Mental imagery, also known as visualization and inner seeing is a process used for a variety of purposes. When athletes utilize mental imagery, the process typically involves imagining oneself in the environment in which the person is to perform. The athlete views mental images of him or herself playing the sport, and using the techniques and mindset necessary to perform extraordinarily well in that sport.

Mental imagery has helped many athletes achieve success in their endeavors, because it helps these athletes gain much needed confidence, as well as increased focus and the ability to cope in new or strange situations.

For golfers, mental imagery is an extremely useful strategy because, as all advanced golfers know, 90%of the game of golf occurs mentally. Therefore, practicing the mental aspect of golf is as important, if not more important, than practicing the physical aspects of the game.

The best way to think of visualization is to believe that it is “feeling with the mind’s eye.” You need to both visualize yourself playing a perfect game, but also experience how it feels to excel at golf.

If you want to improve your golf performance through the use of mental imagery, you will need to commit to practicing this important technique on a regular basis. Like other golf techniques, mental imagery will not work unless you practice it consistently.

One great imagery technique for beginners is to recall a time when you performed really well while playing golf. You should replay the memory in your head several times and try to include as many vivid details as possible. Once you have ingrained this image in to your head, begin to imagine yourself at a future golfing event.

Imagine yourself using the same techniques that made the success of your previous memory possible. In this imagined future, you will also want to include as many details as possible. These details will make this imaginary game of golf come alive for you. Finally, imagine yourself standing by the hole after sinking the golf ball and feeling the success of achieving something that used to be extremely challenging.

If possible, you should practice visualizing a successful past performance and an even more successful future performance every day, until it feels like your imagined golf performance has already happened. With regular practice, you will find yourself better conditioned to cope with stressful tournaments, and your performance will improve substantially.

Golf Mental Training is dedicated to helping golfers to improve their golf mental game and has more articles and reviews of golf hypnosis downloads and golf mental game training programs.

As with any sport your performance on the golf course depends not simply upon your skill at hitting the ball but upon having at least a basic level of fitness which will allow you get the very best out of your golf swing. Here are a few simple pointers to an exercise program aimed at getting you a better swing.

Stretching. Stretching exercises are very important and you should start by gently rotating all of the “golf” joints including the hands and fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Then follow this by loosening up that all important neck and spine by gently and slowly rotating the head first clockwise and then counter-clockwise.

Don’t overdo your stretching and start out slowly holding each stretch for several seconds and then repeating and gradually and smoothly working up to a full extension for each joint.

Stand with your feet together and stretch your arms straight up above your head. Rotate your forearms, then your wrists and finally flex the finger joints. Next, rotate each arm in turn both forwards and backward and finish by rotating the arms together first in the same direction, forwards and backwards, and then in opposite directions.

Now, bend your elbows and clasp your hands together on the top of your head. Start by using the right hand to pull your body to the right and then your left hand to pull your body to the left.

Finally, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and with your arms loosely by your sides and then bend to the left and right and then forwards and backwards.

Throughout all of these stretching exercises be careful to stretch the muscles and not to strain them. Keep your exercises slow and deliberate and gradually increase your stretching as you get used to each exercise.

Warming-up. Start with a short walk of about ten minutes and then break into a gentle jog on a relatively flat and even surface for about five minutes before returning to a brisk walk for another five or ten minutes. Remember that you are not training for the Olympics but that it is important to elevate your heart rate slightly and to get blood flowing to the muscles.

Gradually you can increase the distance being covered and the time spent jogging but don’t overdo it. Keep in mind that this is simply an exercise to warm-up the body.

Low Impact Exercises. Once you have stretched your muscles and warmed up the body you can then move on to exercise some specific areas of the body which will help with your golf swing.

To exercise your hips, sit on an upright (dining) chair and begin rotating your ankles outwards while keeping your thighs and knees pointing directly forwards. Then, again keeping your thighs and knees pointing straight in front of you, cross your left ankle over the right and hold this position for a few seconds. Do the same with the right ankle and repeat this swapping between the left and right ankles several times.

For a final hip exercise, lie on your left side on a hard surface (the floor) and bend your left knee slightly while keeping your right leg straight. Slowly raise your right leg straight up into the air and hold it there for two or three seconds before lowering it again. Repeat this several times before rolling over onto your right side and repeating the exercise for the left leg.

The next exercise will loosen up your hamstring. Stand in front of a low bench or chair and keeping your leg straight bring your left foot up onto the bench. Now, keeping your back straight and you chin up slowly bend forward and reach towards the toes of your left foot. Hold the position for two or three seconds before straightening up and then repeat again several times. Finally, change legs and repeat the exercise for your right leg.

Okay we’re almost there. Next, we need to loosen up the lower back. Sit up straight on a low bench or chair with your head held up and your shoulders squared. Keeping your feet flat on the floor, slowly turn your upper body to the left and reach around your body as if you are feeling for the back of the chair. Hold this position for two or three seconds and repeat several times before repeating the exercise by turning your upper body to the right.

Last one! The final thing we need to do is to get the forearms ready for that killer golf swing. Extend your left hand straight out in front of your body with the palm face-up and use the right hand to gently pull the fingers of the left hand back towards the body while resisting this with your left arm. Hold this position for ten to fifteen seconds and then repeat the exercise with the left palm face-down. Finally, change hands and do the same thing for the right forearm.

Well, that’s it. You are warmed up and are ready to get out there and drive that ball even farther off the tee.