Do you think about your swing mechanics while you're playing a round?

[mdl]

Ever hear the expression, "playing 'golf swing' instead of golf"?  IMO, high handicappers really have no choice but to play 'golf swing' instead of golf.  I mean, right?  What's the point of visualizing your tee shot with a gentle draw down the left side when you're actually going to hit a hard slice into the bushes?   Should I take on those bunkers at 250? . .well, I'll have to clear the ladies tee first, lol.

It's not just high handicappers.  As a mid capper I feel pretty much this same way.  If I just go out and swing smooth and natural and visualize the results I want, I'll play 10-20 strokes over my handicap.  No kidding.  My solution is to think about mechanics and what I'm working on and whatnot during my pre-shot routine and practice swings, then try to minimize my thoughts during the swing itself to just one general thought about the thing I most need to emphasize at that moment.

Not that I necessarily recommend this method, it's just what I do.  And this is the major reason why my pre-shot can get overly long, especially when the course is playing at a quick pace.  For this reason I also tend to play worse when I have to speed up my pre-shot to keep pace (which I do, I just tend to play worse).  Finally embarking on the first major swing overhaul in a while, so hopefully I can ingrain some better habits to the point where the natural, fewer thoughts and less mechanics-focused pre-shot routine will lead to better outcomes, not worse.

[mvmac]

I've heard others note that they're game gets away from them the first couple of rounds after lessons (which I can live with since my existing game stinks as is and I'm cool with the the one-step back, two steps forward approach). Long way of saying that I'm just wondering how others approach their rounds while they are going through the process of adjusting their swings.

I would keep it to one simple swing thought. That allows you to play golf and not golf swing when you're out on the course. I worked with a player yesterday who has a short checklist of things he needs to do and told him this

http://thesandtrap.com/t/71817/operation-single-digits-2014/648#post_965224

[Dave2512]

Some of my swing thoughts are also part of my routine. But it's more of a checklist than anything. Not trying to work anything out just not stray from what has produced positive results, pretty much all of it is setup. I see guys doing full on drills before every damn swing. That drives me nuts.