I'd Be Scratch with a Better Mental Game

[Party]

Generally speaking, and entirely IMO, people overstate the importance of the mental game.

When thinking about my approach this year to golf I was going to try and improve the mental side of the game.  To start the year I had thought I was doing rather well with my new and improved mental approach.  I wasn't letting bad holes or stretches get to me thus allowing me to make up shots.  However, your statement got me thinking and to be honest, better shots have improved my mental side of the game.  I am giving myself a lot more makeable birdie opportunities which has seen a significant increase in the amount of birdies this year.  Between the birdies and mixing in a couple of eagles this year, I have been able to get shots back.  Really it isn't my improved mental approach but rather my ability to hit better shots.  More birdies will improve anyone's mental approach.

[CarlSpackler]

I've read a few books on "the mental game". It can help you remain calm or resist the urge to say to yourself, "I'm having the best round of golf EVER!" which usually comes right before a major blow up. Overall, I think it can help you from playing worse than your ability level, but I don't see it helping you play at a higher level. The swing is the foundation on which everything else is built.

[Party]

I've read a few books on "the mental game". It can help you remain calm or resist the urge to say to yourself, "I'm having the best round of golf EVER!" which usually comes right before a major blow up. Overall, I think it can help you from playing worse than your ability level, but I don't see it helping you play at a higher level. The swing is the foundation on which everything else is built.

I play golf with a guy on the weekends that read a book on the mental approach to putting, I think it was "Putting out of your mind".  He said it really helped him.  He has taken a good amount of money from me due to the better results he gets with the putter.  He was one of the best putters I played with all of last year which included some + handicaps.  This year he is putting well but last year was ridiculous all year.

[CarlSpackler]

I play golf with a guy on the weekends that read a book on the mental approach to putting, I think it was "Putting out of your mind".  He said it really helped him.  He has taken a good amount of money from me due to the better results he gets with the putter.  He was one of the best putters I played with all of last year which included some + handicaps.  This year he is putting well but last year was ridiculous all year.

He must have a decent putting stroke to begin with. If that is the case, then learning how to focus and not let all the other crap pollute your mind can certainly help. I've actually just started reading that book myself. I like Dr. Bob. With the full swing though, improving your mental game might help your scores a little, but not take you to scratch. I've been there. Mental game improvement will not add 30 yards to your tee shots or help you curve a ball around a dog leg. It just won't. Where it could help a lot of high handicappers is to stop beating their clubs on the ground or throwing them in anger when they hit a bad shot.

[Party]

He must have a decent putting stroke to begin with. If that is the case, then learning how to focus and not let all the other crap pollute your mind can certainly help. I've actually just started reading that book myself. I like Dr. Bob. With the full swing though, improving your mental game might help your scores a little, but not take you to scratch. I've been there. Mental game improvement will not add 30 yards to your tee shots or help you curve a ball around a dog leg. It just won't. Where it could help a lot of high handicappers is to stop beating their clubs on the ground or throwing them in anger when they hit a bad shot.

Yes, he has a decent putting stroke.  Agree it will not take you to scratch if you are a ways out.  I do think it can help with a few strokes when you get down into low single digit handicap territory.  He said where it really helped him was standing over the ball with confidence.  He said he believed he was going to make every putt.  I do believe having confidence in your stroke can create better results when contacting the ball.  I can think of so many times where I stood over a ball with no confidence and I made poor contact which is most of the time.

[CarlSpackler]

Yes, he has a decent putting stroke.  Agree it will not take you to scratch if you are a ways out.  I do think it can help with a few strokes when you get down into low single digit handicap territory.  He said where it really helped him was standing over the ball with confidence.  He said he believed he was going to make every putt.  I do believe having confidence in your stroke can create better results when contacting the ball.  I can think of so many times where I stood over a ball with no confidence and I made poor contact which is most of the time.

I hear ya.

Confidence is a good thing as long as it is realistic.

[Slice of Life]

I'd be a scratch golfer with a better mental game. In additional to a better every other part of my game.

[DaliLama]

I firmly believe anyone can get to a sub 5 handicap.  And most people can smoke drives 230-300 on a regular basis (depending on flexibility, age, etc)

The problem is everyone over-complicates things.

Think about it.  You see professional athletes in other sports completely fail at golf.  I'm talking world class athletes with hand-eye coordination and flexibility us plebs can't even dream of.

IMO where 95%+ golfers go wrong is flipping the club through impact as it is such a natural motion.

Slide/turn your hips on the way down and flying wedge it through impact.  That's #1 guys.  from chipping to driving to irons to fareway woods...it's all the same motion

It'll turn your game from "I don't know if I'll shoot 110 or 85" to 75 to 84

[joekelly]

Agree Dali Lama.  Golf very un natural.

[mvmac]

I'll take Payne's swing and a bad attitude everyday of the week 

The mechanics of the swing are MUCH more important than the mental game.

 

Words of wisdom! #mentalgame #paynestewart #performancemindset

A photo posted by Dennis Sales Golf (@dennissalesgolf) on Mar 9, 2016 at 8:07pm PST

[Ernest Jones]

If I had a scratch swing, it would do wonders for my mental game...

[Lihu]

45 minutes ago, Ernest Jones said:

If I had a scratch swing, it would do wonders for my mental game...

Yeah, same here!

[Dave2512]

Honestly I am often surprised I score as well as I do. My days are better than the first post in this thread but filled with lots of WTF. Last time out I played just 7 holes because I am hurt but it was a rollercoaster. I was -1 through 3 holes and didn't hit one decent shot not one. I made a birdie after a skied 4w that left me 206 out on a 364 yd hole. I don't ever think I'd be better only it could be a lot worse.

[mvmac]

7 hours ago, Ernest Jones said:

If I had a scratch swing, it would do wonders for my mental game...

That sums it up perfectly!

[freshmanUTA]

Can I refine the phrase to be "I'd probably be in the single digits with a better mental game". Only because, my scores are usually good for 8 or 9 holes, Nothing higher than bogey, then ill have a hole where i get a double or maybe a triple, then the rest of the round is sort of a "F**k it, i already ruined the card who cares". Prime example is my last round last year was exactly this:

Par,Par,Par,Bogey,Birdie,Par,Double Bogey,Par,Par on the front nine wasn't worried because i was 2 over after 9, then the 10th hole went a little something like this: Driver starts up the left fading then hits the yardage marker and bounces behind a tree, chip out to fairway(no other shot), miss green with approach shot, chip to 10 feet, misjudge speed and end up 3 putting after putting first putt 6 feet past. 7 on a par 4. the rest of the round went exactly this: bogey, bogey, bogey, par, bogey, double bogey, par, par. 11 Over after 18, when if I didn't just say screw it and not worry about chipping close and GIR's, i probably could have ended with a 77 or better. That's just one time though, there were others where I'd have pressure on me to shoot a 78,79, etc. and on the last couple holes I'd hook my drive OB, Water, etc. And end up with a crazy high score. 

[DaveP043]

18 hours ago, freshmanUTA said:

Par,Par,Par,Bogey,Birdie,Par,Double Bogey,Par,Par on the front nine wasn't worried because i was 2 over after 9, then the 10th hole went a little something like this: Driver starts up the left fading then hits the yardage marker and bounces behind a tree, chip out to fairway(no other shot), miss green with approach shot, chip to 10 feet, misjudge speed and end up 3 putting after putting first putt 6 feet past. 7 on a par 4. the rest of the round went exactly this: bogey, bogey, bogey, par, bogey, double bogey, par, par. 11 Over after 18, when if I didn't just say screw it and not worry about chipping close and GIR's, i probably could have ended with a 77 or better. That's just one time though, there were others where I'd have pressure on me to shoot a 78,79, etc. and on the last couple holes I'd hook my drive OB, Water, etc. And end up with a crazy high score. 

Obviously, you need to worry about hitting golf shots, and not about what your final score will be.  "Stay in the moment."  One way to get past this is to play more match play.  If each hole is a separate entity, one bad one doesn't need to ruin the rest.  If you're playing off 12, and you shoot +2 on the front, you're likely to be 2 or 3 holes up at that point.  So you make a 7 on #10, you lose just one hole, big deal,  you're still up on the match.  Learn to put that one behind you, and go win the next hole!.  Once you stop thinking about total score, its easier to take a bad hole in stride.  

Of course, taking a bad shot in stride helps you avoid those blow-up holes.  Heck, I'm looking at your description of your bad hole, wondering if you were still mad about the bad break on your drive when you missed the green with your third shot.  Were you mad about missing the green when you blew your first putt 6 feet past?  You can only ever hit one shot.  You can't fix the last one.  You can't make a birdie putt while you're standing in the fairway with a wedge.  

[iacas]

On March 10, 2016 at 4:35 PM, freshmanUTA said:

Par,Par,Par,Bogey,Birdie,Par,Double Bogey,Par,Par on the front nine wasn't worried because i was 2 over after 9, then the 10th hole went a little something like this: Driver starts up the left fading then hits the yardage marker and bounces behind a tree, chip out to fairway(no other shot), miss green with approach shot, chip to 10 feet, misjudge speed and end up 3 putting after putting first putt 6 feet past. 7 on a par 4. the rest of the round went exactly this: bogey, bogey, bogey, par, bogey, double bogey, par, par. 11 Over after 18, when if I didn't just say screw it and not worry about chipping close and GIR's, i probably could have ended with a 77 or better. That's just one time though, there were others where I'd have pressure on me to shoot a 78,79, etc. and on the last couple holes I'd hook my drive OB, Water, etc. And end up with a crazy high score. 

What if that's just reverting to the mean?

[freshmanUTA]

28 minutes ago, iacas said:

What if that's just reverting to the mean?

You know, I've asked myself that. Am I really this good or am I always going to shoot poorly at the end? I think it's a mix of both, I strike the ball well, not amazing but a majority are center strikes. I can consistently make a certain shot shape, which for me is a fade. I play poorly if I try to draw the ball, either not enough practice or a lack of understanding. It's just when I have a blowup hole then I start saying things like "Let's try a draw here, why not I already butchered last hole what do I have to lose" then I'll block it right, or I'll say "let's try to hit X shot" when I know I haven't practiced them enough. The one that I always try and fail is the 30-40 yard spinning shot that bounced once and stops.

 

So yeah, I'm not crazy skilled but I feel if I stopped playing like an idiot my average scores wouldn't be in the mid to high 80's