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Why I love golf so much


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20 hours ago, krupa said:

Only if you can get a perfect swing only by reading a book.

Because we think the secret to a better swing is hidden in a book or a video when it's actually "hidden" in a thousand range balls hit with intentional, deliberate practice.

Because what we think we are doing with our body is usually not what we are actually doing.

You can understand all the physical processes and know the physics behind an ideal club path and ball flight, etc., but you still have to swing the club with your arms, keep your head steady, get your weight forward, etc., etc.

 I'm not trying to argue that there isn't a mental aspect of the game and of learning the game.  As you said, when a person hits a bad shot they either pound the ground or ask "what happened there" and the latter person is going to make more/faster progress than the guy who mindlessly hits balls hoping for a good shot.

However, to simply say "learning the swing is mental" is ignoring all the physical requirements of the game.

 

I am not saying there is no physical component to golf.   There is a huge physical component to golf.   Maybe there's no way to separate the two.  However,

If you say it's physical and not mental, then you are saying an ape can play golf better than I can, because he is more athletic. 

You made my point for me when you used the words, " intentional, deliberate practice."  Not just pounding balls, but thinking about what you are trying to do.   Thinking about what you are trying to accomplish.  Having a plan.  

"... what we think we are doing with our body is usually not what we are actually doing."   Well how did you figure that out, if not by using your brain, your analytical power? 

If golf is a physical game and not a mental game, why have an instructor?   Why not just pound balls on the range?   That's what I used to do, and I never got any better until I starting studying the game.  

What about this entire message board, "thesandtrap"?   Does anyone learn anything here?  Heck, yes.  Is there any physical aspect of this message board?   No.   How about posting swing videos and having people offer suggestions?   That's not physical.   That's mental. 

Golf, as a whole, not just playing golf, but the entirety of it, is both physical and mental.  It involves learning.   It involves planning.   It involves self control.  It involves study.   It requires humility and determination.   It is a largely intellectual exercise.   So, I can't agree that golf is more physical than mental.  

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56 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

If you say it's physical and not mental, then you are saying an ape can play golf better than I can, because he is more athletic.

Quote

A non sequitur (Latin for "it does not follow"), in formal logic, is an argument with a conclusion that does not follow from its premise.

There's no way I'd ever make that kind of ridiculous argument and you know full well that I'm not.  (Although I bet an ape wouldn't get hung up about trying to save par.)  I will  say however, and I think you'll agree with this, that athletic people can pick up the game faster than non-athletes.  I'm one of the latter (pretty much suck at all sports but pool) and have to work my ass off just to shoot in the low 100s. 

57 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

Golf, as a whole, not just playing golf, but the entirety of it, is both physical and mental.  It involves learning.   It involves planning.   It involves self control.  It involves study.   It requires humility and determination.

I agree with all this.

57 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

It is a largely intellectual exercise.   So, I can't agree that golf is more physical than mental.

And here's where we'll have to agree to disagree.

"No man goes round boasting of his vices,” he said, “except golfers." 

-- Det. Elk in The Twister by Edgar Wallace

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On 8/30/2016 at 0:57 AM, Patch said:

I love playing the game because it's an outdoor adventure. I might shoot the same score 2 or 3 times in row, but how I arrived at those same scores were not the same. I just like doing stuff out of doors. The idea of smacking a little ball around makes being out of doors eeven better. 

As for the OP's three most important things he has learned, I would tend to agree with them......For the most part.  Especially #3. 

This 1000x!  Nothing like being outdoors on a beautiful sunny day playing golf!!

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13 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

If you say it's physical and not mental, then you are saying an ape can play golf better than I can, because he is more athletic.

:hmm:

13 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

You made my point for me when you used the words, " intentional, deliberate practice."  Not just pounding balls, but thinking about what you are trying to do.   Thinking about what you are trying to accomplish.  Having a plan.

That doesn't make it a mental exercise. You still have to put in the physical practice time and work.

13 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

If golf is a physical game and not a mental game, why have an instructor?

Because he tells you what physical things you need to change. He improves your mechanics. How you move your body.

13 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

If golf is a physical game and not a mental game, why have an instructor? Why not just pound balls on the range? That's what I used to do, and I never got any better until I starting studying the game.

You have an odd definition of "a mental game." Nobody's saying to do things "mindlessly" but as with all sports, it's largely… physical. Otherwise it would be… chess.

13 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

What about this entire message board, "thesandtrap"? Does anyone learn anything here? Heck, yes.  Is there any physical aspect of this message board? No. How about posting swing videos and having people offer suggestions? That's not physical. That's mental.

No, it's very much physical. You have to make your body do those things. You don't just think your way to a better golf swing.

13 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

Golf, as a whole, not just playing golf, but the entirety of it, is both physical and mental.  It involves learning.   It involves planning.   It involves self control.  It involves study.   It requires humility and determination.   It is a largely intellectual exercise.   So, I can't agree that golf is more physical than mental.  

Golf's way more physical than mental. What you're saying does not make golf "a mental game."

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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On 8/30/2016 at 4:42 PM, Patch said:

This thread is turning into another one of those "there is no answer that is 100% true" type of topics when arguing mental vs physical in the golf swing. 

A few days ago I played 18 holes with friends, where most of us were basically drunk, for lack of a better discription. None of us even came close to playing to our normal scores. Some were even worse than others. Why? Because we were temporarily, mentally impaired. There was no mental focus. There was a lack of muscular swing control. Our putting judgement sucked.  Our physical attributes were M.I.A. because our mental side was in a haze.

On the flip side we were physically able to get a round the course, most likely from memory. We were able to physically hit the ball we were supposed to be hitting most of the time. Again, probably from memory. 

My guess is, that to play your best golf you need both mental, and physical abilties that work well together. Physical attributes give you distances, while the mental side gives you contol of those distances. 

Isn't it strange that our golf suffers when we are drunk, but our driving gets so much better ;-)

In my bag (Motocaddy Light)

Taylormade Burner driver, Taylormade 4 wood, 3 x Ping Karsten Hybrids, 6-SW Ping Karsten irons with reg flex graphite shafts. Odyssey putter, 20 Bridgestone e6 balls, 2 water balls for the 5th hole, loads of tees, 2 golf gloves, a couple of hand warmers, cleaning towel, 5 ball markers, 2 pitch mark repairers, some aspirin, 3 hats, set of waterproofs, an umbrella, a pair of gaiters, 2 pairs of glasses. Christ, it's amazing I can pick the bloody thing up !!

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It's mostly physical as it requires coordination to hit the ball well. 

The mental aspect is course management and your shot strategy. 

But as with other sports, it is more physical ability than mental. 

Don

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Note: This thread is 2759 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!

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