Shot Visualization

Yep, @RobH - picking an intermediate target is a great tip for really dialing in our alignment at address. Thanks for sharing that!

This is a great topic. I believe visualizing that shot falls into leading to the next part "90% success/setup" topic Tom regularly mentions.

The reason visualizing the shot is so important to me is it adds to % chance to get that setup correct in the first place.

What works for me is that I stand back behind the ball and look down the line of the shot I see in my head and draw a line trying to look for any blade of grass, leaf, twig, acorn, divot, etc and setup to that! Ever since doing this method I have had much more success with ball flight at least starting down that line! What happens next is highly dependent on how well I struck the ball but its a start.

But totally on topic that visualization at least to me needs to happen before you even think what club you want to pull out of your bag, especially closer to the green!

https://youtu.be/y6eNIzuUCxk?t=183 - interesting imagination questions that can help. The questions start at 3:03 mark.

Almost had my first ACE within 2 feet from pin. Visualization, staying focused on a target works. On this 135 yard par 3, everything rolls right. I focused on a embanked sloped left of the green instead of the green . My ball hit that left embankment and watched it hop right onto the green and oooo weeee I was hoping it didn't stop. Play the course and use those banking targets to your advantage. Some of the same strategies used in billards can be used on the golf course regarding visualization of your target and where do you want that ball to go and end up.

path visualization, when I remember to do it the ball does tend to get where I pictured the end of the path, even if it didn't take the same flight path...

I "visualize / hallucinate / imagine" a curvy single lane country road appear on the green from my ball to the target, then it goes up into the air like the ball flight I'd like it to take.

I will also "see" a steel wire with a metal golf ball taking the path back and forth really quickly from my ball to the target over and over again for a few seconds.

Here’s a great podcast. This episode they talk in more detail the effectiveness of visualisation. https://open.spotify.com/episode/31omDlRBHtoZXq7mT8yQG9?si=VhbqZTUoQLmwo3CxRMCYjg

@PatD that’s great that you are having break throughs and discovering your game! I do the same type of visualization. One difference would be that I believe we speak things into existence so I tell myself it’s going to be a good shot or land where I want it to. I curtail it to whatever that specific shot needs. Another thing I found helpful is from the book Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect by Bob Rotella. In the book Tom Watson tells Bob that he just thinks about the best shot he has ever hit with whatever club is in his hand and imagines that same success. That has really helped me and gave me a ton of confidence after I have a duff. Positive vibes only on the golf course and speak what I want to happen into existence. I’m not a scratch by any means but this mental approach along with toms swing instruction and contagious positive attitude towards golf have really helped me get better this year. @Tom Saguto thanks for that tag. Anything to share and help the community

Good mental game question, @PatD! I'll go ahead and pin your post to encourage others to chime in with their thoughts. @Cody McDowell, I'm tagging you because I know this is a favorite subject of yours and you've offered some valuable and helpful commentary in this regard.