What are some of the swing thoughts that go through your head after you address the ball and just before take away? I'm sure they vary depending on the club so say for a 7 iron.

Mine are... hands in front, chase the line and turn shoulders.

Just curious to see what some of you yahoos are thinking.

If this thread has been done to death just burn everything and forget you were here.

I find it's really counterproductive to have ANY swing thoughts after I address the ball. If I feel I need to think about something I'll think about it during my practice swings. And when my practice swings feel good my only focus is on trying to replicate that last good practice swing.

When a golfer plays his best he has no swing thoughts whatsoever. He simply reacts to the target.

Otherwise, you have one swing thought. One. Never more. And that thought is individual dependent.

BO

my usual swing thought is "wasted my only good swing on my practice swing, sigh"

Is there any 1 recurring thought that you seem to have if one creeps in?

It's taken me a few yrs just to get it down to 3. I'm pretty much screwed if none is the goal.

Nope. If I'm not doing a certain part very well I'll focus on that. Otherwise I just react to the target.

The range is the place to focus on swing thoughts and to work things out. The course is the place to put the ball in the hole and nothing else.

When you throw a baseball, do you focus on arm position? No. When you shot a jump shot, do you focus on elbow position? No. You just react to the target.

BO

But even if having a swing thought was the best possible thing, everyone's would be unique to them. So........

Unless you are a super talented + handicap, you are likely much better off having a swing thought vs not having one. While I strongly believe that many golfers suffer from too many thoughts or paralysis by analysis, most people suck at golf and their free of thoughts swing doesn't hit very good shots.

In general, I like to have one thought and a feel to go with it that is rehearsed in a practice swing.

If you're in the batter's box facing an upcoming fastball, at the moment of impact are you thinking about some technical aspect of your swing? No, you are simply reacting to the ball while subconsciously applying the technical aspects you have worked on in practice. And this applies to both major leaguers and little leaguers. It's the same in golf. You work on the technical aspects in practice, you simply react on the course.

And this is the same for all regardless of talent level.

BO

I've never had anyone explain it like that. I really like the baseball analogy. I will have to rethink my opinion on this. Thanks BO.

go striaght ya bastard ya

In baseball you are hitting a moving target. You also do not get to dictate the pace of your swing. And if you don't have swing thoughts prior to a pitch you are losing an edge. Anticipating the pitch to be thrown and the location prior to the pitch is helpful if you understand pitching as well. But yeah once the pitch is thrown you are reacting because the ball is moving.

In golf the ball is sitting there.

Terrible analogy.

Anyway as a hack my thoughts are basically "quiet, balanced lower body. Tuck right elbow. Full shoulder turn." Then from the top of the swing down I just try to make an athletic swing and hit down on the ball.

I have a cousin who is a golf pro, and he took a notebook on the course with us, and he asked me everything I was thinking while standing over the ball. I had over 25 swing thoughts going on. Later on in the day he gave me a piece of paper, and it said this is what your swing thoughts should be. It was blank. Very Zen like.

As a former baseball player it is much easier to react in a sport where there is an action. When the ball isn't moving there is not a whole lot of reacting going on other than analyzing every move you are about to make.

Not to mention in baseball you can get away with poor contact. There is no specific target during most swings (other than trying to punch it through the hole if first baseman is holding a runner or whatever). The goal is basically square up the ball and hit it hard and hope it clears the fence or lands where a defender isn't.

A-rod you are wrong, ask any great golfer and they will agree with BO...

Most of the greats in golf talk about visualization, imagine the putt rolling down the line, ball sailing down the fairway, etc