...driver too...

Sean,

I can stand over a ball in the fairway and lace it with my small faced 3-wood right on the screws, a few times in a row if somebody dares me; but on the tee, I can barely get the face of my monster titanium driver on the golf ball. The club's length can't be the major factor, there's a bigger difference between my sand wedge and my 3 wood than between my 3 and driver. It's gotta be mental.

Also, can you talk a bit about bounce back. I can't count the number of times I save a wicked par, or make a birdie, and follow up with a double bogey on the next hole.

spidey

Spidey,

Your first question is a tough one to answer without more information. My first question to an athlete that poses this question to me is “are you sure this is not a technical problem”. You have answered this (I would advise that you check with a pro just to be sure that something does not change in your swing). Remember that thoughts have a huge impact on your physical actions. So, what are you thinking or feeling that is different in the two situations you described? Find the difference and you will find the key.

Often, when a problem develops it starts out as a small error that we dwell on, or a situation happens randomly and we attribute more to it than is necessary. Then the error seeds itself in our thoughts and every time we approach the same situations we set ourselves up to make the same mistake by creating negative images and thoughts. If you see yourself making the error it will happen.

One suggestion would be to use mental imagery to “see” yourself making the drive the way you want to. If you see errors in your images they will translate into physical mistakes. Keep practising in your mind until the shot is flawless. Construct images that are internal (you view the image from your own eyes), and incorporate smells and feelings such as the smell of the grass, the feel of the driver in your hands, the sun on your face, the wind on your skin. When the image is as close to real as possible it will be most effective. Try to create a movie that is seamless of your ideal approach to this situation. Also, stop thinking! Clear your mind and take a couple of deep cleansing “belly” breaths to relax before taking your drive, push away any thoughts and just take the shot. Hope this helps

For your second question, as I mentioned in a previous thread, stay in the moment. It sounds to me (I could be wrong due to the sparseness of the info) that you are living in the past when this problem arises. Comparing one hole to another can have devastating effects. Just as focusing on a poor performance on a previous hole can “carry-over” or seed doubts, so can having an exceptional hole. You can be either putting too much pressure on yourself or thinking that you did it once and should be able to produce the result again. Simplest advice, stop thinking, play each shot as an individual hole (not one hole as a series of shots), and imagine yourself being successful!

Enjoy our nice weather,