Getting Out of a Slump

[drk_evns]

I haven't had many putting "slumps" while competing... but after recently adjusting my throw, I seem to have lost a bit of confidence in my game. Despite throwing further and more accurately, I am thinking more about mechanics because it's recent in my mind—and it has caused back-to-back poor tournament performances. This seems to have extended into my putt a bit.

Luckily, I was able to enjoy the course and the tournament itself. Practiced a putting until I was exhausted tonight, I think partly to punish myself.

What are the best ways you use to get out of a slump? Just play to enjoy the game until you find it again? Practice til you drop? Meditate?

 

[NoseDownKing]

You know it's all in your head. I know you throw far and accurately and can probably putt decent too, so you got the skill. You're creating an imaginary problem that doesn't exist, well it does but it's in your head. Being confident is nothing but having belief in your abilities. You have to choose to believe in your abilities, instead of hoping for it to just come. The times when you're setting personal/course records are the times, when you have zero doubt in your abilities. You woke up that day and (most likely) subconsciously started believing in your abilities.

Obviously it's not necessarily easy to just choose to believe in your abilities. But you need to be aware that you are in complete control of your thoughts. Instead of doubting yourself, believe in yourself.

 

[HyooMac]

It IS all in your head. But in the meantime, if you want to DO something, fieldwork with a tight focus on improving one weak part of your game. Just one.

Fix that, and you'll feel confidence coming back.

 

[Sheep]

I suggest someone with a yard stick to swat you every time you screw up.

But this is literally my suggestion for like everything.

Trouble with motivation, Yard stick.
Need more exercise, chase with yard stick.
Screwing something up, hit with yard stick.

I mean.
It works. hahaha.
nobody wants a swat on the back of the hand with a yard stick.
And if you was an 80's kid you def got hit with a yard stick.

 

[Brychanus]

I haven't had many putting "slumps" while competing... but after recently adjusting my throw, I seem to have lost a bit of confidence in my game. Despite throwing further and more accurately, I am thinking more about mechanics because it's recent in my mind—and it has caused back-to-back poor tournament performances. This seems to have extended into my putt a bit.

Luckily, I was able to enjoy the course and the tournament itself. Practiced a putting until I was exhausted tonight, I think partly to punish myself.

What are the best ways you use to get out of a slump? Just play to enjoy the game until you find it again? Practice til you drop? Meditate?

When is the last time you took a complete DG break, and for how long?

 

[drk_evns]

When is the last time you took a complete DG break, and for how long?

I think ~December to ~January. I see your point. There is a lot of value in taking real breaks... it helps.

I have Ledgestone and DGLO in the next two weeks, so I'm going to have to attack this a different way.

You're all right that it's in my head. Came here to say it "out loud." That also helps.

 

[Lastchancer88]

I think ~December to ~January. I see your point. There is a lot of value in taking real breaks... it helps.

I have Ledgestone and DGLO in the next two weeks, so I'm going to have to attack this a different way.

You're all right that it's in my head. Came here to say it "out loud." That also helps.

In response to the tournaments coming up I would suggest working on lines and situations to take your mind off of form. You know you're going to have to throw certain shots, and the easiest way to miss your line is to worry about what X body part is doing, so go practice lines and angles as best you can in a field or on a course without form considerations. I've even heard of people doing pushups every time they miss a chosen line to exaggerate the focus. Pick that spot in the distance, visualize the flight, and make that happen. That is the best way I've found to let go of form thoughts (from a chronic over-thinker mind you). That's also the best method I've used to play in a tournament.

With putting, it's all about finding your putt while warming up, *you know when you've got it, and then each putt in the round is focusing in on that one chain link or spot that makes the basket as big as possible and just tossing the disc to it. It's not about birdie or saving par or this and that, it's just tossing a frisbee into a basket.

Basically I've found the most success so far with neutral thoughts that stay as in the moment as possible with no concern for an outcome past trying to make the disc do the thing. Hopefully some of that helps.

Good luck with the tourneys!

*edited for clarification.

 

[drk_evns]

In response to the tournaments coming up I would suggest working on lines and situations to take your mind off of form. You know you're going to have to throw certain shots, and the easiest way to miss your line is to worry about what X body part is doing, so go practice lines and angles as best you can in a field or on a course without form considerations. I've even heard of people doing pushups every time they miss a chosen line to exaggerate the focus. Pick that spot in the distance, visualize the flight, and make that happen. That is the best way I've found to let go of form thoughts (from a chronic over-thinker mind you). That's also the best method I've used to play in a tournament.

With putting, it's all about finding your putt while warming up, when you know you've got it, focusing in on that one chain link or spot that makes the basket as big as possible and then just tossing the disc in. It's not about birdie or saving par or this and that, it's just tossing a frisbee into a basket.

Basically I've found the most success so far with neutral thoughts that stay as in the moment as possible with no concern for an outcome past trying to make the disc do the thing. Hopefully some of that helps.

Good luck with the tourneys!

Thank you. What you describe is exactly what happens when I'm playing my best. Going to channel that. I think I have too many mechanics on the mind. That's what I get for adjusting mid-season. Had one of those unexpected epiphanies recently so I couldn't ignore it lol.

 

[BillFleming]

You are thinking too much. I have the same issue at times. When that happens, I take a deep breath, and as I let it out, I think to myself....you've got this...why make it more difficult than it is. Then another deep breath and as I let it out I putt.

 

[Brychanus]

Mental and physical microbreaks count and help too. Did you interject something to stop thinking about mechanics at all? Go throw some darts? Get a beer and shoot the shit with a friend with no DG allowed at the table? Swim?

In addition to what LC said, I started doing some tagalong league rounds to see if I like competition and immediately started picking up new tricks.

First, people definitely vary in these anti-funk strategies, which I now think probably applies all the way up the competitive chain. drk, I routinely am still working on form fundamentals, so I need tricks to shut it off when I care about my score. When in doubt or I get too in my head like you, I am recently learning the value of falling back to my most practiced throw angles and discs where I have the best "feel" for the power and control. That seems trivial to say, but it's really not. If you're like most people you probably have a range of comfort level/automaticity across your body skills. Even if it costs me a stroke or from my ideal line, I think it also ends up saving me strokes over a round because I play smarter golf and recover some touch/resync my mechanics, and gain confidence and calm my body down. I think it's also underneath the linear growth in my drive game over time even though I wasn't always consciously doing it. If you're like me, you may sometimes need to explicitly ask yourself "what's the thing I hate the least about my game today?" And then lean on as much of that thing as you need to while the rest is working itself out/getting practiced, whatever. I need to master one kick before I master a second. The only exception is if I do something and immediately can tell what went wrong mechanically, I'll mind it a little more. But if minding it makes me more anxious, it's gotta go. It's just time to throw.

I normally have a fairly set preshot routine. When I can tell I'm getting into my head and not going to get back out, I pull an Isaac Robinson and just go for it on the next hole. It really helps.

When I practice a course, I get more reps on my "stock" angles and disc choices on the first tee shot (even if the line is not ideal, I want to repeat my "fallback" and default skill), then try the more ambitious/less practiced skills on a 2nd shot.

I also have found it useful to pick a pro with similar dispositions to my natural preferences and current skills and learn from their choices. It is helping me reduce trying to learn to do 10 things well down to just 3 or 4. Mastering your own version of those seems to be the difference for a lot of people spanning from the 900 to 1000-rated range who care to compete, at least around my parts.

One last thought - and this is huge for me - I express humor/positivity out loud to my card even if I am internally seething about a bad shot. It has made me seethe less and relax more. My favorite quote in disc golf is still attributed to Paul Oman: "You are not good enough to be mad at yourself." Thinking that getting mad at yourself is something to earn changes your relationship to bad shots and the people around you. It also changes your relationship to very good shots that are not perfect. Recent example: I was slightly annoyed at myself for throwing the best drive of the card off the tee on Sunday because I didn't get the extra 30' and the last bit of late turn would have made it a guaranteed upshot+birdie (I threw an ok upshot but then missed the putt, which really stung). But I had never seen anyone throw a shot that good before at my level, and I needed to remind myself to listen to my cardmates saying polite things about it. I think they rooted harder for me because I keep most of the negativity to myself, which also reminds me to root for myself.

Every bad drive is a chance to get better at scrambles. Every bad upshot is a chance to get better at long putts. Every missed putt is welcomed as an old friend. Say these things to yourself every time until you believe them. Then say them again.

I'm curious what other competitive folks do to make progress/mitigate the funks.

 

[Waddball]

Maybe it's the yips, which unbeknownst to me can apparently be a physical issue alongside the mental aspect.

Yips - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org

How to Beat The Yips in Sports | Sports Psychology Articles

The yips can afflict athletes in any sport. No matter the sport or your level of experience, the yips can become problematic. Read more to learn how to beat the yips.

www.peaksports.com

 

[Polecat132]

I've just had somewhat of a breakthrough with my mental game that might help. I've always struggled with being in my own head during a round, whether thinking about form or just making a shot, and I recently figured out a somewhat reliable way to clear my mind. Its hard to describe, but I think the key is to become emotionless when taking a shot. When you have no emotion, it removes all pressure and allows for maximum focus.

So how does one become emotionless? Although it may seem like a difficult thing, I think its something that everyone can do, and It is a skill that can be practiced. The easiest way I have found to get the feeling is using pain. Try this: pinch your tricep and try not to have any reaction to it for as long as you can. The mechanism your mind uses for ignoring pain is the same one you can use out on the course to ignore your emotions/clear the mind. Try getting into this emotionless mindset before you think about your throw at all. This way, instead of having to constantly battle the intrusive thoughts, they aren't even there. For me, I imagine getting punched in the face really hard and having no reaction until I get into the mindset, and a physical queue I use is to completely loosen all of my face muscles. You won't instantly become Mcbeth using this, but I notice much more accuracy, especially in high pressure situations.

 

[Brychanus]

I've just had somewhat of a breakthrough with my mental game that might help. I've always struggled with being in my own head during a round, whether thinking about form or just making a shot, and I recently figured out a somewhat reliable way to clear my mind. Its hard to describe, but I think the key is to become emotionless when taking a shot. When you have no emotion, it removes all pressure and allows for maximum focus.

So how does one become emotionless? Although it may seem like a difficult thing, I think its something that everyone can do, and It is a skill that can be practiced. The easiest way I have found to get the feeling is using pain. Try this: pinch your tricep and try not to have any reaction to it for as long as you can. The mechanism your mind uses for ignoring pain is the same one you can use out on the course to ignore your emotions/clear the mind. Try getting into this emotionless mindset before you think about your throw at all. This way, instead of having to constantly battle the intrusive thoughts, they aren't even there. For me, I imagine getting punched in the face really hard and having no reaction until I get into the mindset, and a physical queue I use is to completely loosen all of my face muscles. You won't instantly become Mcbeth using this, but I notice much more accuracy, especially in high pressure situations.

Nice!

There is a somewhat developed research area on what you're describing for pain & emotions, and how you psychologically react to it can promote different levels of the effect you describe. E.g.:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796706000489?casa_token=nCbuFoRKzVsAAAAA:LCPab-8zQ3GAnKs_CplVCXom9Ugqcuw8nJK9JRrlu4iIx1i3W6r_tWr2z8Hd1Xi0wLlM0e4ULg

Attention shifting strategies can also work, apparently including in chickens! #themoreyouknow

Attentional Shifts Alter Pain Perception in the Chicken | Animal Welfare | Cambridge Core

Attentional Shifts Alter Pain Perception in the Chicken - Volume 10 Issue S1

www.cambridge.org

 

[Art Stryker]

I haven't had many putting "slumps" while competing... but after recently adjusting my throw, I seem to have lost a bit of confidence in my game. Despite throwing further and more accurately, I am thinking more about mechanics because it's recent in my mind—and it has caused back-to-back poor tournament performances. This seems to have extended into my putt a bit.

Luckily, I was able to enjoy the course and the tournament itself. Practiced a putting until I was exhausted tonight, I think partly to punish myself.

What are the best ways you use to get out of a slump? Just play to enjoy the game until you find it again? Practice til you drop? Meditate?

Go back to your original throw off the tee before the adjustment. You original throw felt more comfortable correct? Now after the round play each shot back in your head. You will notice you have done something without even realizing it.