Swing Thoughts - tell me them

[RowingBoats]

I was trying to find a thread about swing thoughts and couldn't find a good one that wasn't also about other psychological aspects of the swing, or had a discussion that should just be left as its own little thread.

I have become curious what kind of swing thoughts some of you employ. I'm not really after anything specific. I just want to know what you all consciously think about when you are playing/throwing.

I'm open to pre-swing thoughts, post-swing calibration thoughts, in-swing thoughts, or any other things you use as mental anchors.

I am 'working' right now so I'll come back and add some of mine later, this has just been a thread I wanted to read about for a few days and figured I'd toss it out there.

 

[Skamanda]

Is my wrist angle right for the angle I want the disc on? (adjust as necessary)

What's the run-up direction for the line I want to throw? (adjust as necessary)

Cease thought and throw.

 

[Brychanus]

 

[Brychanus]

Things that have helped me in the past couple months especially:

As an obsessive it won't anyone that my preshot is basically a ritual at this point. It helps me shut my overeager brain off entirely. I worried that it takes forever but I had a friend time it and it's less than 10 seconds. I think about where the release point is, feel the slash through it, and figure out where my body needs to end up to commit the shot before walking it out to my starting position. It helps me relax before I move to tee off because I know I just need feel how I'm moving and how it should connect to my line and the rest might go well enough on its own. At this point it also "offloads" a lot of the problems to the routine rather than to the swing.

During a swing, I (really!) think about nothing other than throwing if I'm focusing on score. If I'm working on something specific & mechanical, it's a limit of the 1 thought I'm working on that day.

After the shot, I'm really big on "savoring" good swings these days. When you have one that you can feel right away is especially clean, flies far and clean, and feels easy and lands roughly where you want it and you know you're moving the best you have, *chef's kiss*. We know from science elsewhere that stopping to savor those moments can be a big part of consolidating learning in the long run, too.

 

[drk_evns]

Step to the end of the pad. Visualize the flight (including ground play). Find the apex of that flight. Focus on that as the target. Back up to the end of the pad. Execute.

I play best when my only "swingthought" is keeping my eye on the target as long as possible, and continuing visualizing it when my shoulders turn my head back.

 

[jupiterboy]

1. Identify the flight path—peak/obstacle avoidance/etc.
2. Visualize release angle by holding the disc out in front of me.
3. Consider front of tee pad. Is it damaged? Back up a little.
4. Visualize the approach line.
5. Go
6. Activate core and feel pressure in plant foot.
7. Keep chest closed off to target until forced open.

 

[Countchunkula]

Personal to my messed up game, but I tend to muscle drivers and my form breaks down. I throw mids consistently better than drivers and not solely due to nose angle sensitivity. So, when I'm about to throw a driver, I think "firm". To me that means don't muscle it and don't baby it. Throw it like you would a roc.

 

[sidewinder22]

Ideally the only swing thought is sending the disc to it's home/apex. Be the disc.

The other day I had to think about delaying the swing until after the shift from behind happens as I noticed I was swinging too early. Ending up hitting my lines better and shooting a dubs course record by 3 strokes, almost the perfect round, -17, missed the 18th hole, although I consider it -18 with an eagle on hole 4 that is labelled a 3 on udisc and that is the only 2 I've seen or heard about on that hole.

My putting was also on fire, 100% C1, 75% C2, and a 90'. My putting swing thought was stiffer wrist and be Isaak Robinson.

 

[drk_evns]

Ideally the only swing thought is sending the disc to it's home/apex. Be the disc.

The other day I had to think about delaying the swing until after the shift from behind happens as I noticed I was swinging too early. Ending up hitting my lines better and shooting a dubs course record by 3 strokes, almost the perfect round, -17, missed the 18th hole, although I consider it -18 with an eagle on hole 4 that is labelled a 3 on udisc and that is the only 2 I've seen or heard about on that hole.

My putting was also on fire, 100% C1, 75% C2, and a 90'. My putting swing thought was stiffer wrist and be Isaak Robinson.

****, congrats. I've had a handful of rounds where I just feel invincible after solid fieldwork—but that round sounds legendary.

I make an effort to really wait for that natural, late shift forward on my long-distance drives; it feels like you're riding a wave or something. There is nothing that comes close to feeling more powerful than those drives.

 

[Polecat132]

As a mostly standstill thrower, my swing thought has recently been focusing on the lateral shift. Using it to aim, but also thinking about getting more lateral movement if I want more power

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

My swing thoughts....

Don't think, shift back, don't think. Pull forward, Don't think, fully unloaded release.. dont think, just do it.

Haha.

 

[timothy42b]

I just skimmed 10 Minute Toughness by Jason Selk who apparently works with some pro athletes on psychology.

He has a 5 part workout but I think his pre shot routine would be something like: Centering Breath (in for 6 hold for 2 out for 7 seconds) Performance Statement (get the elbow on plane) Identity Statement (I am consistent because I've outworked my competition).

 

[RowingBoats]

Ideally the only swing thought is sending the disc to it's home/apex. Be the disc.

The other day I had to think about delaying the swing until after the shift from behind happens as I noticed I was swinging too early. Ending up hitting my lines better and shooting a dubs course record by 3 strokes, almost the perfect round, -17, missed the 18th hole, although I consider it -18 with an eagle on hole 4 that is labelled a 3 on udisc and that is the only 2 I've seen or heard about on that hole.

My putting was also on fire, 100% C1, 75% C2, and a 90'. My putting swing thought was stiffer wrist and be Isaak Robinson.

It gives me some comfort knowing that you still have silly things creep into the swing lol. That round sounds sick man, nice!

For me, my pre-shot routine looks something like that Kyle Berkshire gif where he rocks back forth heel to toe, but Im a weirdo and drive off the tee with a one-step/standstill type swing.

For the past while, my only conscious thought in the swing is to visualize the follow through. For some reason this ties everything together in a nice package and leads to good results. This is really the only 'future' thought that I have during a swing now.

I think I strongly resonate with 'being the disc', because that is how the whole swing feels to me now, like I am actually able to feel that object and manipulate it.

 

[Brychanus]

It gives me some comfort knowing that you still have silly things creep into the swing lol. That round sounds sick man, nice!

Indeed - and hearty congratulations to SW!

For me, my pre-shot routine looks something like that Kyle Berkshire gif where he rocks back forth heel to toe, but Im a weirdo and drive off the tee with a one-step/standstill type swing.

For the past while, my only conscious thought in the swing is to visualize the follow through. For some reason this ties everything together in a nice package and leads to good results. This is really the only 'future' thought that I have during a swing now.

I think I strongly resonate with 'being the disc', because that is how the whole swing feels to me now, like I am actually able to feel that object and manipulate it.

Never miss an opportunity to look at this nastiness

 

[Sard0nyx]

I love Dan Betos form.

 

[BillFleming]

I look at the line I want to hit. Pick the disc for that. And then try to clear my mind and just let my body do its thing. Heck, maybe that's why I struggle and miss my lines somewhat frequently. Perhaps I need to find a 'swing thought' or two to keep my mind occupied while throwing.

 

[Kennets]

"How much you wanna bet, that i can throw my disc over those trees? "

On a more serious note : "the disc is heavy"

 

[TiltedFlipCurves]

The more I think the worse I throw

 

[ChrisinFL]

Great stuff! Much of it seems so advanced to me, playing only 3-4 months. I guess I usually pick my disc and the line I am trying to hit. Would like to say I visualize the flight, but in reality I seldom remember to do that. Next I get my grip set. Getting ready to throw, I sometimes think through many of the parts of a good throw, but my focus is usually on making sure my arm forms the pocket (no rounding), disc out level/flat, and don't turn my head too soon to try to watch my throw. Except on one particular hole, #8, which plays down hill and requires a slight anhyzer, trying to snake my throw, first aimed left of a tree, curve right around that tree, level off while going on the right side of another tree, then finish by fading back left to the green, leaving me a nice easy birdie putt. On #8, I think some of the other stuff, but mostly I think, "let me get just the right amount of tilt on this thing so I can snake it through perfectly and leave a gimme 7' birdie putt". It is the shortest hole, making it my easiest birdie hole despite the trees, and what a great feeling when I nail that tee shot!

 

[ChrisinFL]

My most recent form fix - step, plant, then start the throw. I was starting my throw while stepping, and losing power that way. So, for now, 'plant first before starting my throw' has become a dominant thought in pre-swing or even as I start to x-step. Debating - I might go back to standstill or single step for a bit until I get this correction burned into muscle memory. Thinking about that plant first, and I started rounding, again. Ugh! I definitely still have to think about keeping my elbow bent - forming a pocket. You know, beginner stuff. Ugh.