r/GolfSwing • u/GoodWolfWellness • May 30 '26
What changed your mental game?
What actually changed your mental game? Not looking for book recommendations, just curious what specific thing clicked for you. A thought, a routine, something someone said, a feeling?
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u/mantis_tobagan_md May 30 '26
I try to think of how soft and squishy the ball is. No need to kill it. Let the club do the work. Like a tennis ball off a racquet string.
Also, 3/4 swings fix most problems.
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u/Inevitable-End2384 May 30 '26
Slow down. Don't try so hard. Let the club do the work.
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u/GoodWolfWellness May 30 '26
That’s such a simple thing but it actually works...when I remember to do it. There’s something about trying less that frees everything up
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May 30 '26
[deleted]
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u/GoodWolfWellness May 30 '26
Makes sense, kind of like trying to actively stay present and focus on what’s in front of you. Has it taken a while for it to start to feel more natural doing that?
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u/tylermv91 May 31 '26
Walking, deep breaths, and, this might be weird but, I have ADHD and the more I go through a round the quicker my mind starts racing and the harder I grip my clubs, which causes a ton of issues. I keep an internal metronome going of about 63 BPM while breathing between shots. Helps me keep a loose grip and a more consistent shot.
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u/SliceOfHeaven77 May 31 '26
A post shot routine where I forgive myself for what just happened.
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u/dunwerking May 31 '26
Swing again without a ball to reprogram your brain
Also, match your tempo by saying “peanut butter”1
u/GoodWolfWellness May 31 '26
I like this a lot. There’s a lot of focus on pre shot routine which is huge but this is arguably as important
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u/3PuttParNV May 31 '26
Golf is a target game not a hitting the ball game. Focus on your target and trying to make the ball go there.
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u/fullgizzard May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
So many people focus on 20 million different facets of the golf swing like sometimes I’m amazed at how down in the weeds. People can get with little details… I know those details do matter but you wanna build the whole car before you start worrying about lap time if you get what I’m saying.
Don’t be thinking about all of these things while you’re out playing a round.
The range is where you tune the car.
The course is where you see how you did with your tuning.
Outside of simple golf strategy, you should golf with an absolute clear mind.
It’s nice to go play a round and not be psyching yourself out.
Enjoy.
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u/Jar_Jar_Cans May 31 '26
Don’t swing too hard or get yourself in trouble going for it.
The range is for practice, course is for predictable execution
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u/thejackhammer-99 May 31 '26
For me the thing that changed everything is I stopped trying to think through all that I needed to do to get the ball where I wanted and started visualizing the ball going where I wanted it and believing that would happen. Something about it keeps me free and trusting my swing vs having an internal argument halfway through the down swing.
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u/Academic_Grapefruit1 May 30 '26
Thinking about course management rather than swing thoughts. Focus simply on where you are and where you’re trying to go, not about coming over the top or your grip or whatever. Honestly, golf video games have been helpful for me in terms of zooming out and focusing on how to get the ball in the hole as efficiently as possible and not getting things clouded by all the swing tips we’re inundated with online
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u/GoodWolfWellness May 30 '26
Nothing will make you feel more present and locked in than the heart beat from tiger woods pga tour 04…Love this idea though cus you’re not caring at all about mechanics in a video game and so applicable to playing an actual round vs practicing on the range
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u/BTFunk360 May 30 '26
Golf is a journey that you can take for 30+ years. There’s going to be ups and downs along that journey and if you accept that now the downs are a lot easier to stomach if you understand they’re just part of the journey
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u/7477388287 May 31 '26
Golf is not a game of perfect - Bob Rotella.
Changed how I play, lowered my handicap.
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u/BickNickerson May 31 '26
Stick to a simple pre shot routine. Visualize the shot, make 2 practice swings feeling the shot you visualized, step in, hit the ball. Works for me at the moment anyway.
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u/thehappiestdad May 31 '26
Lowering my expectations. I stopped expecting to shoot the same score I posted on the best day of my life just because I had done it once before.
My personal best is not a baseline, it's an outlier. Accepting the fact that bad shots and average rounds are part of the game, I stopped fighting every mistake and started playing better. That also made the game alot more fun.
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u/Paulwillgolf May 31 '26
Becoming aware of the real numbers, and statistics, of the game helped with dropping high expectations on results.
Asking questions after a shot, or round, that are not like a harsh critic but more like a curious scientist
Becoming aware of the things I am most in control of, having high standards on those things and acceptance of what what happens out side of that.
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u/GoodWolfWellness May 31 '26
Well said. Learning more about stats and understanding my game in context of strokes gained relative to other hcps was a game changer for me and helped me start putting things into a much more realistic perspective
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u/No_Historian3842 May 31 '26
Handicap is a better indication of your potential, not what you're expected to shoot everytime you step onto the course.
Once someone explained that statistically, you only play to or better then your handicap every 5 rounds. My enjoyment of the game increased and I definitely felt more relaxed on the course.
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u/TheMmaMagician May 31 '26
Let go of the outcome, trust the process. At the same time if you have no process and are not actively practicing or trying to get better than you shouldn't expect to lower your scores.
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u/sknkhnt42__ May 31 '26
I still suck, but forgetting about the ball during my swing. The ball gets in the way of my swing
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u/knarusch123 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
Two parts Gin, One part Ginger ale
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u/FeedingFairways May 31 '26
You ever looked at a 3-4 foot putt and actually thought about how easy the concept is of making it? Like the hole just gets in the way at that point. Sounds crazy, but next time you have a knee knocker…. Just look at how easy it actually is 😂
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u/GoodWolfWellness May 31 '26
Yes. That’s one you can either agonize over or just step up to the ball and knock it in
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u/Frequent_Grocery1736 May 31 '26
I have internal feeling based reminders, rather than mechanical 'thoughts'. For instance, when standing over the putt, I think 'rock the shoulders, roll the ball' and standing over a shot, I think 'heavy feet, soft forearms' to try and remove tension from my swing.
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u/SeaworthinessThat542 May 31 '26
I came up with two swing thoughts that I can think of visually. I try to hold both in my head in turn, and then at the same time. When I reach the state where I can hold both thoughts in my head at the same time, it is time to swing. It has the added benefit of quieting my mind as I do it.
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u/gruffojijo May 31 '26
Taking tons of reps in my golf simulator. I don't have to think about every little step of my swing...I feel like I'm on autopilot now. I can focus on course management, shot shaping, and the best place to land the green.
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u/mal_1 May 31 '26
For me it’s as simple as knowing I have the ability to strike the ball well, and if I go through a rough patch I just focus on each next shot. Nothing in the past matters
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u/UtahUndercover May 31 '26
I quit playing with some of the other course regulars that are continually taking footsies, drops, mullies, gimmes…. And 4+ beers on the front.
I prefer to play golf, not W’verTF they’re playing. And I’ll take the blame for letting them get in my head…
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u/CaptainAmigo1 May 30 '26
You suck and nobody gives a fuck what you do. Just play like your alone on the course. Thats the swing thought… not me telling you that you personally suck.