You've all heard about the importance of a strong mental game. If you easily become frustrated after a bad swing it will generally lead to poorer shots and higher scores. This is definitely true, but I believe there's other aspects of the mental game that probably get overlooked by most golfers. Today, I'm going to discuss a revelation I had while recently working in Holland with PPGS Certified Instructor, Leo van Bennekom.
While conducting a golf school with Leo, one student from England said that he and his buddies were golfing one morning when all of a sudden a big patch of fog rolled in for the rest of their round. Instead of calling it quits on behalf of the lack of visibility, they decided to press on. What happened is exactly like what I call "awakening your senses."
The student told us that all of a sudden each golfer's shots were much straighter and they had no trouble finding their balls. Most of the time, they wound up right in the middle of the fairway. Now, the reason this happened is because in order to continue playing golf that day, they were going to have to pay extra attention to keep the ball in play because it was so hard to see. They put more emphasis on sensing and feeling their movements and it caused them all to hit it a lot better.
So, my message to you is simple. When it's a beautiful day and you've got no trouble seeing, remember to engage your senses and really focus on what you're trying to do. Pretend it's getting dark or really foggy and in order to keep playing you've got to keep hitting it in the fairways and on the greens. Or better yet, go out for a late round and play until it gets dark. I bet that your focus will begin to improve because your margin for error goes way down. I think another good way to test this theory is to close your eyes just after you've completed the finish and then tell your playing partner where you think the ball ended up based on the feeling you had when you struck the shot. If it was a good shot, you should have no problem telling him or her where it landed.
Don't get lazy out there! Awaken your mind and there's no telling how much better you can be.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Mind Game
I agree the game is played between the ears. Have to be focused to play good golf. When I have a bad round it is usually a lack of interest might be a lack of talent also.
Know that feeling
I know that feeling. Actually, most of the time I know where the ball is going before I'm looking down the fairway, but as it's getting dark early here in Las Vegas right now, I've finished a round or two in the dark. It really helps to know where the ball is headed when it comes off the club face. Except, of course, when I know as I'm standing up AFAP that the ball is headed to the wrong place.
No available miss
Mike and I had the same experience one day. No way to see more than 50 feet because of the fog. All we could do was hit the shot and drive up the fairway and hope for the best.
Neither of us lost a ball.
For me it was no different a feeling than I have when I am stuck in the woods and have a very narrow window out of trouble, or even on narrow fairways that have enough trouble to be an automatic lost ball on both sides. On those I hit the greens and fairways at a much higher percentage than "normal" shots.
The key to me is anytime I hit a shot with no bailout available I hit the shot like I have nothing to lose. On wide open shots I am much more likely to bail out away from the side I perceive to have the most trouble, or worst case scenario, double cross myself and hit it right into the trouble. I'm in the process of trying to approach every shot like I can't miss either right or left but so far I can't really replicate the real thing most of the time.
In the Dark
I play most of my golf late afternoons and in the twilight, so I play a lot of the
times in the semi dark, problem is this is when I lose most of my balls. Guess
I'm just having "Leave of my Senses", LOL.
Deja vu!
This video brought back memories of a day in history! On the day that the Russian troops went into Afghanistan, I and a fellow hacker in Mil Int drove about a 45minutes south of Hanover in Germany. When we arrived you couldn't see further than 50yards in any direction. We played the course, the full 18holes, and never lost a ball! Maybe I should do what I was doing in China when I started with PPGS, that is swing with my eyes closed once I have set up to the ball? Why not, it may make a big difference. Weather meant to be ratschidt here from Sunday for the next week. So patience is another trait I am acquiring ; - )
I found that I was more aware of other senses when swinging with my 'lying eyes' closed. It certainly seemed to encourage me to remain still during the BUS and I tended not to 'heave' at the ball and come over the top. So a timely reminder from Nederland.
Had a good hit today and when I swing up and up it all just happens. When I am aware of my other senses that is! ; - ) Hit them long and straight consistently Surgites all. DH in Sunny NZ
Keep swinging
"Keep swinging."
"But I don't have any balls".
"Don't worry bout hittin the ball, or where it's going to go. Just swing the club, feel the club...Close your eyes".
"Close my eyes?"
"You can't make that ball go in that hole...You got to let it."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH4oOnh6DyI
This is so cool...
Thx Smith. I just luv this movie. So many moving messages-kleenex please.
Another Bagger Vance theme: You can tell a lot about a man by the way he grips the club. I often hold on way too tightly. (Had some honest, invited input from a knowledgeable friend.) So I closed my eyes for a moment, and sure enough .... vise grips belong in a toolbox, but not on a golf club.
Next shot, I lightened up and just let it go. Stuck it next to the pin. That was good, but the best part was that my hands and brain did not hurt! Ahhhhhh.
If we can be just a bit more mindful, it's amazing.... what an amazing thing it is to walk, breathe, enjoy life...and even chase a little ball around the lawn with some friends.
Bagger
Even though the movie is far fetched, and the book is even farther out there, a weird truth runs through the message. That most of what holds us back, from anything we want to do, is ourselves.
Occasionally we manage to get out of our own way and magic things happen, but most of us can't hold on to that very long and snap back to real life and fail again.
Shot 7 under for 8 holes one time and had to quit because it was dark. Still have no idea why I was able to do that but everything in my mind and body was very calm for some reason. In the 7 birdies I made, the longest putt I had was 4 feet. (Been looking for that magic ever since). Ha ha!
That was a nice run...
Yes, we do get out of our way at times, and when we do...it is "magic".
Great story, Steve. Wow, 7 under for 8 holes is crazy good.
You were in the zone. It happens sometimes. It's in there.
Mental Game
Back in 1980s, when I was stationed at Redstone Arsenal, they had a tournament called the Little Buick Open which was a qualifier for the Buick Open. Although I was not good enough to qualify, one year I did really well. The Thursday before the tournament, I got hit in the ankle by a golf ball playing at a different course, breaking the ankle. Being of Irish descent and stubborn, I decided I was going to play anyway. I went home, iced the ankle, and wrapped it tightly with athletic tape. I played in the tournament on Saturday and Sunday, and shot a net 66, one of my best rounds ever. The difference was that my only thoughts that weekend were to take care not to hurt my ankle any more than it was. I kept my lower body very still to minimize the stress on my ankle. Not a single thought about how to hit the ball.
Three weeks later, I was back to my usual, wild, over-analyzing golf swing.
Of Irish Descent
KMc-now that is a great story. From what I can tell, being of Irish descent can work for you or against you. LOL.
In your case, that "lower body very still" was not an option. And it sounds like that actually improved your game.
Actually had a nice stretch recently when my back was sore and not happy. My 3/4 turn was indeed just that. Not a lot of extra movement.
Quietly, I just put the ball into play. It was not long, but in bounds. Not one lost ball and a ton of fun. And the lesson was clear enough: sometimes less is more.
Your 66 was also crazy good, Kevin. Wow. It does happen. It's in there.
N/A
N/A
Keep swinging...
Thanks, Steve. I had totally forgotten about this scene. The amazing thing is that it really works. When I am swinging well, this is the feeling I have.
Keep Swinging
A wonderful clip from a great movie Steve. Must give it a try too and let the ball do the rest.
Keep on swinging Steve. DH on a sunny Friday evening in NZ
Thanks for sharing
Steve: Thanks for sharing this great clip! Life --(and golf) are so much more enjoyable when we use all our senses and just let things happen naturally. Take care. R2
swing speed
Just wanted to share something that most of you already know. It was only 5 celcius in my home town of St.Marys Ontario Canada today but I was not ready to put my clubs away for the season yet. I threw on some extra clothes and went out and played by myself ... no one else to try to impress off the tee ... so i just swung comfortably and low and behold the drives were long and straight without trying to kill it!!! Sometimes it is good to just go out and play by yourself. I hope I can remember this next spring when it gets warm again. Looking forward to it already.
Less distraction, more focus without stress.
It is so true that it can be those times that seem illogical. A couple of weeks ago, Cindy and I were playing as it got dark. I hit my drive wide left on 18 the finishing par 4. Was in the rough with a questionable lie and barely found the ball. It was now dark. The flag and layout of the large sloping green was just an outline. The giant bunker on the front right and from it a right to left uphill slope with the flag also back right. The thing is I have played that hole hundreds of times. So I had a visual blueprint in my head. It was a full 8 iron from about 145. Had a gentle focus that said I had to land in a few foot area just one or two feet left of that bunker that would allow the ball to just roll right to left and up the hill and turn toward the hole. Came off perfect. It felt good and on target. Was it though? I didn't see it land but when I arrived the results showed it hit exactly where it had to. It had then rolled to about 10 feet just below the hole.
So I fully agree that some of my best shots have been "blind" and improbable.
Played with the senses indeed.
DJ
Much better round for DJ today. Safely inside the cut. Still a lot of work to do, but 2 more like today will make a difference.
I think he is at 130 going
I think he is at 130 going into the weekend.
Yep
130 going into the weekend, and only one guy between him and 125 made the cut. He needs to make about $33,000 to have a shot at 125, and then it depends on what the guys around him make. If he can make close $100,000 for the weekend, he's in for sure, but there's a $60,000 gap between the current #125 and the current #124, so he and Gary Woodland (currently 131) and Alexandre Rocha (127) are fighting mostly for that one spot.
It could also shift if Beljan is forced to withdraw (his current lead has him jumping over DJ and a bunch of other guys). I hope he's well and they can get him taken care of at the hospital. Apparently he had a racing heart and shortness of breath as he came down the stretch and they rushed him to the hospital at the end of his round.
Senses and Beljan
Crazy how well this guy played while sick. Reminds me of MJ playing one of his best playoff games when he had the flu and a high temp. Also Ken Venturi in 1964 US Open. So not uncommon for athletes from various sports to perform well while sick. As related to the subject of our senses I think that in a strange way that this happens because we are not nervous or stressed over the usual distractions and it takes complete focus to do well and so good play results.
BTW, Congratulations to DJ for the great bounce back today. Let's hope or a strong week end.
Yep
Beljan had this issue once before and knew the symptoms that is they reason why he continued to play do not know if I would have done it regardless. They said the paramedics were following him while he finished his round. Hope he is ok. Just got in from the course shot 74 today.
Hope DJ plays well the next couple of days and retains his card.
I know Flesch he finished 127 or 129 somewhere around that last year and only got in 4 or 5 tournaments this year.He complained all spring and summer about not getting in tourneys this year. Not sure why he did not try and play the WEB.COM like a lot of other veterans did.