This is so freaking annoying. I watched videos of my round yesterday and my practice swing was right where I wanted to be. Nice swing path and good finish. Then I tense up and get all stuck. I struggle with letting it go and just trying to hit the hell out of the ball.

I stopped taking practice swings for the main reason that they're always better then my actual swing. Damn head games!!!

great topic, my practive swing is smooth and takes a divot with irons
my real swing is fast, no tempo and sweeps ball

I'll check that book out. Thanks! I only take a practice swing about 25% of the time.

I don't know that the practice swing is better, but I've seen it and it looks better. It certain feels better. The real swings I've had that felt the same as my practice swings have given my pretty fantastic results.

A pre-shot routine would probably help me a lot. The problem is that I play a lot with my dad and he is a mega-fast player and doesn't like waiting around on other people. My buddy takes about a jillion waggles and dad named him The Maestro...which is actually kinda funny.

That made me laugh out loud....!

I never claimed perfect, but WAY better than my regular swing...video proof and the fact that everyone I ever play a round with says the same thing lol...ile im purposely trying to swing worse when it counts

Practice swing vs Actual swing
 

I guess that I'm asking for tips or books relating to the mental game.

My practice swings are effortless and yet powerful and on plane. My actual swing is still not bad, but it's tense and totally different. How do you turn your brain off to allow your practice swing to hit the ball?
I don't have launch monitor evidence to substantiate my theory, but I believe that my practice swing is at least 5mph higher than my actual swing. It feels faster and the "woosh" is louder.

Quick question - how do you know that your practice swing is more powerful and on plane? I actually think that my practice swing feels better because I have no ball flight to reflect the flaws.

What usually helps me is creating a simple routine and sticking to it. Also, use about 40% of your total effort on your backswing and through swing. I struggle with the same stuff you are, for me it is all about slowing myself down.

or keep your left eye closed and right eye open, by the time the right eye gets to where you would see the ball, it should be long gone lol

Yea, he was ok http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...ies/alien2.gif

swinging with your eyes closed after you set up is a great drill. It take away any expectation you may have or the urge to watch the ball.

I think many of us will be interested in this swing, no matter how hard I try to concentrate on taking a smooth swing, during the actual swing I will try to "hit" the ball fairly often instead of just siwnging the club and letting the ball get in the way.

I will try that. My instructor can get me there and I can swing at the range, but I get tense on the course alot of the time. I need some more time to work on it too. The changes are still fairly fresh. Thanks Freddie!

You know - every time I hit a good shot yesterday I don't even remember seeing the ball. Might as well haha!

This is my struggle. I swing in practice, in lessons, and before I take real shots. When it counts, I try to hit the ball. It's hard to let my mind free up my body for some reason.

What's not flawless is your avatar.

You want to fix that, pick a point in directly in front of your ball and try to hit that. Now you are swinging through the ball to get to another point. before long it becomes habit. Try is slow and then let it gradually pick up speed.

I'll try anything, thanks for the tips

How do people know if theit practice swing is perect...?

Same here. My practice swing is flawless....wish I could say the same for my normal swing!

Zen Golf is a good book, at least it was for me. Have you tried not taking a practice swing? I don't usually take them unless I have to stand around for a while, I just swing the club around to stay loose.

..... you're practice swing should be done EXACTLY like your REAL SWING. you HAVE to IMAGE/SEE the TARGET, SEE THE BALL. You CAN NOT LEAVE the ball or the target out of your image when you take your practice swing. You should swing the club as hard (not more, not less) on your practice swing as you belive it will take in your real swing to get the ball to the target. You only GET ONE PRACTICE swing, MAKE IT 'REAL' then step up to the ball and repeat. And remember, there is no "NOW" in the golf swing ... there's the back swing, the transition, the down swing and the finish. There is no 'hitting' the ball, you are SWINGING THE CLUB.