OK, so it's come to this! You've tried everything and are ready to throw in your golf towel and take up bowling. Maybe it's not your swing, but your mental approach? Heck, you've tried everything else right?
Here you can ask your mental side of golf questions to Dr. Laura DeMarzo, Ed.D., and she'll do her best to get you back on the right track.
There is no charge for submitting your question, Dr. "D" will do her best to get back to you within a few days. Questions and answers will be posted in this forum, not directly to your e-mail. So check back in a day or so to see your response.
Take a peek at others questions below to see if your question may already have been answered.
Remember, please give us your FIRST name, city and state or Country, and your question. (questions must relate to golf)
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Dr. Laura DeMarzo, Ed.D.,Psychologist.
Dr. DeMarzo has been in private practice for 20 years and owns a group practice in Hillsborough N. J. She is also on medical staff at Somerset Medical Center. (Dr. DeMarzo has helped hundreds of individuals with reaching their peak performance through cognitive restructuring, meditation, breathing and relaxation, and visualization techniques.)
Range swing is great, course swing "sucks!"
Hey Doc, Thanks for taking my question. Whenever I'm playing in a tournament I don't seem to relax and shoot well until I've screwed up so bad that I'm mathematically out of it. It seems that once I know it doesn't matter what I shoot the rest of the way I settle down and shoot my game. However by then it's too late.- R. C. South Carolina
Dear R. C.,
It sounds to me like you are suffering from "anticipatory anxiety." Anticipatory anxiety is like psyching yourself out instead of focusing on your goal and your game. It can be very hard to break the cycle during competition unless you have some tools in place already. Golf is very much a mental game, and you will hear that echoed in many future answers.
I recommend you work on positive self-talk statements about your golf game before the tournament and during. Focus on what you do well. Be a problem solver rather than letting the "outside" control you. Wear a reminder rubber band on your wrist and snap it hard whenever you get down on yourself or start thinking negative thoughts. You can do this after any shot you aren't happy with. Remind yourself that the shot is gone, "let's get focused on the next one."
This may seem obvious but be sure to go to the practice range as often as you can. Practicing your strokes are essential for the mental game and building confidence. Success breeds confidence. One or two real successes using these tips and you'll be on your way. Good luck and keep me posted! Dr. D.
Dr. "D",
I have trouble hitting after someone in front of me who is a big hitter rips one down the middle. I never seem to be able to follow that up. I don't route against anyone, as we usually don't play for anything, but I can't shake the feeling that no matter what I do I won't be able to match the shot I just saw and it messes me up.
Tim from Florida
Dear Tim,
It is a well known fact that we can only think one thought at a time. In your case that one thought becomes a negative thought as soon as the guy in front of you hits a big shot. Instead of standing over the ball thinking " I'll never beat that", step away and go through your pre-shot routine. Every golfer should have a "normal" pre-shot routine to avoid just the problem you're having.
Stand behind the ball and picture where you want the ball to land. (NOT relative to Kong's T-shot before you!). Take your grip while you look down the fairway. Picture whether you want to hit a draw or or fade, and what the swing is going to feel like. Seeing the ball in your mind go exactly where you want it to will free your mind of the negative thoughts that will ruin your shot.
Now get up to the ball, think only about how the shot will look and where it's going to land, take a waggle or two to loosen any tension from the arms, then go! Don't get paralyzed over the ball at this point. You don't want any negative thoughts creeping back in there while you go over 10 swing thoughts.
You may also want to try wearing a rubber band or one of those Lance Armstrong type bracelets and give it a tug when you start thinking negatively. Every time you look at it remember to think positive. It may seem like a parlor trick but for many it's all it takes to get your focus back.
Good Luck to you!
I.S.A.G bonus comment: Tim my man. I love what Dr. D is recommending, but wanted to throw in my 2 Cents. You said in your question that you don't route against anyone because you rarely play for anything. Why is that? If you guys have handicaps why not play for 5 a side? It's "easy" for the big hitter in the group to go out there and intimidate everyone else when you're not playing for anything. Put a little added pressure that he's got to hit the fairway this time and you'll see some doubt creep into that elongated back swing. Also, routing against someone in the group you're playing against can add fun to the game.
Your problem is that even if you hit a good one off the tee you're still hitting "first" all day. Big hitter or not, the guy collecting the money at the end of the round is the one who has the bragging rights. I think by never playing for anything you're doomed to feel bad all the time, as you're always going to be out driven by this guy.
As my dad used to say, " Playing for fun is no fun". ($5 a side, dollar birdies, barkies, sandies and pussy's*.)
Best of luck to you.
*(when your drive doesn't make it past the ladies tee but you still make par.)
July 08
Dr. Laura,
I have trouble with my putting and feel that I'm too easily distracted and not really focusing when reading the putt. Any tips?
Paul, Houston Texas
Paul,
One really great technique to try is to bend down and form a tunnel with your hands over your eyes so you can focus just on reading the line. You'll see a lot of great putters do this, and it's not just to shade their eyes from the suns glare. It blocks out a lot of distractions. Heck, if Tiger does it it's worth a shot don't you think? Try it, it will sharpen your focus. Let me know how this works for you . Good luck.
July 08
Dr. DeMarzo,
How can I keep my swing thoughts from overwhelming me on the tee? I'm thinking of so many things I need to do that I sometimes have to step away because I can't pull the trigger.
Thanks!
Bob in Florida
One very strong yet simple technique is to take your address thinking of only one swing thought and focusing on that only. It is important to not overanalyze. Wearing one of my motivating wrist bands which says "focus" can help with not over analyzing and keeping it simple. (you can even use an elastic band, anything that reminds you to stick to one thought.) The reason we practice is of course to play better, but the best result is muscle memory. If you do something enough it becomes "automatic". Which is another reason why it's important to practice the correct swing, a decent grip, stance etc. You don't want your muscle memory to be remembering a bad swing! Once your "grooved" your swing you can stop "thinking" about it and start thinking about other things, like your target, the wind, your aim, etc. That's when the scores start to drop big time!
Try this and let me know the results. Good luck.
July 08
Dr. DeMarzo,
Is their anything I can work on in particular (specifically) that can improve my game? I practice a lot and don't seem to get much better!
Roy (Tennessee)
Hi Roy,
Many times I have been asked about what steps can be taken to lower a persons handicap. One very simple way is to take notes on the course. Many golfers are so frustrated after a bad day on the course that they either can't or don't want to remember where they lost shots. Just like jotting down the number of putts per hole, you can jot down when you hit a particularly good or bad shot and what you were thinking before the shot.
Bringing a notepad with you during the game is helpful in elucidating areas to work on later. You can come up with a code of sorts so you don't have to write a novel after every shot! NF (not focused) H (hook) S (slice) etc.
Keep in mind it's also a good idea to write down how you felt before your great shots too! C (confident) N (nervous) etc.
The next time you go to the range bring your pad with you from your last round or study it before you go and focus on the areas where you had the most trouble. (short irons, slices). Also remember to try and hit at the range as if you were on the course. Pick a target, go through your pre shot routine, etc. Remember, your practice isn't going to help you as much on the course if it's at a totally different pace then you play for real.
Good luck and let me know if this helps.
Dr. Laura DeMarzo
Range swing is great, course swing "sucks"!
(Aug 08)
Hi Dr. Laura,
My problem is my real swing. My warrmup swing is smooth and feels great, then when I set up to the ball, I tense up and hit poorly, usually a big divot behind the ball. At the range I'll sometimes get in a groove and can't hit one poorly, but on the course I almost feel like I'd be better off with my eyes closed. Advice? Thanks, Don
Hi Don,
Your problem is one that many golfers have. Let's assume for the sake of argument that your golf swing is fine, and not the problem. We need to figure out why you hit so well on the range and so poorly on the course. The first thing that comes to mind is pressure. Are you putting undu pressure on yourself? Is the thought of hitting a bad shot and embarrassing yourself or ruining your round causing you to tense up? Tense muscles and negative thoughts are the two biggest killers of a good golf swing.
Try these tips;
Next trip to the range make a special effort to hit in a very visible area. We want you to feel a little pressure on your practice shots for now on. (so it's more like what you feel on the course and vice versa.)
Pick a specific target when you practice with each club. Shots that may wind up in the trap or water on the course may look nice flying through the air at the range and be excused as "ok". Make a game of it. Start off by hitting your PW and don't move on to a higher club until you hit 5 good shots in a row. The pressure will build as you force yourself to execute those last shots in order to move on. If you can't hit 5 good shots in a row the extra practice with that club is probably needed anyway! Approach every shot at the range as you would on the course. Same pre shot routine, same focus, everything.
You didn't mention if your driving range has natural grass or mats. If it has mats you may be getting used to the ball sitting up nice and high on the mat and it may feel "too tight" when you see it nestled down ever so slightly on the fairway. Try and find a range that has a grass area and spend some of your practice time there as well. Try to make your practice as much like the conditions you face on the course as possible. You may feel a little more pressure at the range, but in time you'll feel more comfortable on the course.
If you try the above steps and still don't see improvement on the course , see a good PGA or LPGA pro. Even if your swing is sound it'll help your confidence to have it analyzed and get feedback from a golf professional.
The last tip is the easiest of them all! Wear a rubber band on your wrist and before any pressured shot, discretely snap the rubber band to remind yourself to relax. Relax your arms, your wrists, your shoulders, and make sure you take a nice "light" grip on the club. When you address the ball limit yourself to ONE swing thought, take a couple of waggles and go. Think only about where you want the ball to land and how it will look getting there.
Good luck to you, and let me know how you make out.
Dr. Laura
