If you google the difference between focus and concentration, the first result is “Focus is about intention. Concentration is what you do with your intention.” It’s an interesting distinction, and it has some implications for my golf game. Especially my putting. The basic takeaway is I need to work on improving my concentration on the golf course, not just my focus.
I was recently at the Chasing Scratch Final Major / Golf Trip. I played a number of rounds with friends new and old. I spent some time talking about putting with Jon Sherman, and we had an enjoyable round together. I found myself on the 10th hole, 1 over par with a 4 foot putt for birdie. It was to get back to even, and I started thinking about the big picture of shooting my first par round. I was focused on the putt! But I was not concentrating on how to make it. I missed.
My last hole of my last round of my trip found me exhausted and looking for some sort of spark, I challenged my young playing partner, Thomas, to see who could hole out first. I was 20 feet off the green, and 60 feet from the pin, in the rough, he had about a 40 foot putt. I hit what I thought was a good chip, but it didn’t run out. I had 10 feet left for par. This time I concentrated. I made the first long putt of the day.
Two very different putts, and I think it's worth exploring the circumstances. I certainly WANTED to make both putts. My focus was great on both shots. Even on the four footer, I was focused on the putt. There were other thoughts in my head, though, and I wasn’t concentrating on hitting the ball into the hole. I was thinking about what the putt meant. My 10 footer, I wasn’t worried about missing the putt, I was simply concentrating on making a good stroke. I set myself up for success and let my body take over.
My best golf has always been in the flow state. When I am not worried about my swing or my result, and I am just hitting the ball, I tend to play my best. It’s not a new concept, yet I can’t force myself into such a casual state of mind. When I get into a flow state, I just hope to ride it as long as possible. It also requires a comfort in my golf swing I have not had this year. My last “zen” round was last year and lasted 8 holes until my brain ran into a brick wall on the 9th hole. I was 9 strokes worse on the back than I was on the front.
I know my ideal state.. So the question becomes, can I learn to fake something similar to that state? This might be a bad question, the better question might be: Can I find a way to mimic the results of a flow state? I think the answer to that question is yes, but I think it requires me to take my mental game in a different direction. Instead of trying to achieve a flow state, I need to make sure I am concentrating on the right things. The long term outcome of this work should both make it easier for me to get into the flow state, and play better golf outside of it.
This is where the difference between focus and concentration comes into play for me. I’ve worked hard on my focus all year long, and think I’ve made some good strides. I still have room for improvement, but I am usually focused on the task at hand. To me, this means I am fully committed to the shot at hand. I know my goal, and I am confident in my process. What my putting over the weekend demonstrated was that I lack concentration. This issue creeps up throughout my game, but it’s especially true with my short game.
I think focus carries me through the majority of my game. My full swing is good, and I don’t need much concentration to hit a decent shot, given the shotgun pattern of longer shots. The closer I get to the hole, the more precise I have to be and the more concentration really matters.
Going back to focus vs concentration, the key is intention. Focus is having intent, and concentration is using that to achieve my goal. I was focused on making a four footer for birdie, I was concentrating on making a 10 footer for par. To no one's surprise, I hit the 10 footer better. If this is my path forward towards improvement, then I need to figure out how to improve my concentration on the golf course.
This question vexed my school teachers for my entire childhood. I was always a decent student, I just rarely concentrated. My golf life has been similar. Working on focus was a big step for me. I’d find myself hitting a shot without thinking about what I was doing, or with no set goal in mind. I worked on it and improved. Concentration needs to be next. This is harder for me to define, but it involves taking my focus and directing it towards my goal.
While I don’t have a set solution right now, my goal will be to simply slow down around the green, and try to concentrate. I recently downloaded the tour tempo app, and am going to work on my putting using that. Hopefully having a temp to concentrate on will keep me focused on the putt, and get me concentrated on the right things.
We will see. This past week showed me that my putting is still the weakest part of my game, and I need to get to work. I also made a number of good putts, so I know I have the basics down. I don’t think my issues are mechanical, I think they are mental. This means I need to find ways to practice under “game conditions” to continue to improve. It is going to be a challenge, but I will spend the winter working on it!