Missouri Junior Golf Association

Mental Side of the Game

Here is the page that we will help you with the most important part of golf.

Master the golf mind game and transform your golf game

The golf mind game is 80% of golf and it drives the rest of your game – your physiology, emotions, skill and how you score.

Learn the mind game and you will discover that golf is the best meditation in the world. Focus on your swing and hitting off the tee and you could well be doomed to a golfing life of frustration and torment.

Most golfers talk about golf being a mind game without really knowing or acknowledging the significance of it.

Look at the evidence. How many golfers do you know who really struggle with the game? What about you? Mentally, emotionally, through inconsistency, a lack of focus and concentration.

There's more to golf than hitting the ball

You might hear people say things like...surely it can't be that hard! It's just being able to hit that little white ball, right? I'll figure it out, or...

Maybe a few lessons on my swing will solve things...I'll go to the golf driving range to try and work it out...better golf clubs must be the answer?

Then you go out with a head full of swing thoughts and a driver that invites you to really hit that ball, usually overhitting.

Rhythm, timing and accuracy go out the door.

It's all in your thinking - You need to rethink your golf

If you want to change any part of your game or you want to improve you need to know what you want. To know what you want, sometimes you need to know what is possible and learn the underlying principles of behavioral excellence and high performance.

Start with what you do know. Try our Golf Mind Game Assessment below to help you to hone in on what you want to work on or change.

Decide what you want specifically want that is different or better to what you have now in your golf game.

Set your golfing goals . This will give you something to aim for and be the start of developing a plan.

Take the time to think about your goals, write them down. Make a decision, commit to it and take action. Today.

Most golfers have handicapped themselves without ever knowing it.

I'm going to be bold enough to say that most people know much less about how to play well and score than they realize.

Have you noticed players where every game is a battle, where their skill is hampered, where every shot and every hole, their mind, their thinking, their focus, concentration, their speed, rhythm is working against them.

They can’t find a rhythm or a pattern for success with the game. The game conquers them every time they play and they can’t figure out why.

Golf is so much simpler than most people think.

Most people make golf much more complicated than it is. They can’t get out of their own way. They are fighting themselves and working against themselves on every shot and every hole.

Then the next time they play they go out and think, feel and act the exact same way again and wonder why it doesn’t change. At best, most people tinker with their swing, buy a new driver, or as an absolute last resort – get a half hour quick fix lesson with the golf pro.

Want it to change? Then do something different.

Why keep tinkering with 20% of your game when you need to learn and apply the other 80% as well. The golf mind game.

You can transform your golf game.

If you truly want to play your best or simply want to enjoy your golf. Do yourself a genuine favor. Take a total approach to your game, of mind, body, and skill, with the right equipment and learn how to have quality practice to improve. With your primary focus being on the golf mind game.

Learn about the golf mind game, read about it.

Master the golf mind game and you will transform your golf game.

Golf mind strategies

Here are some golf mind strategies that impact your game.

§         Golf Mind Focus

§         Decisions & Strategy

§         Confidence

§         Awareness

§         Relaxation

§         Managing your emotions

§         Beliefs

§         Targeting

§         Accuracy

Rethink your golf with a golf mind game assessment

Improvement comes through awareness; a golf mind game assessment is a good way to start looking at your golf mind game.

We know the mind game is 80% or more of golf, yet is often misunderstood and neglected. Without even realizing it we work against ourselves and our score.

A golf mind game assessment will allow to become aware of what it is you are really doing and not doing. To know what's working and what's not.

One your greatest challenges in golf is self sabotage.

Without knowing it we get in our own way.

We have the challenge of our own limitations of thinking, perception, knowledge, physiology, skill and choice of equipment to contend with.

To make the game even more of a personal challenge, golf course designers build golf courses as an optical illusion to trick you. They add to the golf mind game by playing with your perception.

The reality is that golf is a game of mistakes and therefore it requires good thinking, risk management, strategy and decisions.

Your Golf Mind Game Assessment

Take your time to go through the questions in the golf mind game assessment and answer them honestly. Write your answers down. Something seems to happen when you write things down and you can see what you have written.

Let's assess your game. Here are some questions for you to consider.

§         What’s happening with your game?

§         What’s your handicap now? Is it up or down?

§         What do you want? To achieve? To change?

§         What’s working well?

§         What are your weaknesses?

§         Where do you waste shots or energy?

§         How do you play under pressure or in competition?

§         Do you speed up under pressure?

§         What happens when you hit a shot that doesn’t work?

§         What are you like with your risk management and recovery shots?

§         Do you overplay or underplay any shots?

§         Do you have a pre-shot routine you use on every shot? This is your anchor for consistency.

Play with the possibility. What if?

§         What’s your score now?

§         What if you were able to play consistently?

§         What if you improved your strategy?

§         What if you saved wasted shots?

§         What if you improved your short game and putting?

§         What would your New score be?

How would you rate yourself?

§         Desire

§         Determination

§         Discipline

§         Persistence

§         Patience

§         Practice

§         Confidence

§         Concentration

§         Composure

What needs working on here?

What do you want to change?

What have you noticed, have you set yourself up for success or are you working against yourself? Are you playing the shot you want or are you thinking when you shouldn’t be and playing to what you don’t want?

If you want to change, then do something about. If you need help, get it.

For past articles, click here.

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