Mental Game help

[sigfan2340]

I was thinking of making some index cards to carry in my bag. They would be simple things like. Head down, straight back take-off, stay on plane, left arm straight in backswing, square at impact, release the club, follow thru... ect. That way if I am having a bad round or things aren't going well I can pull the cards out and look thru them. Not a single card for each item but like a list.... Does anyone else do anything thing like this? Any suggestions what to put on the cards?

[iacas]

  sigfan2340 said:

I was thinking of making some index cards to carry in my bag. They would be simple things like. Head down, straight back take-off, stay on plane, left arm straight in backswing, square at impact, release the club, follow thru... ect. That way if I am having a bad round or things aren't going well I can pull the cards out and look thru them. Not a single card for each item but like a list.... Does anyone else do anything thing like this? Any suggestions what to put on the cards?

Wouldn't what you put on the cards depend on what you tend to do? And how do you know what to put on the cards yourself? Shouldn't an instructor give you some idea what to do? Will you just randomly choose one?

[liveeel]

Ive had that same idea for sometime now. I really think it would help. I mean really, unless you have a caddy, who else knows you, like you do.

[sigfan2340]

  iacas said:

Wouldn't what you put on the cards depend on what you tend to do? And how do you know what to put on the cards yourself? Shouldn't an instructor give you some idea what to do? Will you just randomly choose one?

By this response you are saying you can't identify what you are doing wrong yourself and need an instructor with you every round? Have you never created a checklist for things like moving, buying groceries or going on a trip? I have two things I tend to do when golfing bad, I know I am doing them, I know how to fix them. I think it's a good idea to have a swing checklist so when I hit those snags I can pull it out well waiting to hit and reread it. Not everyone golfs perfect everytime they play.

I coach high school bowling and we recommend each bowler write out the steps to making a good shot and put it in their bowling bag. If they are struggling on the lanes, they can pull it out and run down the list, most times they identify what they are doing incorrectly. They write in in their own words, not some highly technical phrasing that coaches tend to do.

[MEfree]

  iacas said:

Wouldn't what you put on the cards depend on what you tend to do? And how do you know what to put on the cards yourself? Shouldn't an instructor give you some idea what to do? Will you just randomly choose one?

Don't you think he would be helped more by becoming a stupid monkey on the course- just picture the shot you want to hit and clear out your head of most of your technical thoughts.

Honestly, if you have to make up index cards to diagnose your swing problems on the course, you really don't know your swing well enough to adjust mid round anyways.  Index cards might be useful for your range sessions and help you to understand your swing better, but I don't think taking them to the course is going to help.

[sigfan2340]

  MEfree said:

Don't you think he would be helped more by becoming a stupid monkey on the course- just picture the shot you want to hit and clear out your head of most of your technical thoughts.

Honestly, if you have to make up index cards to diagnose your swing problems on the course, you really don't know your swing well enough to adjust mid round anyways.  Index cards might be useful for your range sessions and help you to understand your swing better, but I don't think taking them to the course is going to help.

I hope to golf as perfect as everybody on this forum someday!

It's not so much to diagnose an issue but more just to confirm things are there and in line. It's not cards.... it's one card with a few things written on it. The only way they would help is by knowing your own swing.....

[Slice of Life]

  sigfan2340 said:

I hope to golf as perfect as everybody on this forum someday!

It's not so much to diagnose an issue but more just to confirm things are there and in line. It's not cards.... it's one card with a few things written on it. The only way they would help is by knowing your own swing.....

Have you ever seen video of your swing from multiple angles? If not, you don't know your own swing...at all. Trust me.

[sigfan2340]

  Slice of Life said:

Have you ever seen video of your swing from multiple angles? If not, you don't know your own swing...at all. Trust me.

Yep, vids from different angles and over a couple years. Taking the vids has helped more than anything. I have a Flip HD video camera, fits perfect into the pocket on the golf bag. It's much easier though if I drag the wife with to the range to record then trying to prop it up on the bag. Small enough to fall into the bag...... hasn't happened yet... knocking on wood!

[kw purp]

lol I think making index cards is one of the worst things you could do for your mental game. Your not studying for a test, your playing a game. You don't see anyone in basketball pulling index cards out of their shorts during a pick up game. It's read the situation and react.

[Slice of Life]

  kw purp said:

lol I think making index cards is one of the worst things you could do for your mental game. Your not studying for a test, your playing a game. You don't see anyone in basketball pulling index cards out of their shorts during a pick up game. It's read the situation and react.

Agreed. You look at that and then try to hit a quality shot with 7 different swing thoughts at the same time...

[MEfree]

  kw purp said:

lol I think making index cards is one of the worst things you could do for your mental game. Your not studying for a test, your playing a game. You don't see anyone in basketball pulling index cards out of their shorts during a pick up game. It's read the situation and react.

That was my point

  sigfan2340 said:

I hope to golf as perfect as everybody on this forum someday!

It's not so much to diagnose an issue but more just to confirm things are there and in line. It's not cards.... it's one card with a few things written on it. The only way they would help is by knowing your own swing.....

I am not saying that my swing or anyone else's is perfect.  What I am saying is that I think you will score better if you clear your mind and play with what you have when you get on the golf course.  Have you ever heard of the saying paralysis by analysis?  That is what I think index cards may lead to on the course.  Check out this thread http://thesandtrap.com/t/67401/the-virtue-of-being-a-stupid-monkey-and-how-it-can-help-your-golf-game

[sigfan2340]

  MEfree said:

That was my point

Check out this thread http://thesandtrap.com/t/67401/the-virtue-of-being-a-stupid-monkey-and-how-it-can-help-your-golf-game

Best read to date.... guess what I am taking out of my bag tonight.. lol, not really. Why didn't iacas just post that as a response?

As an engineer I do get too mechanical, it's a just me. I break everything down and over complicate things.... Now I want to be a "stupid monkey"..... at least for golf.

[inthecup]

I will disagree,  I have notes on my phone from when I was making swing changes and when I am hitting it well.  I do pull it out when I am out of sorts on the course.  I do not try and run down the entire list but usually find one thing to focus on and it helps get me going in the right direction.  My notes are written from what I work on in lessons verified from video so there is some science to what I am doing.

If you don't know how to self correct how are you going to play at all?

[sigfan2340]

  inthecup said:

I will disagree,  I have notes on my phone from when I was making swing changes and when I am hitting it well.  I do pull it out when I am out of sorts on the course.  I do not try and run down the entire list but usually find one thing to focus on and it helps get me going in the right direction.  My notes are written from what I work on in lessons verified from video so there is some science to what I am doing.

If you don't know how to self correct how are you going to play at all?

Bingo.. that's my point....

Being a "stupid monkey" is good.. but who has a coach with them on the course, every round.

[Pushy]

I am skeptical of the index card idea, but different strokes for different folks.  For me, it would lead to over thinking the swing on the course.  But I will admit that it is frustrating when I realize I haven't been doing what my instructor wants me to do because I've drifted back into bad swing habits while playing a round.

[tefunk]

I don't see anything wrong with having a mental checklist, or some notes... As long as one isn't over thinking. I don't keep index cards on me, but I'm aware of the 2-3 major mistakes I tend to make. When they creep back into my game, I go through my mental checklist a cpl times to get back on track. If index cards help you get back on track... Then use them. But I agree with others to not over think it.

[inthecup]

Hogan kept notes on his range sessions.  I'll be he did not pull them out in the middle of the round but when he god a little off track it is good to be able to reference an earlier time when you were hitting it well.  Writing it down has the added effect of helping to focus you.  Like taking notes in a class you will remember what you have written down more easily.

[GingerGolfer]

"Mental game help" the biggest thing that I have done recently to help salvage bad rounds, is put more of an emphasis on shots, specifically chips. If you miss the green, instead of thinking alright get this one close, really and honestly try hard to hole the shot, you'll start to notice that you may not hole them, but you can walk up and tap it in for bogey, or double bogey whatever it may be...I think what really leads to bad rounds is when someone goes up to a chip hits it to 20 feet then 3 putts, or hits it to 5 feet and 2 putts, if you're having a bad day..try a little bit harder to hole some chips and some putts, and keep telling yourself you're going to hole it.