No sport in the world is as rage-inducing as golf. I, for one, believe that any crimes committed while playing golf should be considered crimes of passion; I feel like most courtrooms would agree. Golf is so frustrating because of how deceptive it is — It looks so simple, but it’s anything but. Unlike baseball, in which the ball is coming at you at 100 miles per hour, in golf, the ball is just sitting there on the ground. Or unlike football, where there is a defense trying to stop you from getting the ball into the endzone, there is no defense in golf. What this means is when you make a bad golf shot, you can’t say something like “that was a tough pitch” or “the defense made a good stop.” When you make a bad golf shot, it’s no one’s fault but your own. And if you keep making bad shot after bad shot in a round, that can be extremely discouraging. That’s why it’s so important to develop a strong mental game.
I believe that the best way to control one’s mental game on the golf course is to break it down into portions: The Pre-Shot, Standing Over The Ball, The Swing, The Post-Shot, and The Walk.
-The Pre-Shot — This is when you’re standing behind the ball, getting your yardages, and choosing which club and what type of shot you’re going to hit. No matter where you are on the golf course, whether it’s the first tee or the 18th fairway, I think it’s important not to let any negativity penetrate your thoughts during this stage. If you’re a slicer, for example, then instead of saying something like “Don’t slice the ball,” try saying “Let’s hit a draw.” Even if you’ve never hit a draw in your life, think about what needs to happen in order to execute it; Strengthen the grip, point your feet right, swing in-to-out, turn the hands over in the through-swing. Do a couple practice swings so you have the proper feels. Doing this will create a focused mindset as you step over the ball and (hopefully) banish all fears of slicing from your head. Regardless of the result of the shot, simply having a plan in your head will make you a better golfer.
-Standing Over The Ball — Now that you’ve got your plan in your head, you’re ready to approach the ball. I have a checklist that I go through when getting in my stance: Grip, which I keep between neutral and strong; feet, whose width varies depending on the club but I generally keep my right foot squared off and the left slightly open; posture, which means my arms close to my body and my hips over my ankles; shoulders, which I make sure are pointing at my target; and the club face, which I also make sure is pointed at the target. Once my body is where it needs to be, I repeat my plan in my head and do a practice backswing, making sure my hands are in the right spot at the L-position, which is something I’ve been working on lately. Finally, I relax my body. I have a tendency to get way too tense when standing over the ball, so forcing myself to relax helps me start my swing.
-The Swing — Every golfer, no matter their skill level, has faults they’re trying to fix, and so it’s easy to drown yourself with endless swing thoughts. I like to quiet as much of that as possible when I’m actually swinging the club, and that’s why my practice swings are so important to me, because they help keep those feels fresh in my mind. The only things I’m conscious of during the backswing are making sure my hands are on plane at L-position and making sure that the weight in my left foot is on all five toes and not just the big toe (I’m a heel-lifter.) During the downswing, my thoughts are: Clear the hips, drop the hands, create lag. Nothing too complex, just simple things to ensure that I’m doing the things I need to do.
-The Post-Shot — The thing with golf is you know immediately after the swing whether or not you hit a good shot. If it’s a good shot then you should absolutely admire it – Not many things in life feel as good as watching a drive split the fairway or a pitch shot land smack dab on the green. If it’s a bad shot, on the other hand, that’s a different story. Maybe you sliced it way out to the right, or hit a wormburner an inch off the ground, or possibly you chunked it and the ball only went two feet. No matter what, it sucks. You usually know exactly what you did wrong right away, and you berate yourself for doing it. Anger and frustration are natural human emotions and I don’t believe in suppressing them or trying to bottle them inside you, because that simply doesn’t work. However, it’s also important to keep them in check. I allow myself a few seconds to vent, but once the club is back in the bag, the shot is in the past and I’m on to the next one. That’s one of the most useful things a golfer can develop: A short memory. The previous shot doesn’t have to negatively impact the next shot unless you let it, so don’t let it.
-The Walk — Trying to keep your head up while walking to the ball after hitting a bad shot is possibly the hardest thing to overcome in golf, and it’s something I continuously struggle with. I’m much better at it earlier in the round, when I can blame an errant shot on not being fully warmed up yet, but as it gets deeper in the round, I find myself getting more and more despondent with each bad shot. I start talking to myself, saying things like “Why do you keep playing this sport?” or “You never get any better,” stuff like that. Sometimes I’m able to shake these thoughts by the time I get the ball, but other times I can’t. I wish I could say that I have a secret to overcoming The Walk, but I don’t. Like I said, it’s something I struggle with, and it’s a constant battle. The best thing I can suggest is keep working on that short memory and focus on making the next shot better than the last one.
Let me know what aspect of the mental game you struggle with the most and what you do to overcome negative thoughts during a round. As always, let’s #MakeItHappen together!
My Favorite Golf Club 