Manage Your Mental Golf Game

Why is the mental game of golf different from other sporting games?

From the address to the finish, a golf swing takes about three seconds to complete. In a four-hour round, the actual swing-time would be around five minutes for an average woman golfer shooting 100. That leaves 3 hours and 55 minutes to think about what you are doing.

In no other sport do you have this much time to think about what you are going to do next. The way you use this time could be the difference between having a good day or a bad day on the golf course.

Remember these five beliefs for a successful mental golf game:

Be realistic about the game of golf. Everyone playing the game will hit poor shots as well as miss chip shots and putts. Golf is a game of inches when ½” can be the difference between success and failure. It happens. Stop thinking about a missed shot and treat it as an anomaly.

Golf is not a game of perfection. Let go of trying to hit perfect shots. Relax and enjoy the feeling of your body creating smooth, fluid swings.  Most pros swing with 85% of their possible power.

Golf is basically a game of recovery. Every shot is hit from a different place. When it is your turn to hit, slow down and take time to prepare your mind; deep breathing will help your focus and visualization of the upcoming shot.

Take responsibility for your game by paying attention to your own game. Women have a tendency to comment on everyone’s shots, and to try and smooth over feelings when someone else misses a shot.    

Maintain the right mental attitude. Remind yourself that golf is a game that you play for enjoyment. Your misses don’t reflect upon you as a person, but your reactions to your misses do. Smile more often and enjoy playing in the beauty of nature.

Joan King, Peak Performance Strategist, Board Certified Sports Hypnotist, is the founder of Positive Mental Imagery, a sports consulting firm specializing in the mental aspects of sports. She is dedicated to helping athletes realize their potential through balance of their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual powers.

If you would like to improve your mental game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, by email at joan@pmi4.com, through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog.  Other tools to improve your mental golf game are available on the website, where you can sign up for a free mental golf newsletter and access self-hypnosis mental golf CDs.

Golf can be frustrating because no matter what you do, you will always miss some shots. It is important to keep the game in perspective. When a person falls apart after a missed shot or a large number on a hole, she is probably thinking “all” or “nothing.” That is the time when it would be wise to remind yourself that the missed shot is only a small part of the entire round and that there is sufficient time to recover. Be careful not to say generalizations such as; “It’s going to be that (bad) kind of a day.” Learn from your mistakes and move on to the next shot. Use your mistakes as motivation to play the rest of the holes well. Tell yourself that you are going to enjoy each shot no matter what the outcome.

When you miss the first shot, the tendency is to rush to hit the next shot to get out of the embarrassing situation. Slow down and take this action to prepare your mind and body so you can hit the next shot successfully:

Take some deep breaths.  Take a couple of deep breaths to release your frustration. This will calm your mind and body so you can easily focus in the present.

Change the memory of the missed shot.  You do not want to head down the fairway trying to figure out what went wrong. And more importantly, you do not want the wrong swing on the forefront of your mind.

While the next person is hitting her shot, step away from the line of play and swing your club until you have re-established  your desired swing tempo. If you do not correct the swing tempo at this point, you will probably put that same incorrect swing on the next shot.

Focus on the next shot.  Do not try and hit your next shot hard to make up for the lost distance. When you get to your next shot, take the time to be absolutely certain which club and shot to hit. Use a club in which you have complete confidence. Take a couple of practice swings to feel the tempo you have just established.

Use your pre-shot routine.  It is important to give your full attention to your pre-shot routine. Set your intention by visualizing the shot going to your target. Trust in your routine to prepare your mind and body to produce the shot you desire.

For a solid mental golf game, this is the time to remember your best shots, to encourage yourself with positiveinner messages, and to relax. When “the wheels come off” golfers usually begin to swing faster from nervousness.  Regain your rhythm and tempo by slowing down your pace of play. Take practice swings before you hit to help you get back into the right frame of mind for every shot.