What should we think while playing?

[MRugroden]

Maybe if you think about your game, any part of it, you're lost, so think of nothing.  Try to remember what it feels like when you hit that one perfect shot with that club.  You have to have good basics so assuming those are in order line up your shot, choose your intermediate target about 1' in front of the ball, visualize your ball flight (fade, draw, straight) and set up for that shot.  Address the ball and if you're going to hit a draw align the face of the club just to the left of your intermediate target, look up and see your ball flight and then feel the release as you swing to the right of the intermediate target.  Feel that perfect shot you hit on the range and pull the trigger with that smooth effortless swing that gives you effortless power.  Don't think, feel.  

As soon as I hit a bad shot during a round and try to figure out what went wrong I'll be 6 over or more by the end of 9 holes.  I play well usually by myself when I have no distractions.

[Psyber]

I think every shot I am going to hit is about to be the most awesome shot I've ever hit.

[Patch]

After my set up, and the start of my backswing,  I dont think about my swing. 

In between my swing finish, and a point where I get close enough to my ball to start my preshot routine, I could be thinking about anything but golf. 

[DrvFrShow]

I usually like to look at the view, the flowers, the green grass, listen to the birds. I saw an eagle the last time I played. 

Oh but you mean when we're playing. I find I usually hit my best shots if I clear my mind and just visualize the trajectory of the ball. Then pull the trigger. I play my worst golf when I start thinking about my swing.

[14ledo81]

1 hour ago, Psyber said:

I think every shot I am going to hit is about to be the most awesome shot I've ever hit.

Same here..

[Ernest Jones]

"HOLY F**K!!! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!"

 

[Lihu]

2 hours ago, MRugroden said:

Maybe if you think about your game, any part of it, you're lost, so think of nothing.  Try to remember what it feels like when you hit that one perfect shot with that club.  You have to have good basics so assuming those are in order line up your shot, choose your intermediate target about 1' in front of the ball, visualize your ball flight (fade, draw, straight) and set up for that shot.  Address the ball and if you're going to hit a draw align the face of the club just to the left of your intermediate target, look up and see your ball flight and then feel the release as you swing to the right of the intermediate target.  Feel that perfect shot you hit on the range and pull the trigger with that smooth effortless swing that gives you effortless power.  Don't think, feel.  

As soon as I hit a bad shot during a round and try to figure out what went wrong I'll be 6 over or more by the end of 9 holes.  I play well usually by myself when I have no distractions.

Mental game doesn't really improve your swing that much. You can have all the confidence in the world and still mess up a shot.

I think of the many things I could mess up, and what to do to avoid those stupid things.

[saevel25]

32 minutes ago, Ernest Jones said:

"HOLY F**K!!! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!"

 

Idealy you want one swing thought. Right now I am on two swing thoughts. 

 

 

[Dave2512]

Only one goal here and it's what not to think, anything job related. Minute real world stress creeps in I am toast. 

[Rip62]

I think about baseball. Oh wait that's for that other activity.

[Rainmaker]

I try to limit my swing thoughts on the course to non-mechanical things . .like smooth tempo, feeling relaxed, etc.  I try to picture the shot I want to hit and then just hit it.  The struggle, for me, comes when I hit a bad one and start thinking about  . ."make sure you're takeaway is good", "make sure you're completing you're backswing", "make sure to yada yada". . . . this screws me up worse than anything.  

If I hit a bad shot I just try to do nothing different on the next one.  Each shot I make, I'm trying to hit the best shot possible, so there's no change needed just because I messed one or two or six up. 

Then I'll go to the range or my practice mat and try to figure out where the bad shots were coming from.

I'm sure it's different for different golfers and ability levels.  With my own swing, being relaxed is the most important thing since I've got compensations and timing issues.  I'm trying to work those out in practice, of course, but until I do the best thing for me to be relaxed, loose and stress-free so I have the best chance of getting the timing right, lol. 

 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

I've said before, both here and elsewhere, that when I played my best golf, I hardly had a conscious thought in my head. Of course I did, but I didn't concentrate on them. I looked at the shot. I kept my "thinking" to the practice tee. I wanted to "get it down" there. When I was at the range, I was "practicing my golf swing". When I was on the course, I was "playing golf". Those, for me, are two different things.

[CR McDivot]

Usually, all my major decisions (distance, club, trajectory) are made before I reach the ball. If the assessment of the lie throws a glitch, I adjust.

After that the only thought is to visualize the shot as it should be...

Execute!

[rkim291968]

I usually tried to think about one specific swing thought that is my current weakness.   For example, today, I focused on completing back swing and pause at the top.

[Marty2019]

Lately, my swing thought, while addressing the ball, is relax. 

[boogielicious]

I think about my shot zone and where my target is for the shot. Once I aim, I may have one swing thought for that day or shot during the backswing, but my focus is the target. For putting, I only think about my line.

[MRugroden]

Interesting how many replies are about a feel.

[CR McDivot]

9 hours ago, MRugroden said:

Interesting how many replies are about a feel.

Technique is for the range. By the time we are actually on the course this technique should be ingrained and we should be able to execute without excessive thought.

Just my opinion, probably worth less than you paid for it!

Edited April 13, 2016 by CR McDivot