Golf Psychology is often looked at by amateurs as nothing more than visualization of their golf shots. Professional golfers look at it completely differently and often times spend thousands of dollars working with a psychologist to improve the golf mind.
I was contacted a couple of days ago by Roy Palmer, author of several books including, Golf Sense. Roy and I exchanged a couple of emails and he asked me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing his book.
Being and avid golfer and a person always looking for a way to improve my game, I thought it would be good to read this book to get a different perspective.
I am in the process of reading the book and will be writing a complete review when I am done. What I have read so far is very intriguing.
If you are curious about the book, here is a link for you.
Improving Mental Focus for Golf is one aspect that very few amateur golfers consider. Yet, when you consider that 80% of your performance on the golf course is mental, it will make you wonder why.
Have you ever wondered why professional golfers like Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and others can play “lights out” one week and then, in the very next tournament they are in they play average. That is, average for a professional golfer.
Professional golfers will practice for hours and hours everyday preparing for a tournament. They will spend thousands of dollars working with the best professional instructors in the business to hone every shot they need on the golf course. With all that repetition you would think that every shot should be near perfect.
We all know that this is not the case. So, with all the time that professional golfers spend practicing, what would cause them to hit errant golf shots, miss putts and otherwise look pedestrian during a round of golf?
The answer is “mental clarity”. A golf swing is no more than a split second from start to finish, but if your mind is not clear on what you want to accomplish with that swing anything can happen.
Believe it or not, professional golfers also spend time and money working with sports psychologists to improve their mental toughness.
If the top pros on tour are willing to work on improving mental focus for golf, wouldn’t it make sense for amateurs to spend some time doing the same thing?
The best part of improving mental focus for your golf game is that you can do it anywhere.
I know that when I am struggling with my golf game it is in my head and not in my swing. Take time to work on your mental game and watch your game improve overnight.
Playing Consistent golf is one of those things that many golfers only dream of. Most amateur golfers only have so many hours for the game of golf.
All too often we have to sacrifice playing time for practice time. It is a real balancing act when it comes to improving our game.
So how do you go about playing consistent golf without giving up a lot of playing time?
One of the mistakes I think amateur golfers have a tendency to do is to try to develop a perfect golf swing rather than a consistent golf swing.
There are a couple of flaws in that approach. First is although there may be a perfect swing, the likeliness of achieving it and maintaining it is unrealistic. Secondly, the perfect swing may not be the best swing for your game.
Make the time that you put into practicing your golf game effective. When you practice, spend less time on the things that you do well and more time on the shots that need work. For instance, if you have a strong short game and your week off the tee then spend 80% of your time at the driving range on improving your tee shots and only 20% of your time on your short game.
You’re more likely to improve your scores and lower your handicap, if you follow these six simple tips.
1. Take the time to develop a pre-round strategy. Review the golf course and map out how you want your round to play out. Break the round down into smaller 3 hole mini rounds.
2. Develop a pre-shot routine. Put your mind to visualizing the shot you are about to play. Follow the same steps in preparing to take your shot and your subconscious will take over naturally.
3. Adopt the right swing thoughts. Forget about that missed opportunity or poor swing. Everyone has a bad shot or putt from time to time. Put your mind at ease by not trying to make up for it with the next shot.
4. Know your distances. Don’t fall trap to trying to get another 5 yards out of the club in your hand. If the shot you are going to play is in between clubs, go to the longer club, choke down a bit and take a relaxed swing.
5. Work on your short game. You will take more shots from inside 150 yards in a given round then you will hitting your driver. Develop a strong short game and watch your scores go down.
6. Avoid those disastrous three putts. Spending quality time on the practice green is one of the most important and easiest ways to become more consistent. Knowing how to lag a putt from 40 feet to inside three feet will eliminate those dreaded three putts.
Yes, all golfers can play more consistent golf by just following these six tips. Why not take some time to work on the things that will help you the most. Stop worrying about the perfect swing and start putting lower scores on your golf card.
For more tips on how to improve your game and lower your scores, check out our eBooks.
