Just Bought Yesterday

I coached high school golf for 23 years. The best method I found was to have the THINK BOX which is behind the ball, where you do all of your preparation for the shot you are about to play. Once that preparation was finished, as soon as the player took one step forward on his way to the ball, he was now in the PLAY BOX. They were not allowed any more technical thoughts at this point in time. They distracted their minds by either counting numbers or singing a song in their mind while they hit their shot. If you distract your mind, your body can perform any task. Give it a try!

BTW, golf is about the only sport that is practiced in an area that is not indicative of an actual golf course. Basketball, hockey, football, tennis, etc, are all practiced in the same venues as they play. This is why, for me, going through a routine is helpful, but in the end my brain knows the outcome is still not the "actual" outcome. And my attention span is short, so a bad shot can be followed up by a good shot, so I lose track after awhile. However, on the range folks should mimic, as best as possible, the shots they want to hit on the course.

Out where I am among the Pete Dye courses at PGA West, the fairway lies are rarely "flat" like the range, so maybe that's why I don't work on the "actual shot" on the range. I actually wish ranges were undulated to mimic the actual course lies.

I understand, but most of us can be deliberate when we're walking on a 3 foot wide wood plank for 100 yards on the ground, but as soon as that plank is 30 stories high, all of our "deliberate" vanishes. That's likely how he feels. He needs to picture the plank on the ground.

I'm not sure what's going on here but hitting balls on the range is not all about picturing "every shot" and if you don't, you're a "hack". @ryen91 is trying to get over freezing over the ball. He may have 3 or 100 thoughts at address, and on the range, in my opinion, his best approach is to simulate playing the game and reduce, or eliminate, freezing. He may very well picture the shot, but once he steps up to the ball, he freezes with anxiety. So picturing the shot is not of value once he's over the ball.

You are not alone. I know a guy who has played golf for 40 years, a 9 hcp, who suddenly started freezing over the ball. He later "unfroze". He didn't know why the freezing started and/or how he unfroze.

Do you freeze on the practice range? If not, then next time on the range, tell yourself the next shot counts and picture you're on one of the tougher par 3's. I mean do the same setup routine, picture the hole, the tee box, guys standing watching, if you get on your team wins, etc. Then see if you freeze. If so, then keep thinking the same "tension builders" but instead skip your setup routine and hit without hesitation, or work against the "it counts" thought, and maybe a setup routine that might be causing more angst than good.

You're in a similar realm to the guy who misses the two foot putt to win a tourney, who otherwise sinks 100 in a row on the putting green. Take it from a lot of us, you really can't care that much because it's a game that we're supposed to screw up...LOL.

Nice progress in your mission to thaw out the over-the-ball freeze, @ryen91!!

So I have tried some things and they are helping... the box behind and execution box works.. I take one practice swing behind the ball... and go.. and someone else gave a tip of moving the weight back and forth until your comfortable the loading the weight on the front side.. then I continue the sequence with some other tips a slight bump forward in the hips.. Then someone else said shaft lean so I keep the shaft straight up and down and the last thing I do is the shaft lean so my hands are on my Inner thigh... so the sequence goes play with my weight then when I am read, weight loaded on front, slight hip bump forward, then shaft lean to inner thigh then pull... and it is helping... still not perfect but feeling looser and starting the pull the club quicker and not stand over the ball as long... thanks for the tips guys.. by Your tips combined " I AM CAPTAIN PLANET" wait I mean I am starting to start my swing earlier Just an update for you guys... Thank you so much for posting and helping me out

@Tom Saguto @ryen91 I was going to suggest the same thing. For the mental glitch, I would first try the two box process. Behind ball, see flight plan, select intermediate mark, adjust grip to match flight plan. In the thinking zone, turn parallel to your intermediate target and take 1 practice swing. This is in the same line of intended flight. See the shot. You are set. Walk into execution box. Align to intermediate target. Hit. No practice swings and no thinking in the execution box. If you catch yourself thinking about anything other than align face and repeat feel from practice swing…it’s a reset…step off and go behind. No thinking allowed in the execution box.

That such a great and valid point

Yeah.. I will definitely try it this weekend... I have just always stood next to the golf for the practice swing... but trying to do it behind it.. might actually help.... Quick clarification.. when you say behind the ball... should I do it perpendicular to the target.. like my chest is facing the target... or should I do it parallel to the target where the end of my swing is going to the target.... I Know OVERTHINKING ALREADY... but I want to follow this.

Well the upside is this is brain cramp! How's that for the obvious?

Oh my babe in the woods, playing for approximately 28 years. Gosh I feel old, I have scares older than that!😋

How's this for a possible get rolling?

Do your whole pre-shot routine, take your practice swing behind the ball, then just step up and hit it, no thoughts or keys. Just align the face with your spot and swing!

Not a long term deal just maybe get you out of overthinking, Like just grip it and rip it!

Thanks I appreciate it. Like I have the same pre shot routine for years.. stand behind the ball pick my target.. find a spot a few feet IN front of the ball that goes to my target... (just like you) stand next to the ball for a practice swing...(to get the feel for the the grass and adjulation... step up and go to swing... and I have switch to multiple triggers...

Like one was like a baseball batter... where i would tap the 3 times... like inside outside inside the plate.. worked like a charm for a little while... and then it stopped.. find myself freezing over the ball.. then I'm in my head yelling GO GO GO... then I switched it up to a shaft lean(like tom has said)... and it worked do the shaft lean and go... but only temporarily.... then again I do the shaft lean and still Freeze... yelling GO GO GO in my head again... now my trigger is to lift the club up before I go.. . again worked right away but it is starting to fade...... I just cant find something that works permanently I guess if you watch PETER FINCH.... it is similar to what he does where he lifts the club up and then starts his back swing.

IDK why... like this problem started like 18 months ago out of no where... I am 33 and been playing golf since i was 5... So I really dont know what happened

Welcome @ryen91!

You will not regret this investment!

I have been a member since Feb.22 and just had a video analysis from Tom. Definitely worth it when you are ready.

As to your question.

Agree with @burkholder.ronald about pre-shot routine.

I always had one but made major change to it this season and paying off.

Whether teeing off or all shots afterwards I start from behind ball, take a practice swing. Like Tom's video say I pick my line and find spot in front of the ball to line my clubface up with when I make my address.

After going through other swing keys in my mind (just a few seconds) I tilt my head slightly looking at back of ball (probably not noticeable if your watching) and that's when I start my takeaway.

I repeat, repeat and repeat!

Also get a pre-shot routine for pitching, chipping and putting and , repeat and repeat repeat!

Been working for me this season!

WELCOME AGAIN!

Welcome aboard! It is very important to develop a consistent pre-shot routine that includes a swing trigger. Tom made some great suggestions. If you look for it, you can find some pretty evident triggers when watching the pros. The object of all of this is to prevent tension building prior to starting the swing. Tension is a swing killer.

Welcome again to the online school, @ryen91, and I'm very glad to see you here in the forum already!!

Almost every good player has some sort of swing trigger mechanism. Some are external and noticeable, such as Jack Nicklaus' slight turn of his head to the right, "milking" the grip like Sergio Garcia, or even Jordan Spieth's rehearsal move over the ball after which he immediately resets the club behind the ball and starts his swing. There are plenty of others, but you get the idea. Other players internalize their triggers or make very slight motions that spectators may not notice. A couple of other trigger options that fit within the realm of the swing you are learning here may include nudging the hips forward in order to preset some weight on the front leg just prior to taking the club back, or a slight "forward press" of the hands to bring them in line with the prescribed address position, which is even with the inside of the thigh of the lead leg. Just make sure that whatever your ideal trigger mechanism may be, it should not change your alignment or introduce any tension.

These are just a couple of thoughts. I'll go ahead and pin your post to draw some more attention to it and see if any other members might have something to offer.

Tom