Focus on Mental Golf This Winter
Winter is here – in case you didn’t notice. Winter forces “Northeners” to take a break. Even the “Southeners” may sense that taking time off from “the usual” can sometimes be a wise choice. Wherever you’re living, if you’re the type of golfer who thinks “I still can get better at this game,” consider using the coming months to learn more about your mental golf issues.
This winter, instead of more swing “band-aids,” ask yourself, “What can I do about the mental parts of my game?” We always hear that golf is 90% mental. Every time we go out to play, we bring along a lot of mental baggage. We’re not sure how to overcome the worries and counter-productive ways of thinking that keep us from reaching our golf potential. We can either stay in denial or start to understand ourselves better.
Our entire inventory of mental issues is waiting for us at an indoor golf simulator or outdoors. Even a simple indoor putting set-up, if used the right way, can uncover a host of mental issues. However, making headway with mental golf is really hard to do on your own. Here are just a few of the questions a mental coach might suggest you ask yourself:
How do I assess “success?”
Does it seem like my swing always has problems and swing tips are not getting me anywhere?
What do I notice about my own recurring thoughts during practice sessions?
Do I have goals for every practice session and how do I decide what to prioritize?
Do I understand the full potential of a pre-shot routine and do I need to build or re-build mine, factoring in new insights about my mental activity?
Do my self-beliefs get in the way of improving/scoring/winning?
And…..the #1 most important question: How much do I get immersed in numbers as my primary outcome instead of focusing on my behavior and process?
Sooner or later, the path to better golf winds its way through some of these questions. The most productive questions depend to some extent on your handicap level and aspirations. This winter is a great time to discover more about your own mental game, especially if you’re looking for ways to get more satisfaction out of every round and to escape the repeating cycles of feeling stuck in the “same old thing.”
And maybe best of all, we can play golf to become better people, not just better golfers.
Treat yourself to a “90 Minute Mental Golf Discovery Session:” with Dr Rich.