Off season lessons

Rebecca ... I just have to comment on your avatar ...


Shirts with collars are mandatory on the golf course.



(Sorry ... just had to ... now back to business)

Some of us are fortunate to live in a place where there is sunshine all year long so there is really no off-season practice... just continuous practice all year long!

It's cold, wet and dark outside and I'll taken my putting practicing gear to kitchen. It's time to think about off season practice; mental, physical and technical.

Probably easiest is to build up your physical abilities during winter? By easiest I mean most sensible - you can feel and see your development in strength, duration and flexibility.

Mental training is hard to evaluate. Maybe I should make 10 successful puts before opening my fridge - that could toughen nerves...

It's difficult to work on a swing with out feedback - and ball flight is best feedback I can think of. 70 meters inside golf hall just is not enough.
(Maybe chipping ... and some accuracy...)

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"It's fine to take your golf seriously, but don't take yourself seriously." Zen Golf

Visualisation techniques as suggested are excellent ways to develop during the off season. What was missing from the suggestions were:

In addition to visualising playing the holes during this exercise you must also imagine what you feel. For example feel the texture of the grip in your hands, feel the texture of the grass under your feet, feel the breeze on your face. The more intense you make what you see and what you feel the more powerful this technique becomes. Similarly with sounds. What sounds will you also hear, the rustling of long grass, your breathing, is your breathing light and shallow or deep and slow? Our brains work best when we create all aspects of the experience. When you do this each new time intensify each aspect on the experience that is helpfull, i.e. brighter colours, more texture, louder sounds. and reduce those aspects which are less usefull, i.e. distracting background noise reduce its volume, a fairway bunker can be made black and white and reduced in size.

Also rehearse your inner dialogue. Ensure that you are constructive. This isn't positive thinking. This is about dialogue which is helpful. i.e. "I don't want to go in the bunker" is only stating what you don't want to do. Your brain works best when you move its attention to what you do want to do i.e "I want to hit the fairway". Be aware of what your inner voice is saying and be aware of how little dialogue you need when addressing the ball and making your swing.

If you feel you don't have the perfect swing at this time, visualise what the perfect swing for you will look like. Go to the movies. Mix up the exercise that on alternate days watch yourself playing with your perfect swing. See the body language, the way you walk and conduct yourself. How much you are in control of your emotions. See yourself as someone else would see, hear and even 'feel' what it is like playing with the great golfer you are.

Next time be "inside" you seeing, feeling and hearing playing each shot.

All wonderful productive techniques with or without a club in your hand, in your favourite chair or on the driving range. The essential thing is rehearsing for when it is the real deal.

I'm welcome feedback from those who have committed to doing this. Around 21 times forms a permanent habit, make sure its a constructive one.

Doubletwin,
I really like what you had to say about incorporating "feeling" into the shot you're visualizing with greater detail. That's something I've not worked on to the extent that you're suggesting. I see the shot I want to hit and rehearse the swing in my mind, then take my practice swing, then hit my shot. I do imagine the ball hitting the sweet spot of the clubface and how that feels, but I've not included the other things. The way the grip feels in my hands, the grass, the breeze, the sounds, etc. These are all things I'm going to try next time I practice on the range. Then I'll take it to the course!

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Rebecca - a work in progress!

in respone to rgolfnut. I'm very pleased you like my advice. One last thing to add is remove the word "try". either choose to do it or choose not to do it. The word "try" suggests that your not fully committed, will do it a few times and if there isn't an instant improvement will dismiss and look for something else. We suffer to much from "Golf Culture" constantly looking for the next quick fix or tip only to realise that it may work for a round or two only for us "to loose it". Do something or do not do something. To try is just pretending.

Remember you already have the resources and skills you need. Its your responsibility how you decide to use them.

Happy golfing!

Hi,

I went the other way in mental training. I am not imaging a game like situation. I am trying to concentrate and recall what is happening or what happened during my put.

It's not so much about trying to put well or correctly - it's about being able to feel and remember what just happened. Of course I evaluate my put - and even that is not necessary. It's enough to be curious of what your body and mind does during putting.

I think I am getting more relaxed and hitting the ball more solid.
Maybe when I get good at "basics", I can go and visualize a real game like situation:-)

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"It's fine to take your golf seriously, but don't take yourself seriously." Zen Golf

Doubletwin,

I can't visualise. I tell myself this is where I want the ball to go and whether I want to hit it straight, low, draw and etc.

When it's a difficult shot I want to play I always recall that same shot I have hit before.

I know you hate the word try but I try and focus on all my previous positive shots and forget the c r a p one's.

Love practice goals. They can take 5 minutes or forever. Once the goal is attained walk away. Always finish one a positive note.

So ten putts in a row - then grab a bevvie from the fridge. Like that.

VP

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VP