Ban the Bad Golf Shot

The mental side of golf is as important as the physical portion. Golf is hard and too often we became mentally damaged from the game. It is easy to start seeing bad shots happen before you hit them. Once your confidence goes, even the greatest players in the game can look like a rank amateur. 

We started playing this game to have fun. When I find myself not enjoying my golf, I always try to go back and approach the game with the idea that my score doesn’t matter.  I  visualize a great shot and go for it, without worrying about the results and without thinking about mechanics. As soon as you are afraid of hitting a bad shot, it becomes difficult to hit a good shot. Fear creates tension and anxiety, and pretty soon frustration replaces the fun, which creates more bad shots.  In this situation, one bad shot can start a chain reaction leading to a downward spiral and self destruction.   You need to  forget about that last shot and focus on the next shot. These are the good mental habits that will help your game. 

Building good mental habits takes practice, just as building a good golf swing does. Golfers should practice good mental habits on the golf course. Head out to the course once in awhile with the idea that you are not going to keep score. Play nine holes just focusing on having a great attitude and trying to hit great shots every time you get over the ball. This is not as easy as it sounds. We have trained ourselves to focus on the outcome (the score or the result of the shot) rather than the process. You may not be able to control the wind, course conditions, or what your partner shoots; you can, however, control your emotions and attitude. Practice having a great attitude on the golf course and you will have more fun, hit better golf shots, and end up shooting lower scores!

Have More Fun Playing Golf!

Lowering your golf scores, learning a new shot, or overcoming a feared shot are all examples on how to make the game of golf more fun! Golf can be so difficult--everyone goes through a rough patch. Whether you are Tiger Woods or Marty McSquealy, you are guaranteed to have a bad shot, a bad hole, a bad round, or even a bad month! The key is not to find yourself mired in a rut, beating yourself up; at this point, the game ceases to be fun, and a vicious cycle begins:   When we struggle,  we get tense. When we get tense we play bad. When we play bad we get grumpy. When we get grumpy people don't want to hang with us. Don't be lonely - go out and work on your golf game!

What is the best way to get back that loving feeling? It starts with the correct frame of mind. Embrace the idea that you are a detective and your job is to find out how to get better at golf. Look at the process as a fun and exciting challenge. It starts with doing some research, and diagnosing the cause of your problems (a golf pro can help in this process). The next step is to take the knowledge and apply it to your game through well organized practice. Don't expect to improve overnight. You will have glimpses of greatness, but real progress takes time. Don't get discouraged if you have a set back - everyone does. Be patient and persistent and you will prevail. Soon you will start making pars and birdies and taking money off you friends. You will be in a good mood and people will want to hang with you. Don't be grumpy and lonely--start working at getting better at golf!

The Mental Game of Golf: Improve Your Mental Process

Many mental coaches talk about how "few thoughts" tour pros have compared to their amateur brethren. Most people assume just the opposite, that the pros must be thinking a LOT out there on the course. Through numerous studies, researchers have discovered that amateurs typically have twice as many thoughts on the course as an average PGA tour professional.

 

Keep your head still, arm straight, don't swing too hard but make sure to finish your swing, don't sway, lead with the hips, and make sure not to hit it in the water! Does this checklist remind you of your own? Contrast that checklist with the typical pro's thoughts: Pick your target and trust your swing.

 

The time to think is before you start your pre-shot routine:  figure out yardage, judge conditions, and visualize a shot. Once you have a game plan, commit to a target, and trust your swing. The best swing thought is the one that calms your mind and gives you a single thought. Your swing thought could be cucumber - it will work if you trust it!

 

It is very important that golfers work on the mental process of golf. Just like swing flaws, mental mistakes can become bad habits. Do you let one bad shot or poor putt affect your next shot? Are you afraid when hitting over water or facing a three foot putt? These are just a few of the many common mental mistakes that amateurs (and Pro's) make on the golf course. A great way to work on your mental process is to write down some swing thoughts and place them in your golf bag. These are the one or two thoughts you want going through your mind when you swing--make them positive, simple, and definitive.

 

Here are some of my favorite swing thoughts:

• Relax
• Steady
• Easy does it
• Trust your swing
• Relax
• Cucumber
• Relax
• Swing like you don't care (ever notice how we often hit a provisional ball perfectly, or make every three foot putt when it doesn't matter?)

There are no magic formulas to make you a mental mastermind on the golf course. Just as with every other part of the game, the key is to recognize your mistakes and practice the correct mental approach. I see too many golfers fail to enjoy golf as much as they could; they get in their own way by focusing on the wrong things. These are often the golfers you see hit great shots on the driving range, only to fall apart on the golf course (we have all been there!). By spending time on the mental process of golf, you will experience positive results, and will maximize your enjoyment of this great and humbling game.

Golf is Not Easy

Remember, golf is hard!

 

Every golfer who has played the game for a significant period of time has been on a "roll". What is a roll? A roll is a 30 handicapper making three straight pars. A roll is a ten handicapper shooting even par on nine holes. A roll is sculling a bunker shot that hits the pin and drops in the hole. When things are rolling, you tend to have the feeling that nothing will ever go wrong again. Dogs will love cats, money will rain from the sky, and your spouse will plead with you to play more golf!

 

While being on the roll is great, it doesn't come around too often, and it rarely lasts very long. Remember, golf is hard. I will often hear my students talk about how poorly they are playing. Before the pity party gets out of control, I ask the student to hit a shot left handed. The usual shank or whiff is followed by laughter and then my comment-- "that is how a beginner feels." It is a good reminder to all of us how difficult the game really is. Then again if it were easy, we would quickly lose our interest!  It is the challenge in this game that proves to be seductive.

We head to the course expecting to play a great round of golf. When things go sideways, frustration threatens to make the game less enjoyable, and we all get frustrated when things don't go well. However, another important part of the game is learning not to dwell on the negative. Poor stretches of play are part of the game, and you should expect a rough patch occasionally. Focus on how to correct mistakes rather then dwelling on them. While you may be going through a rough patch, concentrate on staying positive.  By staying positive, you will get back on a roll sooner rather then later!

How to Warm Up for a Round of Golf

Many of us are guilty of running to the golf course, rushing to the first tee, and teeing off without warming up. While it will give you an excuse as to why you played poorly, the lack of a proper warm up won't do much for your game. Here is a quick way to warm--up if you only have a few minutes before tee time!

1. Get loose - swing the club back and forth with loose, relaxed muscles. Start slow and gradually add speed. After two minutes , you will feel loose and you will also have a sense of the club head and where it is during the swing.

2. Putt - make several long lag putts, followed by a few two footers.  Do not think about technique, only speed.  Hit a few uphill putts and a few downhill putts, if you have time. When you get a feel for the speed of the greens, knock in a couple of really short putts to build confidence.

3.PMA - Positive Mental Attitute!  Take a few moments to visualize a great opening tee shot. Look around and smell the flowers. Avoid the feeling of being rushed or anxious. You are about to play golf - enjoy!

How to Make the Most of Your Practice Sessions

Have you ever gone to the range excited to work on your game, only to leave more frustrated than ever? Here are a few tips on how to get more out of your practice sessions.

 

Have a practice plan. Don't just arrive at the range with the general idea that you are going to work on your game. Pick an area of your game where you want to focus. It could be an area where you struggled the last time you played. Maybe the short irons and distance control need work. Having a focus will create a more productive session.

Write it down!  I always carry a note-pad in my bag where I keep notes on my game. I usually scribble down a brief note when I find something that merits attention. It might be as simple as "I had success with the wedges today when I concentrated on an even tempo back and through the ball". This note will help make my next short iron practice session more productive. If carrying a note-pad seems like a hassle, try your phone.  Many smart phones now have note pad apps, and you can even speak-to-text instead of typing.  A quick and easy way to keep notes on your game!

Warm up and conclusion--start and end your session on a positive note. Warm up with some short shots. Even if your practice plan is to work on your driver, get loose and set a nice tempo before working your way up to the full swing.  When you are finished with your planned work, end your session on a positive note.  My preference is to wrap up the practice session with the scoring clubs--the wedges--choosing a target, and getting the ball as close to it as possible.   It is a valuable habit to start and end your practice session on a positive note; everyone is different, and the key is find our what works best for you!

Hit Better Long Golf Shots

Most of my students have trouble hitting long irons and fairway woods. The fact is (unfortunately) that these clubs are difficult to use.   The less loft on the golf club, the more difficult the shot.

What is the key to long fairway clubs - great contact! You can mis-hit a short iron and get away with it.  Not so a long iron, fairway wood or hybrid, which must be struck solidly to produce decent results. Your instinct will tell you that you have to swing harder to hit the ball farther.  As a result, most golfers swing too hard with the longer shots. You should use the same amount of effort as your pitching wedge, and you will get a rewarding result.

You can also improve contact by improving your angle of approach. Angle of approach simply means the direction the club is traveling when it strikes the golf ball. Hitting a driver is easier because you can use a tee, which allows you to hit up on the ball. The short irons are easier because you have more loft on your club, which allows you to hit down on the ball. The long fairways clubs are difficult because your club must travel level to the ground at impact to produce good results.  

Here is a simple drill that will help you feel the correct angle of approach and gain confidence in your ability to use the long clubs from the fairway:

1.       Tee the ball up off the ground about a half inch.

 

2.      Check your ball position so the ball is played forward in your stance (about two inches behind the left heel for a right handed  golfer). You also want to check and make sure that you are far enough from the ball that the butt of the club is at least four inches away from your left thigh.

 

3.      By reaching for the ball and teeing the ball in the air, we will shallow out your swing which will allow you to approach the ball on a good angle. The goal is to clip the ball solidly off the tee without taking a divot.

 

4.      Keep working on making a nice level approach.  If you take a divot behind the ball or top the ball, you are hitting up on the ball - no good. If you break the tee or take a divot in front of the ball, you are hitting down too much on the ball.  Once you have achieved good contact and the ball is flying nicely, start lowering the tee. Keep lowering the tee until the ball is on the ground. If you start to struggle go back to the tee for a couple of swing or simply imagine the ball is sitting up on a tee.
 

Extra Credit Opportunity!

Warning!!!  This drill is only for those golfers that are serious about being seriously good!

As many of my students will attest, I like to practice hitting my long clubs by placing the ball in a divot. This may sound strange, but I find that by taking a nice easy swing and focusing on a level approach into the ball, I can actually hit nice shots out of shallow divots - even with a three wood. This is a drill to help me overcome the temptation to swing too hard or to try to help the ball in the air. Once I go back to placing the ball on the grass, it seems like stealing! I suggest consulting your local PGA pro before trying this drill on your own; you should not attempt this drill if you have fragile wrists, swing too hard, or tend to take large divots.  Doing this drill properly has been known to cause large smiles, increased confidence, and feelings of superiority over playing partners. If you start hoping your ball lands in a divot so you can show off to your friends, you should immediately consult your local Pro.