understand how over thinking can be a detriment I will also challenge the logic and say "its the poor play which promotes thinking".
Imo on most occasions we play well is not because we didn't think but its the fact that we are playing well which is not requiring us to think. Most the people who claim they polay best when they don't think are in reality only thinking less because they have no reason to do so. Start misfiring enough and eventually even that person is going to start thinking unless they don't want to repair the situation.
 
Cannot recommend TOUR TEMPO enough. There is an app where they play the rthym you should be swinging too and once you have that in your head it's a great swing thought to block out everything else. "Swing .. Set ... THROUGH."

The app is pricey but you can buy the book on Amazon USED for $1.99 and in the back is a CD with all the tracks. It works great!
 
I have many setup thoughts, but very few swing thoughts.

Smooth tempo and complete the back swing is what I try to stick with.
 
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BuckeyeMark said:
Cannot recommend TOUR TEMPO enough. There is an app where they play the rthym you should be swinging too and once you have that in your head it's a great swing thought to block out everything else. "Swing .. Set ... THROUGH."

The app is pricey but you can buy the book on Amazon USED for $1.99 and in the back is a CD with all the tracks. It works great!
Click to expand...

Based on the feedback for the importance of tempo I did go ahead and ordered a used book with the CD. What does the APP give you that the Book + CD will not? If its more or better, I could get both.
 
I've been working on not having any mechanical swing thoughts when addressing the ball. I'm trying to pick a target, get into my stance, adjust my aim to the target, and just keep that image in my head. I do have an internal swing "count", though.
 
I try to limit it to target and tempo. The other day for no apparent reason I started to feel/think about my release, that was a mess.
 
My go to this year has been focusing on my tempo of my takeaway and follow through. I remember watching a video of either Ben Hogan or Sam Snead (can't remember which at the moment) and they related the golf swing to a waltz tempo: 1-2-3 -> 4-5-6. Obviously the 1,2,3 is takeaway and 4,5,6 is downswing and follow through. I've started doing this with every club in the bag (putter included) and it's really helped me improve my ball striking and tempo. I take my setup, and I think '1-2-3 -> 4-5-6' a couple of times, exhale, and take a deep breath on my backswing. It's not perfect, but I've definitely seen some marked improvement!
 
I used to shoot in the high 90's because I thought things like lifting my head or being quick made a difference in my game. Truth is, they don't. You can lift your head, turn it side to side, be super quick from the top, stand on your right side and be over the top and break 80 consistently. The only thing that matters is making solid contact in whatever fashion your body gets it done.

With that said, if you find yourself thinking about hitting a ball that's just sitting there than you're too swing focused and not enough golf focused. To help you get over being swing focused just play entire rounds with 50% chip shots with every clubs. No thought, just aim, take a half swing towards your target, hit it again til it's in the hole. At my local course we have a lot of golfers who play this way, they finish the rounds lightning quick and they all shoot in the 80's.

Or if that doesn't sound like your cup of tee, think about breathing, that should help. Remember, it's just a ball, grab the club and hit it =)
 
for me its whatever swing thought seems to be working that day. Ill find a rhythmn in the warm up session and try to stick with it. Lately its been focusing on relaxing my arms and grip with my irons, try to lag a bit more, keep my head down and look at the ball through impact and rotate to point my belly at the target
 
imo the focus is not about hitting the ball but is about making a good swing. The ball is simply in the way of the swing. Its not so easy to do but its what I try to ingrain.
 
Do you have an established swing routine (sorry if this has been asked already)? That helps me focus on my task and once I start and complete it, I hit the ball without any other thoughts.
 
When I'm playing well, there aren't any thoughts once I've gone through my pre-shot routine. Lately though, my contact had really suffered, so I've focused a little on tempo, and length of my backswing (having shortened it for consistency). Once I've done this enough times, they will become second nature, and I can go back to just executing.
 
If I am thinking I am usually in trouble. The only thing I think about is the line I want to start my ball on.
 
Focus while swinging

My process: target, align club, target, set up, target (mentally burning image of target), smooth takeaway, set the club to over shoulder with club face vertical, swing club to over opposite shoulder using upper arms only again with club face vertical. Not thinking of ball at all. When I do this good things happen. When I think of the ball bad things happen.


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Patrick_O said:
My process: target, align club, target, set up, target (mentally burning image of target), smooth takeaway, set the club to over shoulder with club toe straight up, swing club to over opposite shoulder using upper arms only again with toe of club oriented up. Not thinking of ball at all. When I do this good things happen. When I think of the ball bad things happen.


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Click to expand...
I agree with that. IMo its the swing and not the ball since we are to swing through it and not at it.
 
ntanygd760 said:
If I am thinking I am usually in trouble. The only thing I think about is the line I want to start my ball on.
Click to expand...

I feel a lot of this simply depends just where one is at ability, development, and consistency wise. In order not to think of much one needs to have a trusting repeatable swing. Until that time comes there is normally imo going to be things one needs to give thought to especially if results are consistently very inconsistent.

What ive learned via instructor is that an inconsistent swing will work "sometimes" and while its working for (lets say) that round we may think there is nothing to consider. But just because its working that round doesn't mean its the correct swing and we then find that out soon as it no longer works again. Just because an incorrect swing is working repeatedly at the time doesn't mean its correct and all it is, is still an inconsistent swing that happens to be working at the time but will fail again. As he put it (and as many mid/high cappers will say to themselves) you wonder how in the world you can hit these good shots and then yet cant hit anything even good at all a minute or a round later.

Imo until a good sound swing is ingrained we will think about our swing and we will have to or we will just repeat nothing but an inconsistent one. I think the whole process is very tricky. A line between overthinking and thinking just enough. One imo is not good while the other imo is necessary. Someone fortunate enough to make fairly consistent strikes shot after shot doesn't have much to think about, but one who fails far too often has to think about their swing, what they may have learned, and try to apply it. Imo its a process towards getting better and can be a long one for many players. This imo doesn't mean we should overthink, but we do have to think some.
 
Body and arms start together. Need to feel connected.
 
rollin said:
I agree with that. IMo its the swing and not the ball since we are to swing through it and not at it.
Click to expand...

I made an edit to my original post and referenced it to the club face rather than the toe for clarity. For me the only swing thought I have beyond the target is to imagine my thumbs are pointing up to the sky when I set the club in the backswing and at the end of follow through. This helps me keep a slightly cupped wrist and tremendously improves my consistency.


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I try to get all the jumbled thoughts out of the way with a couple practice swings.... "Head still, slow takeaway,wrist position on top of back swing, initiate weight shift, etc" I'll take 2-3 3/4 practice swings, then step right up and just think of the target....
 
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