Poll: How Many "Swing Thoughts" Can You Manage During a Scoring Round?

[HJJ003]

I voted one swing thought. I also try to make that thought simple and not verily mechanical. Sometimes I get a little too detailed with it and I start “practicing” during a round. Other times I get too simple and just start whacking at it with no real plan or focus...that’s when rounds get bad lol. 

[Jack Watson]

The other day I went out and practiced long game on the range with a friend.  It’s been a couple months.

i just sort of hone in on my senses and target and swing.  

Range or course same thing.

i hit it more crisp for me playing less!

of course I am a kinda short knocker but still...

IMO most golfers could improve by better sensory concentration and less thoughts...

For me,  the more I play the more likely I am to try to extend my limits and lose my start line

Edited January 13, 2018 by Jack Watson

[Maric771]

As a new golfer when I started there would be about 20 things that would go through my head before and during a swing.  Head down, shift weight, left wrist straight, turn from the hips.....  My instructor told me to pick one thing for each practice session and just work on that.  I first chose keeping my head down and steady - surprise this corrected 2 of my major swing issues, lifting my body up on my back swing and lifting my head immediately upon ball strike.

 

 

[Papa Steve 55]

One. Low and slow. its my take away thought.

[lastings]

right now, it's technically 3, but one that's important and never more than two at a time.  

When I make a full turn and get my hands deep enough, all of my path issues self-correct (for the most part).  So the important thought is make a full turn, which i think about with all clubs. 

With my Driver I have a tendency to leave the face open and block shots to the right. So, with the Driver I think about a smooth, natural release.  

Don't have the problem with the irons.  As a matter of fact I close down the face too early.  So with the irons I think, hit the inside of the ball.  

[Kalnoky]

On 1/12/2018 at 8:31 PM, Jack Watson said:

IMO most golfers could improve by better sensory concentration and less thoughts...

^^^I suspect this is true.. but I'm not quite there yet. I voted two swing thoughts. I'd love to get to on one (1) swing thought. 

I've painstakingly ingrained a big part of the golf swing, but important parts of it are still a conscious exercise. 

[Piz]

In all seriousness, and ignoring my lame attempt at humor in a previous post, I have one swing thought per shot.  It may be staying behind the ball, or maintaining balance, or any number of things.  Each pass presents its own challenges and no one particular thought (for me) is sufficient for all.  That said; most concern both balance and tempo.  One rarely encounters a flat, driving range type lie, and accommodations have to be made...mentally and physically.

[JxQx]

For full swing it is typically two (one backswing and one downswing). For chipping and putting it is typically one.

[Erik Tedfelt]

More than one thought and it becomes one big mess for me. 

My focus is to have zero thoughts when I swing as this is when I hit my best shots. 

Ironically, my long game really improved when my golf coach told me to spend as little time as possible on the range. 

My teammates at college was always surprised at how I could spend so little time at the range when I was the best striker on the team. 

[Bucki1968]

Not sure if this counts as a "swing thought" but I usually will make a couple practice swings and when it feels right, I step up and think "hit it with that practice swing". Not sure if that's feel or an actual swing thought.