Is Golf More Mental or Physical?

[iacas]

Just now, Lihu said:

Hah, good point. He must have raised the price. . . ? Try to negotiate that with Erik. . .

It’s always been $29.95. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

There are fifty things in there worth that, too.

[Vinsk]

6 minutes ago, Runnin said:

I was absolutely going to until I saw the price. 

It’s cheaper and more valuable than that gadget sitting in your closet that promised to groove your swing.

[Lihu]

Just now, iacas said:

It’s always been $29.95. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

There are fifty things in there worth that, too.

Oh, okay. Then @Runnin, you should really get a copy of it. As Erik noted, there are 50 things in the book that are individually worth that amount.

Fortunately, I got the book pretty early on in my golfing life. It'll really answer everything we have in this thread and more. . .

[Pretzel]

Let me put it this way:

There's a reason only the best golfers in the world have to care about the "mental game" in golf. You'll never see a 30 handicapper get down to single digits with only the mental game. You will see that happen if they take regular lessons and practice both frequently and properly.

I will also agree that LSW is an excellent tool. It's got some stuff that you could consider to be the "mental game" in it (I would consider it preparation myself, but it could be mental depending on how you classify it) as well as excellent advice for swing and strategy.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Pretzel

[Runnin]

35 minutes ago, iacas said:

Why?

It's far, far more physical.

I disagree.  You're making a semantic distinction.  I said why on the first page or so.  After hitting a few million golf balls and playing countless rounds of golf that's just my opinion.  It's like guiding a blind elephant through a maze.  You could say that the elephant is doing all the work but I would say the one guiding the elephant is in control. 

I really find it hilarious that so many on a golf site would cling to the all physical position.   I think you guys just like to argue.

Off to practice my short game and my long putts. 

[iacas]

You started the damn topic.

Golf is FAR more physical.

[Pretzel]

4 minutes ago, Runnin said:

After hitting a few million golf balls and playing countless rounds of golf that's just my opinion. 

On the one hand you have your opinion, backed by "a few million golf balls and playing countless rounds of golf". On the other hand, you have a well-respected golf instructor who has won accolades for the work that he has done and is consistently included in the list of the top instructors in the country. 

The website here is a great resource for factual, evidence-based advice. It's not a great place for people to come when they expect an echo chamber instead of a discussion.

Just now, Runnin said:

It's $77 and $139 on Amazon.  I'm sure it's a great book and would love to get it. 

http://lowestscorewins.com/buy $29.95

Edited September 28, 2017 by Pretzel

[Runnin]

9 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Oh, okay. Then @Runnin, you should really get a copy of it. As Erik noted, there are 50 things in the book that are individually worth that amount.

Fortunately, I got the book pretty early on in my golfing life. It'll really answer everything we have in this thread and more. . .

It's $77 and $139 on Amazon.  I'm sure it's a great book and would love to get it. 

[iacas]

Just now, Runnin said:

It's $77 and $139 on Amazon.  I'm sure it's a great book and would love to get it. 

lowestscorewins.com/buy

Don’t buy it from someone else reselling it.

[Vinsk]

52 minutes ago, Runnin said:

I really find it hilarious that so many on a golf site would cling to the all physical position

I don’t believe anybody said that. You asked if golf was more mental or physical. And we’ve answered. More physical. Period.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Runnin said:

I disagree.  You're making a semantic distinction.  I said why on the first page or so.  After hitting a few million golf balls and playing countless rounds of golf that's just my opinion.  It's like guiding a blind elephant through a maze.  You could say that the elephant is doing all the work but I would say the one guiding the elephant is in control. 

I really find it hilarious that so many on a golf site would cling to the all physical position.   I think you guys just like to argue.

Off to practice my short game and my long putts. 

You aren't practicing your mental game as well? Why not? If so, what would you practice over your short game/driving range/putting?

[David in FL]

1 hour ago, Runnin said:

I disagree.  You're making a semantic distinction.  I said why on the first page or so.  After hitting a few million golf balls and playing countless rounds of golf that's just my opinion.  It's like guiding a blind elephant through a maze.  You could say that the elephant is doing all the work but I would say the one guiding the elephant is in control. 

I really find it hilarious that so many on a golf site would cling to the all physical position.   I think you guys just like to argue.

Off to practice my short game and my long putts. 

Just for fun, I did the math.  In order to hit "a few million golf balls", you'd need to hit one every minute, 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, for over 17 years.

When did you ever find time to actually play countless rounds too?  

[mvmac]

3 hours ago, Runnin said:

My question was and still is, what are the practice techniques and playing approaches to reflect that side of the game which some feel is predominant. 

You know that Gary Player quote, the more I practice the luckier I get? Same goes with the mental game. The more you can improve your physical game, the better your mental game will be. Someone can't "trick" themselves into being confident when they have nothing to be confident about.

[jsgolfer]

8 hours ago, iacas said:

lowestscorewins.com/buy

Don’t buy it from someone else reselling it.

And the re-seller says it's a paperback?  

Used - Very Good

Very Good condition with strong binding and minor cover wear. Paperback book.

[Runnin]

Why such attitude from so many?  Is this the way you always treat new posters?

I've haven't heard anyone give me any reason or supporting evidence for why golf is more physical.  According to the poll, at least 1/4 of people disagree.  So it's not so cut and dried.  And their seems to be a bit of group think going on here that probably has skewed the numbers.  Add to that the fact that what a lot of what some people are calling physical, others call mental, and vice versa.  I don't think we have a real consensus.

According to what I've been able to read about LSW, it's about playing and practicing smarter, aka. the mental game. 

7 hours ago, David in FL said:

Just for fun, I did the math.  In order to hit "a few million golf balls", you'd need to hit one every minute, 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, for over 17 years.

When did you ever find time to actually play countless rounds too?  

That sounds about right.  Maybe only one million. 

[David in FL]

8 hours ago, Vinsk said:

I don’t believe anybody said that. You asked if golf was more mental or physical. And we’ve answered. More physical. Period.

Yup.

Another thought.  If it wasn't much more physical, wouldn't women be competing much more evenly with men?

[jsgolfer]

1 minute ago, Runnin said:

Why such attitude from so many?  Is this the way you always treat new posters?

I've haven't heard anyone give me any reason or supporting evidence for why golf is more physical.  According to the poll, at least 1/4 of people disagree.  So it's not so cut and dried.  And their seems to be a bit of group think going on here that probably has skewed the numbers.  Add to that the fact that what a lot of what some people are calling physical, others call mental, and vice versa.  I don't think we have a real consensus.

According to what I've been able to read about LSW, it's about playing and practicing smarter, aka. the mental game. 

Have you read all of the posts?

Practicing is to improve your physical game (and unfortunately all the happy thoughts in the world aren't going to make you hit the ball better) and having a plan is not mental, you still have to swing the club to hit the ball where you would like it to go based on your game plan.  

Where everyone gets hung up (the mental is more important crows), is the one time that someone hits a bad shot, in a pressure situation or not, and chalking that up to a mental failure.  Rather than just taking a fundamentally bad swing at that one time.  I used to subscribe to that theory, would play 12-13 holes well and then make a couple of dumb swings and instead of shooting say 75 I would shot 78.  At the time that would seem like it was a mental failure because I just played 13 holes well, but again I have a 6 handicap for a reason, and my bad shots just manifested themselves at the end of the round.  

I think @iacas mentioned in a post way back (and he'll correct me if I'm wrong), that someone (say 12 handicapper) will shot 37 on the front and then 47 on the back for an 84.  And then they are upset that they didn't shoot the 37 on the back,  but then will go out the next day and shoot 40-43-83 and are totally happy with that score as they beat their handicap.  The handicap typically doesn't lie, unless you a sandbagger or vanity handicapper, you';re as likely statistically to have all your good holes early or late or somewhere in between, but over lots of rounds you shoot what you shoot.

 

[GolfLug]

10 hours ago, Runnin said:

My question was and still is, what are the practice techniques and playing approaches to reflect that side of the game which some feel is predominant. 

As far as mental fortitude is concerned, folks with a generous sense of humor about the over silliness of the game seem to be the most resilient.

Any more importance to mental game than that is like paying commission to an agent you don't need in the first place. Overthinking mental game will make mental game a separate game of its own and now you will need a secondary set of tools to maintain your 'mental game'. And on and on.

Don't put it on your payroll at all.