The game of golf is one of the most mental games in the world. It is one of the few sports where you control when you make a play. The ball just sits there on the fairway or green and it is up to you to take as much or little time as you want to hit it. Most other sports you are forced to make a play due to pressure from the competition. Learning how to master the mental game is perhaps the key to unlocking your unlimited potential as a golfer.
The best players in the world have learned to master the mental game of golf and that is what makes them great. Positive thinking and confidence are critical in becoming a great player. Of course, you will need to still practice regularly on the mechanics in order to maintain your skills. However just working on mechanics alone will only get you so far at the game of golf and you will reach a plateau.
In order to break through that plateau you must develop the ability to maintain and build confidence regardless of what happened on the last shot good or bad. Maintaining confidence is a great challenge however there are many things you can do to become a more confident player.
The first step is to see yourself as a great player. You need to remind yourself regularly of all the great shots you have ever hit and all the great putts you have ever made. Take a few minutes out of each day to think about your top five greatest shots ever and also see yourself playing well in the next round you will be playing. Be realistic, so every now and then you may picture yourself missing a green or fairway but then also picture yourself recovering and making those shots back in the next few holes.
The way you think as you are about hit the ball is very important. You must learn to trust your mechanics and in your ability to execute mechanics without consciously thinking about it. Instead you need to stay focused on the targets you select and block out other thoughts. A good exercise to help you to develop this focus is by concentrating on the tip of a pen. Try only to think about the tip of the pen and nothing else. If other thoughts enter your mind then return your focus back on the pen.
Learning about proper course management is also essential in order to play better golf. Many times you will be tempted to hit shots that are too difficult based on your current skill level. You must resist this temptation and hit the shot you know you can hit and that you have hit before several times in practice.
Sometimes laying up on a par 4 can often be the best option in order to shoot low scores. Rely more on your short game to help you make pars and as your long game gets better you will inevitably make more birdies. When picking clubs make sure that you select a club that you can comfortably swing to get the ball to the hole, if you have to take an extra club if it means being able to make an easier swing.
Do not get caught up in what your playing partners are doing and try to match their distance. Also remember that golf really is an individual sport so do not try to beat your playing partners but rather focus on playing the course and shooting the lowest score possible on that day. Use some of the mental strategies to help you lower your golf handicap.
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