Golfers, stop thinking!

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One of the biggest problems when working with golfers is to stop them thinking - too often they think about the mechanical aspects of their shot, and then between shots they're thinking about how they didn't make that putt, or should have done something differently. Golfers generally think way too much, and now new research confirms this thinking between shots can be just as damaging to performance as thinking during the shot:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7859385.stm

The good news is, if you're not that good, or exceptionally good, it won't make much difference. If you're part of the majority of golfers in between the two extremes, then don't think about your technique between shots and you may find your game gets better (or at least doesn't get worse!).

Gary Baker
Sports Psychology in Kent & Essex
Director, The Centre for Sports Hypnosis

Tags: golf, golfers, performance, psychology, thinking, thoughts

Posted February 1, 2009 at 11:49 AM by garybaker in Golf Psychology | Permalink | Comments(4)

Comments

I think the phrase that Bob Rotella uses, is something along the lines of "bring the game you've got onto the course". In other words, think about technique on the range and practice rounds, but leave it aside when you are playing for real.

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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com

Posted by robrobson | February 2, 2009 at 1:20 AM

Absolutely, Rob. What usually happens though is that someone gets some coaching on their swing, grip etc, and then immediately goes onto the course to try it out, instead of automating it on the driving range first. Of course, then they're thinking about those changes, and their resulting shot is often worse than it was before. That's usually the start of a downward spiral, so the changes that were meant to improve their game actually end up making it worse! Ironically, I've worked with golf pros/coaches with this exact problem, so it's not just those they're teaching that make this mistake.

Gary Baker
Sports Psychology in Kent & Essex
Director, The Centre for Sports Hypnosis

Posted by garybaker | February 2, 2009 at 4:10 AM

It's rather difficult to stop yourself thinking and if you fluff a shot, and discuss it and go through all the actions that enabled you to successfully fluff that shot - you are going to repeat it, and, more than likely, get worse. I suggest to my coachees that they stop and think before the shot and once they cross a line to approach the ball, they 'switch off' - a 'thinking' zone and a 'playing' zone. And anything fluffed - don't talk about it at all - only speak the good stuff. I would suspect that it's not the 'thinking' that caused the issues in the article, but the 'speaking' part.

Dr John Kenworthy

CCO GAINMORE™ Golf

GAINMORE™ Leadership

Posted by GAINMOREGolf | February 2, 2009 at 5:11 PM

Good points John.

This emphasises the role of a good pre-shot routine that is executed before every shot - good or bad. A good pre-shot routine has an element of pace that means that you don't have time to think about technique. Ideally it focuses on two things, the target and the ball.

However, I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing to have short, one word cues to reinforce technique, particularly if it is under development. The most important thing is not an absence of thought, per se, as that might imply an absence of awareness, but an absence of analysis. IMO you have to let go of your analytical self in order to stay in the moment.

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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Get updates on Twitter@sportpsychrob

Posted by robrobson | February 3, 2009 at 1:52 AM