Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a weekend warrior, there’s no denying that the mental aspect of the game plays a big part, if not the biggest part, in determining your ability to score. And I’m not just talking about being smart here. Playing good golf requires not only the capacity to think in a logical manner but also the ability to tap into that part of the brain that controls our emotions, creativity and reflexes.

Golfers who play poorly are often accused of either thinking too much or not thinking enough. I believe the real issue is not the amount of thoughts you have, but the quality and timing of your thoughts.
Touring pros, for example, have a lot more things to consider than the average golfer, and yet still manage to perform under tremendous pressure. How? The answer lies in the pre-shot preparation. Following are some tips to help you develop an effective mental routine.

THINK OUT OF THE BOX
I don’t mean this in the figurative sense. The box I’m referring to is the three-dimensional space where you set up and hit the ball. All decision-making should be done outside this box, e.g. yardage calculation, club selection, starting target, finishing target, type of swing. Don’t enter this box until you’re 100% committed to the shot you’ve chosen to hit. I don’t know who said “it’s more important to be decisive than correct,” but I’m sure he would’ve been one heck of a golfer. There’s nothing worse than making up or changing your mind when you’re already standing over the ball.

A good illustration of this principle is when you’re in between clubs on a par 3. Say you’re not sure if it’s a 7 or 6 iron. You pick the 7, but while addressing the ball, you realize it might not be enough. So, at the last moment, you decide to swing a little harder. You end up hooking it into the pond left of the green. If you had chosen to stick to the original plan, at worst your ball would’ve landed maybe a few feet short of the green, leaving you with a simple chip.

ONE BRAIN, TWO MINDS
Imagine your mind as two separate tanks. The first tank represents your brain’s cognitive or analytical faculty. The second tank represents the creative and emotional faculty. The goal of the pre-shot preparation is to fill up the first tank with information that is relevant to the shot at hand. When this happens, positive images and emotions can enter the second tank. If the first tank gets filled up with irrelevant or inaccurate information, all sorts of negative images and emotions can enter the second tank.

That’s why thoughts like “there’s no water” or “don’t hit it there” don’t work over the long haul. It’s more effective to think something like “I’m going to start the ball left of this sprinkler, let it rise above that tree, and land it on the front edge.” To breed a positive emotion like confidence, you must have reasons to be confident. Start by having a definitive course of action that is realistic. This means sticking to shots that you’re familiar with. If your conscious mind knows you haven’t practiced the shot you’re about to attempt, it’s almost impossible to construct a positive image you can hold until the moment you hit the ball.

Relevant Thoughts
Distance to the flag
Direction of the wind
Lie of the ball
Shape of shot
Club selection

Irrelevant Thoughts
Three-putt on previous hole
The pond on the next hole
Current score
Spectators
Opponent’s game

VISUAL BASICS
Imagination is creating in your mind something that doesn’t exist or hasn’t happened yet. Visualization is recalling something you’ve already witnessed. When you imagine a shot you haven’t tried before, the memory of that shot doesn’t exist yet. The result is anxiety. When you set up to the ball in this emotional state, the analytical side of your brain works overtime to give instructions to the body on how to perform an unfamiliar task. This untimely interference is better known as choking.

On the other hand, visualizing a shot you’ve successfully executed before creates a sense of calm–a feeling that “it’s done.” So there’s no reason for your conscious mind to interfere in the middle of your swing. This cycle of experience-visualize-execute doesn’t guarantee perfect shots all the time, but reinforces your belief in your own abilities every time you play well. That’s why it’s important to watch the ball while you hold your finish during practice because it lets you store away positive images that serve as mental ammunition when you face similar situations on the course.

REHEARSAL
You can have different reasons for doing it: getting warmed up, getting reacquainted with a particular club you haven’t used for the past 12 holes, or just getting into your normal rhythm. Watch the pros on the PGA. Some make two or three swings that are identical to the shot they plan to hit. Others just do a slow, mini swing that doesn’t even reach the shoulders. John Huston doesn’t even make one. You can do it behind the ball as you visualize. Or you can do it over the ball, especially on short shots. The idea is to get comfortable, not compulsive.

SETUP IS NOT STATIC
A common mistake I see among amateurs is they stand frozen over the ball while going through a checklist of do’s and don’ts in their heads. The set up is not the place to give yourself a lesson. Watch a good player. You’ll notice that he is constantly in motion at address. A tug on the sleeve, a few waggles, a couple of peeks at the target, a shuffling of the feet-to the inexperienced observer, it all looks like manifestations of nervousness. In reality, these seemingly insignificant mannerisms form a triggering mechanism that activates the reflexes. It’s important to note here that if you haven’t at least mastered the basics, there won’t be any golf-related reflexes for you to activate.

Psychologist Dr. Maynard Howe said, “The psychological basis for the most ideal state of athletic performance is that of unquestioned faith at the moment of execution.” To put it in less profound terms, it’s not so much about remembering as it is about trusting. Once you step into “the box”, you should basically just let your body react to the mental image you have constructed in your pre-shot preparation. If you find that you’re not comfortable at this stage, step back and start over.

P.S.
As in “post-shot.” While the value of a well-executed pre-shot routine is quite obvious, how you behave after hitting a shot may be just as vital. A fist pump, a high five with a caddy, or a simple “thank you” after being paid a compliment… these are more than just spontaneous reactions to a great shot. They act like psychological earmarking, reminders of the significance of your accomplishment.

When you get a result you don’t expect, be careful not to make broad judgmental statements about yourself or the situation. Always try to find something positive to say about the shot you just hit. Instead of saying, “I’m so stupid” or “It’s not my day,” maybe you could try something like “I stuck to my routine that time” or “It could’ve been worse.” One bad shot will not ruin your game, but one bad reaction to a bad shot can. If you can’t do anything right for some reason, just smile and say, “Hey, it happens to the best.”

Article by Mic Que