I hate when my normally friendly clubs get into those oppositional-defiant moods!
So I wipe them off and promise them ice cream, and then they say they’ll behave 
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I’ve definetely noticed that when I verbally express exactly what my shot is going to do it happens more often than not. I think most of us kinda look in the general direction we want our shot to go and once we’ve addressed the ball it becomes swing thoughts more than anything else.
By verbally expressing what we want the shot to do I think we tend to be more specific than just saying “I’m going to hit it towards the middle of the fairway”. It’s more likely we say something like “I’m going to start the ball towards that tall tree on the horizon and draw it slightly back towards the darker shaded area on the centre left side of the fairway”.
I think the main benefit of doing this is that it prevents us having swing thoughts and encourages us to be more reactive in the way we swing it. Certainly the case for me anyway.
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I did something a bit different but it seemed to have an effect. I was playing an early morning round on my own and I texted home that I’d parred the first and birdied no.2.
The family aren’t hanging on my every word here of course, but I know they like me to play well, so I come home happy.
Anyway, I kept this going till I finished, texting in the score on every hole accompanied with a smiley face or otherwise and it made me feel as if I had people rooting for me.
I’m 14 h/c and break 80 maybe 4-5 times a year, but when I added up the score, it was 77. Did it again next time out, 79. Then my daughter texted that I’d added up wrong and it was 78. A while later and I got a 79, breaking 80 three times in 10 days when it usually took most of the year.
It seems to have stopped working now, but it was fun while it lasted!
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Visualizing your shot dovetails in with the narrating idea…
…most people on here probably are already doing this in their pre-shot routine, and someone earlier outlined a very specific example … but really see your intended shot and explain it to your “invisible caddy”…
(…which leads me to wonder - does he/she have a name? 
)
Anyway, for me the viz + the “explaining” helps increase the level of commitment to the shot!
Hmmm…maybe you just need to text someone else… 
But great shooting - congrats!!
It seems to me that you are too focused on your score while you play. You will likely do better if you focus on the shots instead of how many you’ve taken.
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Yes, true. I think I always know my score, and I should concentrate on the process and let the score take care of itself.
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I make a lousy caddy, I call myself all sorts of bad names! I once read about doing that and it said imagine you actually were a caddy and you spoke like that to someone else, you’d soon find yourself without a job and a 4 iron rammed somewhere uncomfortable.
Like so much of golf, you know what to do but can’t put it into practice.
I’m very well aware that I am not good enough to get upset about less than good shots, but . . .
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Try playing a round where you only allow yourself positive self talk. When you hit a bad shot, don’t comment on it and immediately focus on your next one. Only tell yourself how well you are playing and when something good happens really take the time to note it and comment on it. See how this works for you.
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I try and do the thing that Pia Nilsson recommends in ‘Be a Player’ in that you only assign 4 categories to all your shots ~ Good, good enough, very good and not good. There is no bad! Once again, I know what to do, but can’t always do it.
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FINALLY did that today - ie. focus on the process on not on the (possible) result - and while not every shot was “good” there were really only 3 or 4 in a 9 hole round that were, uhhh, “not good” … yea!
The funny part of the story is… About 19 months ago (just checked the date) I’d attended a mental game clinic where this idea was one of the core principles. And it’s finally starting to sink in now…
So I figure the lessons I’m taking now will start to show themselves in Spring of '22…!! 
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Congratulations on your progress. Overcoming mental mistakes is the greatest challenge of golf.
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I talk to the ball! Sometimes it listens, sometimes I cuss it out!
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Just be the ball HennyPenny be the ball nanananananana…
I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
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Thx!! And, yeah - I’ve always said my biggest obstacle in this game is … me …
So somewhat related: been meaning to, and now I finally will, sit down and draw out a mental game scorecard for myself; I have a few examples to base it off. The primary idea - as many on here are already familiar with - is to outline your shot process and then score yourself on how well you follow and adhere to it … each and every shot (long game, short game, putting).
Helps keep that narrative (aloud or internal) on track!
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You’re not alone. The mental game the biggest obstacle for all of us.
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I put together a Mental Game Prompt and a Post Round review card. I based these on David Mackenzie Golf State of Mind and other research including @jon articles on Practical Golf. Feel free to adopt or adapt.
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I would guess that merely knowing you are going to fill out the post game card helps you make better decisions.
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very cool, thanks for sharing!
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This is good stuff and thx for showing it! Also a big fan of David MacKenzie (have mentioned that elsewhere) and need to go back and re-read his coaching materials.