Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
Note: This thread is 5031 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hello all,

I have been playing just over 2 months now and have improved quite a bit since my first time out.  Ball striking is somewhat consistent and my over all game is probably about where I should be with as much time as I've been playing...

The #1 problem I feel I have is mentally being unsure of my shots.  I align myself and set up with confidence; ready to hit the ball where it needs to be hit.  However, as soon as I start my backswing I start to doubt myself.  It seems like in a matter of a split second I go from being confident to being worried that I am going to hit a bad shot.  And sure enough when this happens I generally do hit a bad shot.

Any suggestions on this or just comes with time as I play more consistently?

Jeff

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

Time and repetition is really the only cure. If you find something else let me know :)


Posted
I get in my head to just swing like im at the range.. i know the feeling so well that it allows me to swing free and with ease.

What's In My  Stand Bag

 

Driver:  FT-iZ 9*

Hybrids: C3 3,4,5

Irons: C3 6-GW

Wedges: C3 58*/8 and 54*/12

Putter:  blade

Ball: Gamer V2

 

http://cdn.thesandtrap.com/0/0d/150x50px-LL-0d81d772_tst_award_kickstarter_otm.png


Posted

What has worked for me is an absolute singular focus. At address, I take care of all the pre-shot checks, grip alignent, posture etc. Once I am comfortable I look down at the ball. At this point nothing else enters my mind, just watch the club hit the ball. The same with putting. If I make a bad shot, I'll deal with that when/if I find the ball.


Posted

You need to fix your mind on the reality that you WILL hit bad shots.  Even the pros hit a few bad shots every round.  You need to trust your swing, let it fly and accept the results.  Worry and self doubt is only going to cause tension in your swing, which is going to cause you to hit more bad shots.

Whats in my :sunmountain: C-130 cart bag?

Woods: :mizuno: JPX 850 9.5*, :mizuno: JPX 850 15*, :mizuno: JPX-850 19*, :mizuno: JPX Fli-Hi #4, :mizuno: JPX 800 Pro 5-PW, :mizuno: MP T-4 50-06, 54-09 58-10, :cleveland: Smart Square Blade and :bridgestone: B330-S


Posted

Let me recommend some books:

Golf is Not a Game of Perfect

Your 15th Club

The Unstopable Golfer

all three are by Dr. Bob Rotella

I cannot how much these three books have changed my game mentally.  I practice what is in the books are have seen my game improve greatly not only on the skill side but attitude wise as well.

In my bag:

Driver: Covert Performance
Super Hybrid : :nike: 2H - 17* Covert Performance

Irons: :nike:Covert 4I - PW

Wedges: :nike:X3X Wedges (52*, 56*, 60*)

Putter: Method Core 1i

Ball: :nike:One RZN

Upgrading Always.


Posted
Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

You need to fix your mind on the reality that you WILL hit bad shots.  Even the pros hit a few bad shots every round.  You need to trust your swing, let it fly and accept the results.  Worry and self doubt is only going to cause tension in your swing, which is going to cause you to hit more bad shots.

while this is true, I think it is good to try to have one, non-negative thought in your head during the swing.  i.e. head steady or smooth transition at the top.  Sure you will hit bad shots and you are going to have to accept that, but with one positive thought in your head, it should help your mind from wondering into the negative outcome areana.

:mizuno: MP-52 5-PW, :cobra: King Snake 4 i 
:tmade: R11 Driver, 3 W & 5 W, :vokey: 52, 56 & 60 wedges
:seemore: putter


Note: This thread is 5031 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    Carl's Place
    PlayBetter
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • I would think of it in terms of time. The time it takes to get the arm angle into a good position to deliver the club with proper shaft lean. Another component is rotation, but that is also a matter of timing. It relates to how the body stalls to give the golfer time to hit the ball. If you have to get 80+ degrees out of that right elbow in one third of a second versus 50 degrees in the same time then you have to steal time from somewhere. It is usually body rotation. That does not help with shaft lean.  I agree in that amateurs tend to make the swing more complicated than pro golfers. 
    • I haven't been able to practice like I wanted and won't for the next week.  1. The weather sucks in Ohio this year. I have been mostly inside hitting foam balls. Just kind of my basic stuff.  2. I woke up last Saturday with a left side rib muscle on fire. If I turned or leaned a certain way it would spasm that almost buckled my knees. I have been taking a break to let that settle. I don't want to get a long term injury. I think I pinched a nerve or just aggravated a muscles.   3. I am going on a mini-vacation to Florida (screw you Ohio weather) with a friend, and rolling that into a work conference I have next week. I will be with out my clubs for a week.  I will be back next in two Fridays to hit the ground running with some warmer temps and better weather in Ohio, hopefully. I would really like to get more out on the course and the range.     
    • Day 580 - 2026-05-04 Played eight holes. Sometimes golf kicks you in the nuts. 😉 
    • I work with a lot of golfers who want more shaft lean at impact, who currently have AoAs that range from +2° to -2°, and who love to see the handle lower and more "in front of their trail thigh" from face-on at P6. And a lot of these golfers try to solve the issue by working on the downswing. They do something to drag the handle forward. Or they just leave their right thigh farther back so the same handle location "looks" farther forward. Or they move the ball back in their stance. Or they push themselves down into the ground to get the handle lower and increase (decrease?) their AoA (to be more negative). The real fix is often to get wider in the backswing. To do LESS in the backswing. To hinge less, fold the trail arm less, abduct the trail arm less. I had a case of this over the weekend. Before, the player had 110° of trail elbow bend, "lifted" his trail humerus only a few degrees, etc. The club traveled quite a bit around him, and he tended to "pick" the ball from the fairways. In the "after" swings below (which are mild exaggerations — this golfer does not need to end up at < 70° of elbow bend. These were slower backswings with "hit it as hard as you normally would" intent downswings), you can see that he bent his elbow about 70° instead of 110° and lifted his right arm an extra ~15° or more. You can't see how much less this moved his hands across his chest (right arm abduction), but it was also decreased. His hands stayed more "in front of" his right shoulder rather than traveling "beside" them so much. The two swings look like this: The change at P6, without talking about the downswing one little bit (outside of him telling me that he tends to pick the ball), is remarkable: Without 110° of elbow bend to get out (which he gets to 80°, a loss of 30°), the golfer actually loses slightly less elbow bend (70 - 50 = 20), but delivers 30° less elbow bend, lowering the handle and letting the elbow get "in front of" the rib cage… because it never got "behind" or "beside" the rib cage. If you look at this video showing the before/afters of P6, you'll note the handle location (both vertically and horizontally) and the shoulders (the ball is in the same place in these frames). This golfer's path was largely unaffected (still pretty straight into the ball, < 3° path and often < 1.5°), but his AoA jumped to -5° ± 2°. I've always said, and in talking with other instructors they agree and feel similarly, that we spend a lot of time working on the backswing. This is another example of why.
    • We had a member of our senior club who developed a mental block on pulling the trigger. I played with him to see what the membership was talking about. I timed him a few times when he would get over the ball. 45 seconds. He knew he had a mental block and would chide himself, “Just hit it!” Once on the green he was okay and chipping was a bit better. It was painful to watch him struggle. Our “bandaid” was to put him in the last tournament  tee time with two understanding players. We should have suggested to him to take a break from our tournaments. I agree with the idea that when a player realizes they have a problem, the answer is to go fix it and not return until they are able to play at an acceptable pace.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.