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How much of putting is Mental?

post #1 of 29
12/15/12 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 

"In one study led by social psychologist Lysann Damisch, half of the subjects were given a regular golf ball and the other half of them were given a "lucky" golf ball. The people with the "lucky" ball made 35 percent more putts than those with the regular ball. (The same researcher has found that people perform better on cognitive tests when they hold lucky charms.)"

 

How many of you would like to make 35% more putts? Guess what, it can all be in your head :p 

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post #2 of 29
12/15/12 at 6:24pm

How much of putting is Mental? Precisely 68.7% The rest is all in your head...

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post #3 of 29
12/15/12 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 

Umm, i'll let you reread that statement and see if you see a problem with it b2_tongue.gif, unless you actually meant to be funny in some way

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post #4 of 29
12/15/12 at 7:29pm

I would say he was being funny. Golf is 100% in your head. Where do you think those electrical impulses that control your muscles come from? Personally this reads like junk science that is designed to get the author mention in the new york times.

Quote:
Originally Posted by saevel25 View Post

Umm, i'll let you reread that statement and see if you see a problem with it b2_tongue.gif, unless you actually meant to be funny in some way

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post #5 of 29
12/15/12 at 7:34pm
Thread Starter 

Well since some reactions are subconcious, which is not to our knowing, in respect survival instincts, then those are in part not mental if you consider mental to be under your control. If considered mental the total of the brain, then yes, its 100%. 

 

Ok, just being a bit technical and arguemenative :p 

 

Well its just the whole placibo effect. Basically those who have sea sickness will actually be not sick of they take a pill that they don't know is just sugar.

 

That is were i am getting at, that if you think your going to miss it, you will miss it. Those who think about chunking it, duffing it, hitting it OB, not wanting to hit the ball into the bunker, will usually end up there. 

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post #6 of 29
12/15/12 at 7:52pm

tough crowd lol

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post #7 of 29
12/16/12 at 12:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ernest Jones View Post

tough crowd lol

Don't waste ya best material mate. Keep the good stuff for the "oscarsa1_smile.gif"

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post #8 of 29
12/16/12 at 2:16pm
For me if I want to put well, I just need to think positive. Your mind needs to be in the right frame of mind. So I know if I can see the ball rolling into the hole in my mind, I know I've got a better chance to hole the putt.
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post #9 of 29
12/16/12 at 8:53pm

I play often with a guy that has the ugliest putting stroke you could find anywhere.  It is 180 degrees from being a "text book" stroke.  That being said, he is one of the best putters from a scoring stand point I know.  Everyone tells him how ugly it is and he doesn't care.  He kills all of them with fewer strokes.  And he spends about two seconds reading putts.  100% mental with him!

 

Please remember:  67% of all statistics are made up on the spot!!

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post #10 of 29
12/16/12 at 9:45pm

Id say putting it about 90% mental.  Setup, alignment and aiming are pretty simple; trusting your instincts isnt always so easy.

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post #11 of 29
12/16/12 at 9:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by saevel25 View Post

"In one study led by social psychologist Lysann Damisch, half of the subjects were given a regular golf ball and the other half of them were given a "lucky" golf ball. The people with the "lucky" ball made 35 percent more putts than those with the regular ball. (The same researcher has found that people perform better on cognitive tests when they hold lucky charms.)"

 

How many of you would like to make 35% more putts? Guess what, it can all be in your head :p 

 

 

Half the time putting is 100% mental... Lucky balls and charms....no such thing so it would not work for me however lucky elbow......nevermind. That was a bar gag.

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post #12 of 29
12/17/12 at 2:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valleygolfer View Post

 

 

Half the time putting is 100% mental...

So its really 50% mental?

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post #13 of 29
12/17/12 at 11:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by Valleygolfer View Post

 

 

Half the time putting is 100% mental...

So its really 50% mental?


Please don't ask me to explain anything....  I think it was supposed to read "putting is 90% mental and the other half is physical"...

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post #14 of 29
12/17/12 at 11:43am

This is the method they used to impart the notion of luck into the participants:

 

“Here is your ball. So far it has turned out to be a lucky ball”

 

Ummm, were the participants stoned, 5 yrs old, or 'special'?

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post #15 of 29
12/17/12 at 11:47am
Thread Starter 

I don't know, how about you tell that to baseball players who go through superstitious routines, thanks for being open minded

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post #16 of 29
12/17/12 at 11:53am

Relax...I'm just speaking to their test methodology perhaps not being the most rigorous. That's all, thanks.

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post #17 of 29
12/17/12 at 12:33pm

90% mental, the other half is physical..........

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post #18 of 29
12/17/12 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dak4n6 View Post

Relax...I'm just speaking to their test methodology perhaps not being the most rigorous. That's all, thanks.

 

Why is that an indication that their test is not "rigorous"?

 

I think it's pretty interesting that by saying only that little thing people made more putts. I've seen plenty of studies lately that say the same thing. People made more putts with a putter they believed was a Tour player's putter, too.

 

It doesn't take much.

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