Concentration - finding it & keeping it

[tim chapman]

the subject of concentration has been brought up recently on a couple threads

i'll offer up a definition that occured to me.... 'the crystallisation of intent into detailed mental imagery'
& that keeping it might be to do with 'the clarity of intense familiarity' - hey if you can get it to rhyme that has to be a bonus - no ?

this might be complete bollocks, but there you go

[Daryl]

I like it. It includes "Focus".

[BerntR]

Difficult topic for sure.

I believe it is important to have a tidy mental house. A ball striking knowhow that is well organised, so that you can use all your knowledge and skills to strike the ball the way you want to without thinking about more then a handful of things. Like ball flight and pressure point pressure in the hands. While the rest runs on auto pilot and is monitored in the back ground.

[airair]

Difficult topic for sure.

I believe it is important to have a tidy mental house. A ball striking knowhow that is well organised, so that you can use all your knowledge and skills to strike the ball the way you want to without thinking about more then a handful of things. Like ball flight and pressure point pressure in the hands. While the rest runs on auto pilot and is monitored in the back ground.

Good pre shot routines help.

[BerntR]

You're probably right.

So far I haven't been successful with it. The times I've tried to follow a routine it is as if I loose focus on the task at hand. I am wondering whether a good routine can be created by design or if it has to evolve naturally.

[brianmontgomery2000]

I had this whole concentration thing brought home to me yesterday. It was 70 here in Ohio and I thought (silly me) that I'd get to the course at 3:00 and it wouldn't be crowded. Anyway, it worked out that I got started right behind a threesome and in front of a foursome. By the 3rd hole, I joined the threesome. I was par-par on one and two and made par on three despite the very thinly struck shot on that par-3.

I then proceeded to get really fast with my swing, which put me places I should have been. I then duffed a few chips along the way, couldn't put a darn and made double, triple, double.

Finally got myself together and finished par, bogey, par.

BTW, pace of play was very, very slow and I've gotten used to walk/hit/walk/hit/walk/putt.

My focus just left me for three holes (and easy ones at that). My inner voice was full of doubt once the first less than well struck ball. Easy chips got very hard. Distance control just shot.

Valuable lesson for me about not getting ahead of myself, playing one shot at a time, etc. See the shot, check alignments, feel and maintain the lag and listen for the rifle shot of compression.

[Meditation]

I like it. It includes "Focus".

Your mind is always focused, the only problem is that it might not be focused where you want it.

[Meditation]

the subject of concentration has been brought up recently on a couple threads

i'll offer up a definition that occured to me.... 'the crystallisation of intent into detailed mental imagery'
& that keeping it might be to do with 'the clarity of intense familiarity' - hey if you can get it to rhyme that has to be a bonus - no ?

this might be complete bollocks, but there you go

Mental imagery is not concentration but it can be the subject of concentratIon.

Concentration is the capacity to bring the mind onto something and to bring back the mind back to that focus when It wanders. It is an exclusionary action which filters awareness exclusively on the object of focus.

[O.B.Left]

Mental imagery is not concentration but it can be the subject of concentratIon.

Concentration is the capacity to bring the mind onto something and to bring back the mind back to that focus when It wanders. It is an exclusionary action which filters awareness exclusively on the object of focus.

Interesting. With that "focus" as you say, if it were to be on the hole for instance when putting , would judging the weight be automatic? I believe this is so. Thats what I attempt to do. "Take the picture , putt to the picture" etc. Like throwing darts or whatever. I rarely take a practice stroke anymore , Im just trying to see the hole in my mind ... some days are better than others !

[Meditation]

Interesting. With that "focus" as you say, if it were to be on the hole for instance when putting , would judging the weight be automatic? I believe this is so. Thats what I attempt to do. "Take the picture , putt to the picture" etc. Like throwing darts or whatever. I rarely take a practice stroke anymore , Im just trying to see the hole in my mind ... some days are better than others !

It seems that your trying to have a mentally created picture in your head as you perform an action. Anytime your consciousness is focused internally, you are in a dream state which detracts you from using the senses. You want instead to be in a state which many people call being present.

Internal processes are great for making judgements/predictions but have no place when performing actions. Actions call for awareness.

With regard to "take the picture, putt to the picture", this is half correct. The picture is judgement call before the shot which is important for line but there also has to be a mentally created kinesthetic feeling of the lag pressure. You need both elements. Once you have the judgement, the memory is encapsulated and stored just like a real memory. Now, you have to change your focus back to your senses and be a witness to your actions.