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.