Is Golf More Mental or Physical?

[mcanadiens]

9 hours ago, Runnin said:

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

Must be the special collectors' edition. Gold leaf, a signed 8x10 and the extra chapter. 

[David in FL]

37 minutes ago, Runnin said:

That sounds about right.  Maybe only one million. 

A large bucket (80 balls), 5 days a week, every single week, for 48 years.

Off topic, but it's sometimes fun to put things into perspective.  A million is a LOT of anything.

 

[saevel25]

45 minutes ago, Runnin said:

I've haven't heard anyone give me any reason or supporting evidence for why golf is more physical. 

There has been plenty of examples and logic as to why it is more physical. Clearly you have read the responses then.

 

[Patch]

13 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

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. 

Best I have read

[Midpack]

It's interesting how certain some are in their views, but that's what makes the world go around. While I believe it's more physical than mental, I almost always know when I've made a mental mistake (after the fact), and they're often pretty costly. I often can't feel what I've done "different" physically when I make a bad pass at the ball. The mental aspect of the game is more challenging than the physical to me. YMMV

[klineka]

55 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Yup.

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

I would love to hear @Runnin response to this. Clearly the men must have far superior mental games that allow them to play on courses 1,000 yards longer than LPGA courses right? 

Obviously there is the mental part of the brain activating the muscles necessary to swing a golf club. Nobody is disagreeing with that. Just like nobody is disagreeing with the fact that you make a mental choice of where to aim. Obviously it is a mental choice to aim the correct direction on the tee box to the hole you are playing, but you still have to have the physical ability to hit the ball in that direction. You can make a mental choice to aim away from water on the right, but if you lack the physical ability to hit the ball on your target line, then the ball can still end up slicing into the water. That is not a mental error, that is a physical issue because you dont have a consistent enough swing to hit down your target line.

Most of the course planning and shot mapping stuff in LSW is directly related to your physical ability. The more physical ability you have, the small your shot zones are. The less physical ability you have, the larger your shot zones are.

No matter how strong or weak your "mental game" is, the shot zone sizes are still determined by your physical ability. There isnt anything in LSW that says "add 10% to your shot zone if you are a hot tempered player and reduce it by 10% if you are more even keeled." Please buy the book. Regardless of your thoughts on golf being more mental or physical, the book will help you become a better golfer.

[Vinsk]

@Runnin Have you checked what Bob Rotella's handicap is? How about Tony Robbins? lol. Come on man, you can't really believe that golf is more mental. I think you just don't want to believe that the mechanics of the golf swing can be that difficult so it MUST be a mental issue. It isn't.

[Midpack]

So the poll says 71% physical and 29% mental - sounds about right to me, even if only by chance. Mostly physical but the mental side is significant, there are strokes to be gained from both.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Midpack

[phillyk]

How many strokes would we consider brain farts or not knowing the course or whatever may constitute "mental" in a round?  My average score right now is 73.5, and maybe 1 or 2 a round could be mental, if that.  For a 100's shooter, maybe 5 or 6 at the very most.  So we are talking about 95% or more strokes taken constitute the physical, leaving 5% at most mental.  There is no possible way someone is brain farting 50 strokes in their round.  At that point its not a brain fart, it's a bad physical swing.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Runnin said:

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

No, only ones that argue without giving any semblance of evidence supporting their assertions.

My last post was not a snide remark, it was a genuine question asking "What would you practice?" Really, I have no idea what anyone could do to practice that?

 

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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.

You've not carefully read nor given any of the responses any thought. There were numerous reasons given why it's physical, and none showing that it's mental. 33% of the poll shows that it's mental. That's partially because people are confusing "brain function" or cerebellum as part of the definition of mental.

Erik stated universally accepted definition for golf that "mental game" is emotional and not "brain function". Given that he did this when 8 other people already answered mental, it's not surprising that the poll is somewhat skewed.

 

Quote

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

Most of the book, 99% of it is more concerned with the physical aspects of the game (i.e., your swing, distance control, technique, etc.)

If anyone can give a clear example of how to improve your mental game through drills like there are for the physical part of the game, then correlate that to an improvement in score, I'd love to hear it.

So far, no one has stated anything concrete, and that's because golf is a physical game with like 1% being "Don't get mad".

 

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

There has been plenty of examples and logic as to why it is more physical. Clearly you have read the responses then.

Just to clarify, Matt meant NOT read the responses.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Lihu

[omelette]

41 minutes ago, Midpack said:

It's interesting how certain some are in their views, but that's what makes the world go around. While I believe it's more physical than mental, I almost always know when I've made a mental mistake (after the fact), and they're often pretty costly. I often can't feel what I've done "different" physically when I make a bad pass at the ball. The mental aspect of the game is more challenging than the physical to me. YMMV

I agree with this.

I know the mental side of my game is bad because I can be playing well then it will pop in my head that I'm going to hit a bad shot and invariably I will. If I stand over the ball thinking I'm going to shank it I probably will even if I haven't all round!  And then there are the certain holes that I'll play badly nearly every round, surely that's down to the mental side!

[saevel25]

10 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Just to clarify, Matt meant NOT read the responses.

Thanks

7 minutes ago, omelette said:

I can be playing well then it will pop in my head that I'm going to hit a bad shot and invariably I will.

Sorry to say, being a 26 handicap, you are just prone to hitting some really bad shots. That is the nature of having a golf game of a high handicap golfer. It's not mental.

8 minutes ago, omelette said:

 And then there are the certain holes that I'll play badly nearly every round, surely that's down to the mental side!

It might be mental if you are just playing them incorrectly for your playing ability. It could be just a tough hole.

[Lihu]

53 minutes ago, Midpack said:

It's interesting how certain some are in their views, but that's what makes the world go around. While I believe it's more physical than mental, I almost always know when I've made a mental mistake (after the fact), and they're often pretty costly. I often can't feel what I've done "different" physically when I make a bad pass at the ball. The mental aspect of the game is more challenging than the physical to me. YMMV

 

6 minutes ago, omelette said:

I agree with this.

I know the mental side of my game is bad because I can be playing well then it will pop in my head that I'm going to hit a bad shot and invariably I will. If I stand over the ball thinking I'm going to shank it I probably will even if I haven't all round!  And then there are the certain holes that I'll play badly nearly every round, surely that's down to the mental side!

When my swing was terrible, the mental aspect might have played a larger role, since most of the time I'd have to piddle the ball from spot to spot.

Once you get to a point where you are striking the ball better, you'll suddenly realize that the mental aspects are really tiny as compared to the physical. As your swing improves, your confidence will improve. In some cases, too much, but in general, you'll depend less upon your ability not to get mad while taking 3 shots over par to make every hole.

[Midpack]

18 minutes ago, omelette said:

I agree with this.

I know the mental side of my game is bad because I can be playing well then it will pop in my head that I'm going to hit a bad shot and invariably I will. If I stand over the ball thinking I'm going to shank it I probably will even if I haven't all round!  And then there are the certain holes that I'll play badly nearly every round, surely that's down to the mental side!

Funny how often when I tee off if there is trouble on the left, my drive will go right but still playable (and vice versa) even though I don't line up differently and I am not consciously altering my swing to avoid trouble. I am sure someone will come along to insist that's almost entirely physical...

Again, fascinating how opinions are facts in the minds of some, and the views of others are obviously nonsense. Golf is physical and mental, probably in that order (71% - 29% like the poll inadvertently suggests).

Edited September 28, 2017 by Midpack

[Lihu]

2 minutes ago, Midpack said:

Funny how often when I tee off if there is trouble on the left, my drive will go right but still playable (and vice versa) even though I don't line up differently and I am not consciously altering my swing to avoid trouble. I am sure someone will come along to tell me that's almost entirely physical...

You could have lined up right? Yes, physical, again. . .

Seriously though, the direction of the ball is based upon physical setup and not "willing" the ball or your body to somehow line itself up subconsciously to the "safe" direction.

[Vinsk]

2 minutes ago, Midpack said:

altering my swing to avoid trouble.

You are. And it's physical. I don't care what you think you are or are not doing. You are doing (physically) something to change  your ball flight.

[omelette]

8 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Thanks

Sorry to say, being a 26 handicap, you are just prone to hitting some really bad shots. That is the nature of having a golf game of a high handicap golfer. It's not mental.

It might be mental if you are just playing them incorrectly for your playing ability. It could be just a tough hole.

Sure, I accept that I am not a great golfer and am going to hit some bad shots, but the bad shots don't tend to come at random, they come after having a negative thought so surely that is at least partly mental! 

[Midpack]

14 minutes ago, Lihu said:

You could have lined up right? Yes, physical, again. . .

Seriously though, the direction of the ball is based upon physical setup and not "willing" the ball or your body to somehow line itself up subconsciously to the "safe" direction.

I set up (static before the backswing) and aim the same, but it appears I subconsciously alter my swing path. I realize altering my swing path is physical, but if I'm not consciously altering my swing path to avoid trouble - I'd call that mental, you'd call it physical. I do it on certain holes week after week, even aim more left and yet the ball almost invariably tends right (or vice versa). On other wide open holes, it doesn't happen regularly. I guess I'm unique.

But this whole debate has become just as tiresome and unsolvable to me as others. Golf is physical and mental, in that order IME. How much of each probably depends on the individual. Low handicappers have mastered the mental better. High handicappers are probably giving away strokes due to mental errors, I see young guys with clear physical ability make bad shotmaking choices all the time - I'd categorize those as mental errors.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Midpack