Swing Thoughts

A lot of pro's (if you watch "Lessons from a Pro" on TGC) are talking about "key thoughts". I adopted this approach. Preshot routine happens first of course, including 2 practice swings (more if doesn't feel right). Once ready to fire I go through my "key" list (which might change as the day progesses, depending on what's my swing issue that day). Usually I start with (assuming driver tee shot):
1. start low to the ground
2. turn around my spine w/o angle change
3. keep the head "behind" the ball on the follow-through

( Most of the time my next swing thought is : Oh boy, I think I nailed that house, FOOOOORE!!!!!! )

When I'm putting I say 'one thousand and one' to get my putting tempo no matter how long or short the putt is. I hardly ever 3 putt.

I have to echo this in a big way. Just over the past year or so, I've learned that this is a big part of what can break down during the course of a swing. A lot of my focus has come back to simply turning around the spine and not letting it come up during the backswing or down during the downswing. Part of my pre-shot routine is a long waggle similar to what Mike Weir has. The sole purpose of it is to remind myself to turn around the spine during the first few moments of the takeaway. If I do this, usually I make a good swing. Failure to do this is usually the cause of hitting shots fat or thin. "Keep your head down" should be revised to "Don't move your spine angle".

what a surprising statement from somebody who picked the nickname "gripitandripit" !

It is so easy to get caught in the "peralysis of analysis" and have your mind filled with too many thoughts. I find if I just tell myself "relax and hit the thing" I usually do a lot better.