To all golfers...
 

What do you do to relax and concentrate on the golf course? I've been playing for 5+ years, and I still manage to duff quite a few shots because I'm tensed up and too focused on making the shot. Obviously, this needs to change as I'm considering joining a league. Anyone have any ideas?

How about some good old Mary Jane? My golfing buddies and I always light up during a round.

Seriously though, make sure you are playing with a group of cool buddies who are not afraid to joke around and have fun. A good, and most importantly, natural routine helps too.

hmmm, only thing i do is when i initially address the ball, i stand there for a second, take a deep breathe, and a long slow exhale. that does it for me.

but i'm interested to know what your handicap is? reason i wonder is because if you've got a high handicap, maybe it's not your concentration that's the problem. most of the time when i still duff, i find it's because i still have the problem of looking up before i'm even halfway through my swing. i also duff when i'm trying too hard to rip the ball with a power swing. gotta remember that if you take the right approach to the ball, you can let the club do the work for you. if you think you have that problem, you can fix that by using one club up with a 3/4 swing. that's what i do.

for me, most of my problem is the short game, chipping and putting. and i hardly even practice the damn putting which is what i really need to do. i'd have a lot lower handicap if i could get it to where i two put at the most on every green.

and remember, with golf, it's not necessarily how you do it, but how many! if you keep that in mind, you'll play smarter.

I think the key is not taking it too seriously. Remember that it's just a game and something like 90% of golfers never break 100. If you just enjoy the good shots and laugh at the bad ones, you might be able to relax a little more....

The 3/4 swing thing never worked for me when I started playing, someone else told me that too. However, I found it was harder to think about where your going to stop your swing, and getting your hips around on a 3/4 swing is a little tougher.

Relax, just swing free, let your natural swing do the work for you. When you start hitting the ball consistently in the middle of the club, and your swing feels comfortable, then you can work on giving it the 'ol steroid jerk. Keep your eyes on the ball! I took a few lessons, and that was a major problem. I never even knew it, but even when I was a 15 handicap, I hardly ever kept my eyes at the ball. I took the lessons, and my handicap in 1 year went from a 15 to a 6. Keeping my head down, getting the hips through the shot were 2 major things.


Just relax, and have fun. It's hard, I've been playing for 17 years. Took me 15 of them to get to be a decent player. =)

what i generally do is leave my buggy about 15 meters away and walk the rest to the ball with the selected club swinging to get the feel of the shot ( eg ½ - ¾ or full )...that way i go over the shot in my mind a few times ( be the ball and all that).... pick a spot 2m in front of the ball and then forget about the main target... concentrate on hitting the ball over the spot 2m away........knees bent slightly and left arm straight........and most of all - - Dont forget to breathe!!

chers
hope it helps

I've been playing golf for a few years now and when I would make frequent poor swings, I would go to the grass range and just concentrate on making solid contact every shot. I was less concerned with distance and accuracy and just worked on striking the ball well. Distance and accuracy were merely byproducts of a good solid hit.

A really good way to help relax is play with people your really comfortable with.. this can actually make a good difference.

Another key I have found is DONT THINK. The range is where you think. When your playing if you start thinking about stuff.. it will usually make things worse. Like others have said.. Keep your eye on the ball.. you should be able to see your club hit the ball before you look up. Thats about all you should think about besides aiming.. =P

Try swinging easy a few times and get a feel for the kind of distance you'll get if you do that, I think you might be suprised.

Another thing I recently learned that really improved my game fast.. was continuing to follow through the path of the ball. In otherwords when you hit.. kind of throw your arms/club straight down the ball path on the followthrough. kind of hard to explain.. but I hope it helps.

I don't know how much I have to add to what everyone else has said. What it will probably be is stating things in a different way.

First, once you have hit your shot, forget it. As you travel to your ball, look around, enjoy the weather, visit with your partners, make jokes.

Second, as you approach your ball, decide what your going to do. Take a deep breath and let it out. Basically get loose. The set up and hit the shot.

Third, don't try to think through every part of your swing while hitting the shot. On the course, you may have one or two swing thoughts. Don't add new ones once you get off the first tee.

Fourth, if you want to analyze your swing, do it on the range. The course is where you PLAY (e.g. have fun), the range is where you PRACTICE (e.g. work on your swing).

Lastly, spend as much or more time practicing chipping and putting. That will improve your game more quickly that anything else. In my round this weekend I shot 8 over par, but I only hit 3 greens in regulation. Last week I was 12 over, but I hit 7 greens in regulation.

Keep at it, but enjoy it. It is only a silly game. :D

i agree. does anyone else think golf isn't really a sport?

For me, a sport requires skill with some kind of projectile and some physicla excercise/strain. Golf doens't rally have the physicallity of you ask me. I am probably gonna get flammed for this :o

I guess that depends on if you're walking or riding. When I play I walk 90% of the time and carry my own bag and even being in good shape for a 25 year old I still get tired on the last few holes.

There is tremendous skill involved on hitting a little ball 300 yards and keeping in an area about 20 yards wide. You have to be pretty fit to be able to walk the course and continue to do that through the 18th. But if you comparing this to football, well its hard to compare, but curling is a sport, so why not golf?

Thanks for all the tips guys. I was out on the course today and shot better than I ever have before! I think the thing that helped me the most was the realization that it's just a game, not something that your life depends on. (unless you're Tiger Woods that is).:cool:

right on, bro! glad to hear it.

Glad to hear that you had a good round. Keep it up!!

I have to disagree about Tiger. His life doesn't depend on it. He has more money that God.

once I am set up, I let my right hand relax and I unclench the club. I've heard this called milking the udder. When I regrip the club I make sure that I am not squeezing too hard.

That helps me to relax (but I still suck).

Did you try masturbation?? No seriously, repitition is the key...practice practice practice