Fellow Grass Addicts,
My golf buddies are jealous of me and have nick named Mr Thinks He's Cool because of how I can keep calm and collected after missing a few good shots. They want to know how I do it... how do I keep my cool? I won't tell them, but I'll tell you.
It's a mindset thing. It's the first - and most importantly - the only thing you have 100% control over is your midset. Stay positive, concentrate on what's ahead, not what's behind. Now some bad shots you will always make, but forgetting them quickly and using imagery to visualize the great shots ahead sets you apart from those who stay far too long in a negative zone.
Keeping these 4 things in mind really helps.
#1 PLAY THE SHOT THAT NEEDS TO BE PLAYED... NOT THE ONE YOU WANT TO PLAY:
You will lower your scores when you begin playing the BEST shot instead of the shot you want to hit. Hitting the shot you want to hit is not always the BEST shot to hit at the time. Play the percentages. Play the correct shot even if you want to go for the risky or low percentage shot.
#2 KEEP IT SIMPLE:
Simplify your round by thinking fairways and greens. It doesn't matter whether you are a 30, 15 or 5 handicap. Hit the shots you are capable of hitting and no more!
How can you simplify your round? Easy. Focus on process versus outcome. Process thinking is focusing on what you have 100 control over; at all times. Focus on your routines, your breathing, your pace between shots, visualization, rhythm and balance in your set up and swing. You have complete control over ALL of these things.
You don't have control over things like conditions, course layout, playing partners attitudes, score or any other outcome or result type of thought. Once again... always FOCUS on what you can control.
#3 PRACTICE YOUR SHORT GAME:
It's important to spend time on your short game skills. The tendency is to go to the range, hit the driver and other irons, and then call it a day. Take a close look and you might find that chipping, pitching and putting is where your strokes add up during a round.
Imagine what your scores would be like if you learned to chip and pitch the ball closer to the hole? You can lower your scores by taking the time to practice chipping and pitching the ball closer to the hole. The more you do it, the more confidence you gain as well. In addition, your putting can improve because of the confidence gained by getting closer to the hole more often.
Great players spend a lot of time on this part of their game because they understand that this is where their strokes can add up.
#4 Know Your Game
Do you have a solid understanding of your game's strength and weaknesses? If not you're probably spending much too much time on the areas of your game that don't profit your overall performance.
Many top tour players now utilize performance software to track, manage and analyze their performance and help keep their handicap low. You should as well and best of all it's a lot simpler than you might imagine. To learn more, check out
www.golfintel.com
Change your mindset. Change your game!
Best of luck,
PJ
10-20-2005, 07:49 PM
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