The mental game of golf
In discussions about golf, particularly when playing alongside other golfers, a prevailing notion suggests that, fundamentally, you are ultimately competing against yourself. The performance of fellow golfers is considered to be unrelated or should not influence your performance and the attainable outcomes you can reach.
Your mental preparation for golf is without doubt one of the most important aspects of the game that will help you to consistently perform at your best round after round. The key mantra is to always ‘Trust The Process’ and the better process and routine you have the more likely you are to succeed.
Below we have broken down what we believe to be the best set up and practices to get you mentally and physically prepared for the best round of your life!
Setting clear and achievable goals for the round
Never put pressure on yourself to achieve a bigger goal than you can, if you’re a high handicapper then expect to have setbacks, but see if you can shave off 1 or 2 points off your average total.
Don’t set yourself up to fail as you will never feel like you can succeed. Focus on the parts of your game that you enjoy and the parts that you struggle, separate that from your game. So if your driving is poor but your putting is good, don’t set yourself up for failure by adding pressure on to be hitting fairways. Add goals to your putting so there is still a sense of achievement on every hole.
You can even talk to yourself during the round to give yourself pep talks, and hey… if driving isn’t your thing there is no shame in putting the driver away and using an iron. A poor drive can comfortably see you losing a ball off the tee or hitting into the rough and having to chip on for your third. Leave the big dog in the bag and take an iron with a cleaner shorter drive off the tee, this method will have better outcomes and probably give you far more confidence around the course.
Visualizing positive outcomes and past successful shots
Unless you’re a pro and you have a full-time caddie you’re going to be on your own on the course making decisions for yourself.
Even though the majority of golf courses are unique your golf game and how you play is going to be similar. There will be good and bad aspects about your game, golf is about consistency and this does come from regular play, but also from doing the good things over and over again, be it a driver off the tee or a putt from the edge of the green.
Start to think more about what you are trying to achieve, look at your lie, look at your club, and think about the best outcome that can happen. You will start to recognise areas of play on the course where you are starting to get stronger. This will be both a physical and mental feeling. Knowing you are 90 yards away from the green should feel different than being 200 yards away, and what you need to do is recall the last time you were successful at that range with the same club and replicate that emotion and shot.
This may sound strange at first but you will start to be able to feel your way around the course and become a golfing Jedi very soon.
Staying focused and in the present moment
It’s so easy to be distracted on the course especially if you are playing with others and the conversation is flowing and you are having a good time. Keep going back to your goals across the game to ensure you’re always focused. At each tee have a quick mental check-in to see where you are.
Here are a few pointers to keep your mind in the game
1. Breakdown the hole into a series of shots from the tee (driver 200 yards, 7 iron 140 yards, PW chip onto the green then 2 putt)
2. Walk through your expectations of club choices (look at what you can achieve with a full v 3/4 swing – don’t push yourself to the point where you are swinging too hard to make a distance)
3. Give yourself time on the ball when taking your shot regardless of the situation or pace of play with others. Racing around a hole will only lead to poor setup routine and probably a topped ball shot.
Golf is a social game and is about enjoying yourself and having a good time but if you do want to progress then you need to keep your focus if you want to improve.
Practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation & exercises
Keeping your body and mind calm is critical as this is when you have the function to be more controlled and allow that muscle memory and routines to take over your game.
Being relaxed is the key to a perfect round of golf and being relaxed on the course starts with a focused mind and body. If you are playing golf then your pre golf routine is as vital as your routine on the course.
Here are a few simple stages in setting yourself up prior to starting the game
- Get to the course early, never be late as you will end up having a poor first few holes as you will be rushing
- Try and get to the range to warm up so your body is prepared and you have gotten rid of your early swing niggles
- Exercise before you start, this can be just a few mins while you are waiting on the tee, with bends and light swings
- Read the scorecard before you start and plan where you can take advantage of the course or map out the dangerous areas
- Clean your equipment if it’s needed
Developing a pre-shot routine to help stay focused and consistent
Every professional sportsperson has a routine, some are easier to spot than others but it’s about building up a physical and mental routine/muscle memory that will at some point, become the most natural process.
It’s best to practice and hone this routine at the driving range and even easier with a Golf pro as they will ensure that you are setting up for the shot the correct way.
A typical routine would consist of:
1. Stand back from the ball and visualise where the ball will land
2. Step into position with the ball at the perfect distance and line from your body
3. Check your stance and balance
4. feel into the golf grip
5. Take a few measured back swings / arches
6. Breathe and clear your mind
7. Allow yourself to naturally swing
Managing expectations and learning to handle mistakes and setbacks
By now you should have heard of the phrase about ‘taking your medicine’. Even the pro golfers will find themselves in the rough, but you will rarely see them taking bigger risks to try and gain an advantage from a difficult or tough lie.
Suck it up and go back to basics and chip it out and take the additional shot, taking this course is the best type of play to keep your score low. You will of probably thought to yourself that a wayward drive into the rough can be rescued with a low stinger with a rescue but work out the odds on your completing this and where the ball may possibly land verses a basic wedge chip back out.
Stay positive and maintain a good attitude across all the holes, think about the long game and not just what hole you are playing currently playing on. You could drop a few points on a Par 5 but make those back on up on a decent swing on the Par 3. Using self-talk to boost confidence and focus on the ultimate goal of reducing your score across the course is the way forward and if you have a bad hole then leave the negativity at that hole.
Keeping a journal to track progress and reflect on past rounds
It’s easy to sometimes forget where you came from and it can be a positive element when you feel like your golf game is slipping to see where you started from. Keeping a track or a journal on your previous golf rounds is a good element to practice.
The more you know about your own golf game, the more you know how to improve!
It’s important to note that mental preparation is an ongoing effort. Golfers should practice mental skills regularly and incorporate them into their practice and pre-round routine. It is also important to be adaptable and adjust your mental approach as needed based on your performance and circumstances on the course.
