How to stay mentally focused

[Connorl]

Alright, with the quest to become a good golfer comes the frustration of "I can throw this line" vs the reality of how many times out of 10 you can actually hit said line.

My issue here lately is I keep getting really frustrated when I take extra strokes (I'm sure some of you can relate.) Whether it be from missing a putt I know I can make or shanking a drive or hitting a tree, I can feel myself getting irritated. Sometimes I get so upset it bleeds over into the rest of the round and causes me to not even have fun.

I know this is an issue that nearly everyone has, and I'm pretty sure it comes from having expectations. I play with a 1000 rated player everytime I play and I see him puring lines and hitting putts and I start thinking "well I do know that I have pured this line before" or "I can make this putt" and it will come around and bite me for sure. Whether I go for the 2 on a par 3 and end up in the shule or missing a putt from a long distance only to have it sail past another 20' to a possible 3-putt.

I guess what I'm asking is how do I play a round without getting frustrated after carding a 7 or missing an easy bid for birdie? How do I stay mentally focused even after it seems like I slammed in every shrub or bush or limb for 3 holes in a row? How can I be content with just getting up and down every hole I play (it seems sometimes)

 

[sidewinder22]

Zen golf, detach your thoughts from expectations and results. Sometimes it's better to just not care and say "F*** it" and shoot. This is also why some people play better drunk.

 

[Connorl]

Zen golf, detach your thoughts from expectations and results. Sometimes it's better to just not care and say "F*** it" and shoot. This is also why some people play better drunk.

sidewinder! my constant source of info on this website! I was looking forward to a reply from you. my next question is how can I apply this to a round?

When I step up to a tee, I see my intended line and I take a deep breath and throw the line. When It clearly does not do what i wanted, this is when I get frustrated (especially when I know I can and have pured this line before). How can I play without expectations when I know that I CAN AND HAVE done said task before?

 

[iacas]

The only thing you can control is the process.

Once the disc is out of your hands, it's quite literally out of your hands. You have no control over the result, only the preparation, the process.

Routine helps.

 

[sidewinder22]

Yeah ^ part of it just a matter of practice and trusting your swing and being able to be relaxed. Just because you can and have doesn't mean you will in the moment. If you have thoughts of, I must hit this, then you are already tense and not relaxed which robs muscle speed and length. The throw should be more of a reaction than a thought process. Like a catch and shoot 3 point jumper in basketball, you don't think about it, you react. It's harder to get to that point in golf because you have more time to think like a free throw and how many awesome jump shooters have terrible free throws...many. Golf is not a game of perfect, allow yourself 3 or 10 mistakes a round, most fun wins, enjoy the scenery, the weather, the people you play with, a bad day of disc golf still beats most anything else.

 

[Kodachrome]

here's my main thing: every tee i come up to i make sure i'm loose, even if i'm upset i take a second and clear my mind. wiggle my arms around, take a deep breath, bounce on my toes, shake it out. i can be angry; sometimes being angry and competitive REALLY gives me a boost i need, actually, but i *NEED* to be loose. even if you're angry, you can hone that to a focal point, feed everything into that and empty your mind until the only thing left is the shot. it gets me into a weird sort of zen zone.

that said, if i DO screw up i have a policy: any screwup is going to add, at MAXIMUM (unless i go OB of course), one stroke to my score. one ****up=one stroke. don't be a hero. take your stroke; you screwed up so you earned it, and don't go adding any more by trying to erase your mistake if you don't have a relatively safe way out. "relatively" for me can be as low as 60/40 depending on how frisky i feel. but i also take the shot understanding the potential consequences, so at worst i will only be disappointed.

i go into every round at every course with a best possible score already in my head and what i CAN throw on every single hole also in my head. i keep a +/-1 stroke for several holes where i know things might turn out differently. it helps me manage my expectations while still remaining within my "acceptable" score range. of course, i will NEVER throw as if i expect to make anything other than par or a birdie.

if you screw up, go back to making the shot you KNOW you WILL make, not trying to hit the shot you know you CAN make. this will get you back on track with those expectations because a 3 is a 3, whether you had an outstanding drive and missed a long birdie putt or had a short, controlled drive and an easy upshot. sometimes i feel long putts are more dangerous than upshots.

missing putts screws with my head the most. i have a bad habit of doinking the basket and then being afraid . . . so i doink the basket for the rest of the round. shameful. i usually laugh and say something about shaming my family, then suck up and make sure i run it the next time. it's a mental game. if you know what makes you tick, then you'll know how to overcome your frustration. when my putts get timid it's because i'm extending my arm at the basket instead of shifting my weight more. i keep my body back because i'm tense and it can't move forward/backward fluidly. my arm doesn't follow through for the same reason.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

I'm not sure there is a magic elixir for this. I used to get pretty upset with myself in disc golf and bowling, and I know it affected my scores. But I got older...and a little wiser...and a little more mature...and I realized that I'm out on the course or bowling with my buddies because I'm having fun. (Supposed to be anyway.) I realized that I'm playing a game... no one is going hungry if I bogey or miss a spare... my insurance premiums aren't going up if I go OB or roll one in the gutter... I think I just developed an appreciation for the fact that I'm doing something I really enjoy so getting upset about it takes that enjoyment away. I'm a little more patient and then more patient with myself.

Now if I'm a top pro with money on the line.... I don't know man. Everyone says one hole at a time, but not how to be in that mindset. Maybe you need your own little happy place you can visualize when things go bad. Some kind of little mental trick you can play on yourself. Draw a Far Side cartoon on the bottom of your putter. If you figure it out though, don't tell anyone. Write a book and get paid.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

DO NOT picture people around you just in underwear before making your throw!

 

[Stardoggy]

The more comfortable you get with your throws, the more good lines you'll hit, and the better you'll feel. Until then, just remember it's a fun game, and that you WILL get better.

 

[zugthug1705]

I think everyone has a different capacity to stay focused. Some of my A.D.D/O.C.D people know what I'm talking about... I can try to do everything to clear my head, and then just as I'm starting my run-up, "Where are all these gnats coming from??" *BOOM* Hit the first tree and get pissed. But I'm sure you can apply a lot of what ^these guys will tell you.

Also, maybe play with some people closer to your skill level? It helps some people to play with really good players as much as possible, but sometimes I also enjoy being the best in my group and realizing I'm not the only one who makes mistakes

 

[Beener]

Good insight here!

For driving, working long fairways and approaching I always stick to the known GOOD (not great) shot: have practiced it before, have seen it before, have had success with it before, etc. In short, I always stick to my game AND don't try to emulate what my fellow golfers are doing.

For putting, I treat each putt with "reverence". I may not ever see that exact putt again, so it deserves my mindful attention to routine. Make or miss, the next putt is a new and unique opportunity.

Oh, and having a short memory always helps!

 

[Jesterian]

It really does make it easier if you're enjoying yourself the whole time. If you're playing badly, strap on a smile anyway and see if it doesn't change how you're feeling and playing.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

A.D.D people know what I'm talking about

That's me, and something I do to help me is...wear a baseball hat. I use the bill of my cap to help screen out some visual stimulus, at least while putting. Plus, I attempt to reach straight out at the end of my putt by aiming for the center of the bill of the cap too.

When I'm not trying to screen out stimulus (and ignore the thousands of bouncing, ricocheting thoughts in my brain), I'm just having fun, though. The more laughs and silliness, the better for me. I guess that's one reason why I stopped playing in tournaments...

 

[whentherainscome]

I don't know how to tell you how to do it. I do know I'm capable of being focused for about 12 holes at a stretch. Once or twice I've kept it up for two rounds. Usually something brings me out of it, and it's kind of like waking up. All my incessant head chatter comes back. The most frequent reason is when I realize the round is ALMOST over. I start acting like it's ALREADY over. I start considering timelines and what to do after and I almost always add 2 or 3 strokes on the last 2 holes.

When I am zoned in, it's just a cold steely mathematical kind of feeling. I assess, pick the line, and hit it. Whenever I think "I had a good shot here last time, just do the same thing again" I invariably muck it up. It's gotta be the first time every time.

 

[Connorl]

What is the best way to recover mentally after taking a bad number on a hole?

 

[Dan Ensor]

Forget you took a bad number on a hole.

 

[Smigles]

You can not just think about that you hit a certain line before. You also gotta think about how high percentage that you make that line. If you know it's a 10% line you will not be as dissapointed if you dont hit it. If you know it's a 95% line, then you can get dissapointed.

But even then, always focus on the next throw. The throw oyu are about to make is the only one you have control over.

 

[disc qualified]

consistency is that great white whale that most of us chase

knowing that it is difficult to remain consistent, there is no need to put added pressure on yourself when a shot doesn't go as planned

stay loose, breathe deep and have fun

life is too long of a trip to carry extra baggage with you, leave the last hole at the last hole

live in the moment, no need to dwell in the past because you can't change what happened you can only work on what is about to happen

 

[Broken Shoulder]

What is the best way to recover mentally after taking a bad number on a hole?

Create a routine for yourself that you must follow every time this happens. Or every time you complete a hole maybe. Several deep breaths, a personal little mantra, swear at your mini, walk counterclockwise around a tree or tee sign.... it's all pretty personal and it's all about "clearing the mechanism." No one answer will suffice. You have to find YOUR thing.

 

[HeavyCritters]

That's me, and something I do to help me is...wear a baseball hat. I use the bill of my cap to help screen out some visual stimulus, at least while putting. Plus, I attempt to reach straight out at the end of my putt by aiming for the center of the bill of the cap too.

When I'm not trying to screen out stimulus (and ignore the thousands of bouncing, ricocheting thoughts in my brain), I'm just having fun, though. The more laughs and silliness, the better for me. I guess that's one reason why I stopped playing in tournaments...

I've got a little A.D.D. as well, ESPECIALLY when putting. Going to try the baseball hat maneuver.

:thmbup: