Ok, so today at the range I’m working on some stuff as you do. Most of it following on from the pro vs amateur ball flight thread. :)

Anyhow, it dawned on me that every time I had a physical directive in my head, like turn the hips, or push the right arm etc etc, it most likely was a fail. But, if I gave my mind a creative visual, like make this ball hit the leaf 2 mtrs ahead on the ground, or ball to target, it most often was really good.

I know it’s been said many a time, but our minds need creative stimulus, not physical directives.

So here we have an issue. Most teaching, including my own in music, needs to address physical directives and improve them, but I believe they need to be turned into a creative stimulus to perform well.

How do YOU do that, or do you even address the difference at all?

By YOU, I mean anyone who has an opinion, remembering that it will be just that as I see it as a truly personal thing that needs to be explored and discovered.

Keen to hear various thoughts.

It is called visualization, stink. It is a subject worth researching, not just for golf but in everyday life. If we get good at it, our dreams can become reality, or so they say.

Yeah I know Raz, I deal with it all the time in music.

But this goes further. How do YOU get new techniques and physical accomplishments into your visualisation? Do you have a process?

I’m just curious. I do, but would love to hear how others move through the process.

Interesting point Stink.

My ball striking has been really good lately, and I’m really reminding myself to “turn the shoulders and relax the hands” for full swings. For short game I rely almost totally on visualisation and feel. eg where I want the chip to bounce and from what height.

Seems to be working, probably because my main swing fault is getting “armsy” and these swing thoughts help reduce that. A sore back a lot of the time means I have to remind myself to rotate, it doesn’t hurt any more than the arm flap swing, and I usually have to hit the ball less often.

Yeah I know Raz, I deal with it all the time in music.

But this goes further. How do YOU get new techniques and physical accomplishments into your visualisation? Do you have a process?

I’m just curious. I do, but would love to hear how others move through the process.

What is this golf game you talk of?

With lots of hard work on making the new technique a habit or a grooved action. Until it becomes habit it won’t fit into the context of the overall action. When learning a new technique it disrupts the flow and timimg of the swing, until the brain can perform the action sunconsciously. There is no short cut Stink, if there was I would have found it.

Tink
What you are talking about is trying physically coordinate your swing pattern. This can not overide our neuromechanics that coordinates for our swing sequence. Like the talent code says learn a new skill at two miles an hour. Here you are lol trying to do it at hundred plus miles an hour lol ain’t going to happen:).
I have some data i can show you where we have golfers trying to rotate their hips first physically or consciously. There was no change in their swing sequence. The myelin is so developed it over rides our concious actions.
If we want to change a pattern we have to train it over a period of time. Starting off slow andd gradually adding speed.

When you let my subconcious take over your letting your brain do its job and allows it to coordinate the body to do its job.
We should learn to chip,pitch,punch, half and full shots. But we are all lazy and take short cuts.
Clear keys you best friend, create the shot in your mind, than trust it with your life. Pretty simple lol

I think it’s best explained like music. It’s structure is a scale. Chords and solos etc are formed around the scale. A player needs to understand the scale and where and how it works before they can visualise what they can develop from it.
Obviously some can ad lib and get away with it but generally you need to understand the base before you can switch off the technical mind and play. IMO

When visualizing the picture or thought it will only clearly stay in your mind for about 10 seconds. It must be a very positive picture or thought too, not just a generalization eg: hit the green.
You need to give the subconscious a chance and use your imagination eg: I want to hit a high fade at the centre of the green and land it 10 feet short of the flag, all positives.
My question to you Stink is, do you think about what to play when you improv with music, when your actually playing ?
Jon…

Then again stink what brain modality are you, are you feel or do you see? If you are feel visualising isn’t the answer.

Raz, I agree, for me anyhow. Best way is to hit many many balls. Of course it’s best not to be aimless and to work on specifics, but I need massive repetition. Also, in ‘grinding’ I find I become aware of traits that are weaknesses, things that I need to address and habits that sneak back in when tired.

Zen, I love clearkeys, and I understand about the neural stuff. I’m just wondering how others deal with the issue in their game. Like you say, if you’re not a visual type, visualisation may not be your go.

Golfguy, when I play music my mind is in and out of all areas, but somehow disconnected with ‘instruction’ so to speak. The mind never stops thinking, I can have the strangest thoughts (yes I’m weird) but I think mostly sound. I too think the more specific though you can be with pre programmed information, the more the mind can go to work on the task. “hit ball over there somewhere” or “just play any note” is not a great task directive :)

AB, I was thinking about music last night, there are 4 levels to performance;

Practice; this is not about getting it right, you look at specific areas that need attention, slow, methodical, many hours.

Rehearsal; here you start playing the music, stopping at any point and repeating sections, slower if need be, you’re starting to assimilate the practice to performance.

Dress rehearsal; similar to rehearsal but no stopping unless you crash and burn, then pick up where you left off. Here you’re aiming to perform but without the pressure of an audience. After, you reflect and practice the areas where you fell down.

Performance; This is it, a different kind of energy and focus required. If anything fails, move on quick and worry about that tomorrow, the aim is to do the best total performance you can, leave aside cracked notes and missed cues, power on!

It’s very important to get the right balance in all of these to improve.

NB; It’s very important NOT to practice when you warm up for performance, different mind set.

Stink,
How you practice your instrument is perfect, why not apply the same system to improve your golf. Golf is the same slow to fast. Chip up to full. Power control :). Learn to hit a driver with a full swing from hundred metres up to full power and apply your process for music.
Ben Hogan use to hit a shot then sat down played the shot through his mind over and over before hitting another.
A little secret tour play rounds of golf in their head either using feel or visual. Pete Sampras sat in a quiet room going over his game,tennis is about patterns.

Yesterday a lady European tour player said to me.When I’m on tour I email my husband all my thoughts out there before hitting shots and after. She said this was the turning point to her success. After a while you start seeing a pattern on your thoughts and mental game,course management, when you hit a good shot what you were thinking,felt etc.Same for bad shots. She said these emails you seen a pattern of how you think out there, you then have a road map to changing those patterns.

Tink that was probably the best advice i have heard in my life.

Alcohol…....play half cut ;-)
None of this mind game mumbo jumbo.

I’m sure my colleague from wantima will agree :-)

Alcohol…….play half cut ;)
None of this mind game mumbo jumbo.

I’m sure my colleague from wantima will agree :)

Won a ball in the rundown last Tuesday, Saturday also got one 3 weeks ago

Why am I not surprised? :)

Alcohol…….play half cut ;)
None of this mind game mumbo jumbo.

I’m sure my colleague from wantima will agree :)

Won a ball in the rundown last Tuesday, Saturday also got one 3 weeks ago

Why am I not surprised? :)

What is this golf game you talk of?

What…......that yarnie would agree with me ?

maybe try Stinkolink, smelly but will take take your mind off your swing.

AB, I was thinking about GOLF last night, there are 4 levels to performance;

Practice; this is not about getting it right, you look at specific areas that need attention, slow, methodical, many hours.

Rehearsal; here you start playing the GOLF, stopping at any point and repeating sections, slower if need be, you’re starting to assimilate the practice to performance.

Dress rehearsal; similar to rehearsal but no stopping unless you crash and burn, then pick up where you left off. Here you’re aiming to perform but without the pressure of an audience. After, you reflect and practice the areas where you fell down.

Performance; This is it, a different kind of energy and focus required. If anything fails, move on quick and worry about that tomorrow, the aim is to do the best total performance you can, leave aside cracked notes and missed cues, power on!

It’s very important to get the right balance in all of these to improve.

NB; It’s very important NOT to practice when you warm up for performance, different mind set.

What is this golf game you talk of?

Fixed :)
Good answer Stink

Stink—a very good description of your performance…

Visualization is great, but it’s just the beginning part of the process. For me it’s very similar to your rehearsal, dress rehearsal, performance explanation. Visualize, relate to movements, rehearse, perform.

But, it’s not about body parts—it’s about sequential movements based on the visualized performance. Match the entire sequential movement to the intended flight. Emphasize one body part and there had best be an important relation to an intended flight.

Bobsledders and luge riders do something similar before riding a track by going through the track in their minds, combined with a physical ‘rehearsal’. The difference is that they go through the entire track.

Note the result as feedback and move on.