Why “Aim Small, Miss Small” is Not For Everyone

Whether we want to believe it or not, golf is a mental game.  With that said, so is everything we do.  Our brain is the control center and it controls our bodies.  We have heard this for some time now and the concept of the mental game is becoming more widely accepted.

There is a problem though, sport psychologists are as different as golf instructors.  They have beliefs that tend to fit some players and hurt others.  The fact of the matter is people are wired differently.  Take a handful of people you know, do they communicate the same?  Have the same habits?  Complete tasks in the same fashion or order?  The answer is NO.  There are different theories and systems out there like: MBTI, CAPS, and others that explain difference in personality types and difference in how the brain operates.

There are various concepts in the mental game that are unique to the individual.  However, sport psychology lumps many different ideas into one.  They seem to think everyone should be the same.

In this article, I will focus on one area of the mental game that has really opened my eyes over the years.  People NEED to know the mental approach does not have to be a certain way.  It should fit the player and their mental strengths.

Jordan Spieth has made the phrase “Aim small, miss small” very popular in his recent dominance.  In golf, if someone is dominating, we tend to believe that they found the secret.  When Tiger Woods was at his pinnacle, everyone tried to copy his swing mechanics and have laser like focus like he did.  His quiet, internal focus is not good for everyone.  Some players are far better by talking with their playing partners, singing, talking to themselves, etc.  Now everyone is teaching to aim small and focus on your target for the majority of the time before you hit the shot.

Here is the issue: not everyone’s mind is wired to aim so small and specific.  As a matter of fact, this concept is not good for all players.  Some end up spraying the ball all over the golf course.  Let’s look at baseball.  When a pitcher starts missing the strike zone, they have a tendency to start trying harder and the commentator will say something along the lines of “he is aiming.”  The catcher will run out and say “were just playing catch.”  They are trying to free the pitcher up so he is not trying so hard to be perfect.  This is a totally different school of thought.

A story I have heard told by some sport psychologist goes a different way.  There was a good player named Jim.  Jim was off on his game in college.  He went to his coach and was seeking help.  His coach told him to hit a few shots so he could watch.  After some observation, he gave him some advice.  He said “take 5 balls down to the beach and hit them into the water.  Come back after you have done that.”  Jim was frustrated that he didn’t get a quick fix but he did it anyway.  He drove down to the beach, grabbed a driver, and smoked five of the best drives he ever hit into the water.  When he came back to his coach, Jim told him that he hit five drives into the water, now what should he do.  Coach asked him “how did you hit them?” Jim replied, “I actually hit them really good.”  The coach told him that when he freed up, and stopped trying to be so precise, he could strike the ball well.

There are two totally different schools of thought.  On the one side, players are being told to aim so narrowly, they can spot a blade of grass.  You have the other side that wants a big picture so the player can free up.  This is taught by Dr Joseph Parent of Zen Golf.  Here are a few things to look for:

If a player that should view more of the big picture tries to aim small, they will:

• Become rigid
• Overthink
• Become mechanical
• Loose rhythm and timing
• Become anxious

If a player that should aim small tries to view a big picture, they will:

• Become too loose
• Loose focus
• Become wild with shot patterns
• Become doubtful

These are the main symptoms.  The nice thing is we can be aware of that as its happening and get back into our best mode.  The key is for players to understand what you are capable of accomplishing consistently.

Although there is no exact formula for you to figure out what you should be, here is a guide to get you started:

You should aim small if:

• You are a process oriented person
• Do things step by step
• Like to practice and follow routines

You should see the big picture like hitting into ocean if:

• You are a “feel” player
• Like variety in what you do over routines
• Learning new ways of doing things

The comments above are a couple small guidelines.  Here is how you can find out for sure:

Go to the driving range and set aside ten balls.  Hit five shots going through a pre-shot routine and hitting the shots focused on as small of a spot as you can see.  How did you hit them?  Now hit the other five going through a routine where you broaden your vision and hit in a “direction.”  Pre-accept whatever is going to happen will happen and try to be as free as possible.  Which one is better?  Try this multiple times and once you see what your best at, start working to incorporate this into your game.

This is one of the most important and overlooked aspect of performance on the golf course.  We tend to get bogged down with swing technique and believe that’s what success is.  It is painful to hear the tour coaches even discuss mechanics.  Golf at the highest level especially is more about the mental toughness and focus than mechanics.

I hope this helps players take a fresh look at your performance.  Mental coaching is huge in my practice and has really helped players I have the pleasure of working with succeed.

Cover Photo via Flickr