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.
 

Luckiest Bounces on the PGA Tour

Get Rid of the Slice for Good!

While many golfers lean right politically, the driver shot to the right is anything but PC! The slice will rob you of distance, social standing, and self respect. The good news is that I have complete confidence that the slice can be corrected with a few simple steps.

#1 - Tilt - You want to tilt your spine angle a few degrees away from the target; this will help you achieve a correct path by hitting up slightly on the ball.

#2 - Turn - Most slicers lift their arms on the back swing and tilt their spine toward the target as a result (remember, you want to tilt slightly away, not toward, the target). Tilting rather than turning will lead to bogies, double bogies, and worse! Start your back swing by turning your hips and shoulders. The more you turn, the better you will drive your ball.

#3 - Toss - You must release the club. Release means let go; it should feel as if you are throwing the club at your intended target, but the ball just gets in the way! A relaxed, well timed tossing motion will result in a well struck, powerful golf shot.

So remember, it takes just three T's to terminate the slice: Tilt, Turn, Toss.  If it sounds too easy to be true, come see me. If you don't get rid of the slice by the end of the lesson, you don't pay for the lesson! What to you have to lose - besides a big slice?!
www.tunkkarigolf.com

Tiger and Sergio Don't Play Nice

Tiger and Sergio Don't Play Nice

Honestly, I really like the Sergio vs. Tiger spat. Let me tell you why.

When he burst on the golfing stage as a 19 year old at the PGA championship at Medina, everyone thought Sergio would be a rival to Tiger, and perhaps even eclipse the great Tiger Woods. However, as time has gone by, Sergio seems to have grown very jealous as he watched Tiger demolish records and win majors. Meanwhile, Sergio has been labeled as the best golfer never to win a major.  A very backhanded compliment, to be sure.

The animosity between the two golfers is very apparent. Like two spolied children, neither will take the high road to resolve a very petty disagreement.

Both players are larger than life golf celebrities, with huge egos to match their enormous bank accounts. I personally have tremendous respect for both golfers--their talent is off the charts. Sergio is a ball striking genious, and Tiger has mental toughness and short game skills that have never been seen before.

I think both golfers are behaving poorly - as usual. They deserve each other. The media loves the controversy, TV ratings will soar, and of course I will be watching.   Cheers.

Chip it close my friend.

I often say that chipping is the easiest way to shave strokes off your score. The chip is simple and easy to learn; hitting a driver long and straight is very difficult in comparison. If I have a short, fairly simple chip, I expect to get down in two strokes or less—I consider three strokes equal to hitting a ball in a water hazard, a one stroke penalty! God forbid I take more than three strokes. In addition, I want to chip in close enough for a one or two foot putt. It is a great feeling when you chip one close to the hole and your opponent, in a sour voice, says "pick it up." It is a pleasure to leave the putter in the bag and walk to the next tee! So, you might ask, can you explain this simple and easy method of chipping that is going to make my life more enjoyable? Why, yes I can! Here is a quick overview, along with an easy drill to help cure the most common chipping problems.

Chipping –

The set-up is a very important part of becoming a proficient chipper. Place your feet together, almost touching, with 80 percent of your weight on the foot closest to the target. Grip down on your club (you can use any club in the bag) so your eyes are almost right over the ball. Moving close to the ball may feel awkward at first, but stick with it—the position allows for a much simpler stroke! Have some flex in your arms so your elbows are right against your side. Place the ball back in your stance slightly. With the ball back and your weight forward, the club shaft should lean slightly towards the target. Use you the same grip that you use on your putter. Now the easy part, the stroke…

Once you are set up correctly, you are ready to make a stroke that is similar to your putting stroke. Generally speaking, there should be very little movement in your wrists. To do this properly, you must create the power in the stroke by rocking your shoulders—it should feel as if your right and left shoulder move up and down to supply the force. Another "feel" is having your right and left elbows move up and down. The key is to focus on brushing the ground right where the ball would be. Visualize an arc where the club goes up on the back swing then down to brush the ground right where the ball is, and finally back up in the air on the follow-through.

Practice drill -

The number one mistake I see when people have problems chipping is deceleration. This is a common problem because most golfers take the club too far back on the back swing, and the sub-conscious brain screams out "Slow Down!" just as the golfer approaches impact. The result is usually a chunked shot (hitting the ground behind the ball) or a shot that comes up well short of the hole. Here is the drill to save you from this terrible fate:

Take your favorite chipping club and set up five to ten feet away from the green. Now place your golf bag behind the ball, positioning the bag so you can only take your club away from the ball a couple of feet without hitting your bag. This will force you to take a short back swing. It might feel very difficult at first, but don't quit on the drill. If you use your torso rotation to create the power, you will hit very solid shots. You will accelerate through the shot, and before you know it you will hear those three magic words on the course "pick it up!"