Golf Psychology
Golf Psychology
With some clients I have, there is an element of golf psychology in their lesson.
Yes training the swing is vital but remember a round of golf takes around four hours so your mind is constantly thinking.
Yes we chat with our playing partners, maybe think of what we will do later, plans for work tomorrow etc but from the moment you take the club out of the bag to play a shot, you have to be focused.
As part of the practice schedule that I prescribe for some clients, there are a few golf psychology techniques to train your brain to think better when you are on the golf course.
These techniques like the golf swing take time and practice. Over time they will help you play to your true potential and at the very least help you enjoy a round of golf more, I guarantee that.
One of the best pieces of advice for every golfer out there is to do the following:
Every time you go to take a club out of the bag to play a shot:
- Remember the great shots you have hit in the past with that particular club
- Remember the great swing you produced to hit that shot
- Remember the feeling of that perfect swing as you hit the ball
- Remember as you swung the club to the follow through how the ball was heading towards your target
- Remember finishing your swing with perfect balance, admiring the great shot you had just hit
If you are serious about improving your golf game, Do the following:
- I want you to go to a shop and buy a small notebook/diary.
- In it after every round, take 5 minutes (yes you have 5 minutes, no excuses!) to go over the good shots that you hit that day and write them down. (Not the bad shots that some people like discussing with their friends in the clubhouse!!! there is a saying “half the people do not want to hear about the 10 bad shots you had and the other half… wish you had more!!)
- Before every round you play, take 5 minutes (yes again you have 5 minutes!!!) to go through this diary and remember the good shots that are entered in this notebook.
- Try and remember each entry in the book vividly, preferably a great shot with every club you have in your bag, that is, a great drive to a narrow fairway, a great iron shot to a tough pin location, a great chip, a great bunker shot, a great putt etc.
As you head to the first tee, your mind will be filled with positives, the great shots you have hit so as you stand over each shot on the course, you will have memories of the successful shots you hit in the past. This installs confidence, confidence in your ability to pull off whatever shot comes your way that day.
