Help me with confidence!

[madmikegolf]

I see that you have had loads of great suggestions but if I could add one more! It is a book called "golf is not a game of perfect" by a guy called Dr Bob Rotella. It has really helped me with the mental side of the game. Good luck

[The Recreational Golfer]

Confidence comes from knowing what you're doing so well that all you do is perform. It goes way beyond trust. When you get up out of a chair and walk to another room, you don't give one thought to the mechanics of walking, nor do you trust that you can do it right. You just walk.

Only when you have practiced your new swing so much that it's that natural to you, will you perform with confidence again. No short cuts.

[golfro]

Confidence? Practice. Practice. Practice. When you feel like you've practiced enough practice some more.

Golf is no different than any other sport. Its a lot of muscle memory which requires a lot of practice...

I agree with The Recreational Golfer...i don't believe in this whole "confident mindset" routine. I gain my confidence because I've practiced so much that i know exactly what I'm capable of doing. I know when I hit this 8 iron, it will go 160 yards, etc. Confidence comes from practice and having that movement be natural to you. Repeat a single shot enough and you know exactly how to do it.

[clg82]

Confidence comes from knowing what you're doing so well that all you do is perform. It goes way beyond trust. When you get up out of a chair and walk to another room, you don't give one thought to the mechanics of walking, nor do you trust that you can do it right. You just walk.

Probably one of the most intelligent things i've ever read on a forum! Just practice practice practice i guess! Does muscle memory have a lot to do with getting up their and just know that you are using the correct swing path etc?

[golfro]

Probably one of the most intelligent things i've ever read on a forum! Just practice practice practice i guess! Does muscle memory have a lot to do with getting up their and just know that you are using the correct swing path etc?

Take for example...your 8 iron. This is my bread and butter iron, typically my warm up iron.

I hit 50 shots with your 8 iron consistently to 160-165 yards at the range...day after day...then when i'm at the course, i know exactly what that 8 iron swing should feel like and i know exactly how that ball will react. Its all practice to get that movement engrained in your brain and muscles. (btw i'm not suggesting that you just practice your 8 iron day after day...its just an example) The mistakes a lot of mid-high cappers make is that they rarely goto the range...they only go when they feel they need a fix in their swing. But what good is fixing their swing if they don't practice enough to get their muscles naturally used to it to repeat it time after time? Spend some time at the range...its not fun for anyone but it will improve your ball striking and confidence.

[clg82]

Take for example...your 8 iron. This is my bread and butter iron, typically my warm up iron.

I'm one in a few than I guess because I try and get to the range at least three times a week.....I start out exactly like you with my 8 iron, and then I do what I would do on the course, driver, hybrid, long iron, chip etc......but I am a little suprised by the yardage on your 8 iron......I could never dream of hitting my 8 iron 160+ on the range or on the course for that matter! Will more yardage come with me having more confidence in my swing and then just letting it rip?

[golfro]

I'm one in a few than I guess because I try and get to the range at least three times a week.....I start out exactly like you with my 8 iron, and then I do what I would do on the course, driver, hybrid, long iron, chip etc......but I am a little suprised by the yardage on your 8 iron......I could never dream of hitting my 8 iron 160+ on the range or on the course for that matter! Will more yardage come with me having more confidence in my swing and then just letting it rip?

Yeah my practice routine typically goes...warm up with 8, hit roughly 10-15 balls varying irons, roughly 30 wedge shots, then driver, then fairway woods. I practice roughly 3 times a week for 1.5-2 hours each time. I'm lucky since my girlfriend golfs as well, she doesn't hold me back. :)

As for distance, i would say confidence has to do with it but for the most part, its great ball striking that produces distance. My driver swing speed is fairly fast but I would actually say my short iron shots aren't that fast. I just make sure to descend on the ball and get good contact with my hands infront of the club.