2 Ways to Master the Mental Side of Golf

Do you shoot the same scores over and over and just can’t seem to break the elusive milestone of 100, 90, 80 or beyond?

You know you have the ability but can’t seem to consistently reach that magic number.

Do you find yourself on target to achieve this milestone with only 4 holes to go only to stuff it up with an ill-timed blow up hole?

You’re not alone!

Thousands of golfers find themselves in the same position every weekend.

The good news is any golfer can break through this mental side of golf and shoot the scores they are after.

First though, we need to understand why this happens so often so we can eliminate the real cause of the problem that’s holding you back from lower golf scores.

Golfers Shoot Scores they Are Used to

As humans we tend to gravitate towards situations and people with our comfortable with.

That’s why we have the friends that we do and perform actions that we do every day.

That’s why we do the same job and earn the same amount of money every year.

We like being around these people, doing the work and feel comfortable doing the things that we do.

Golfers are the same.

Golfers are Habitual Creatures

You get stuck in a comfort zone of shooting the same scores every weekend.

Let me give you an example.

Not so long ago I used to regularly shoot scores around the 80 – 84 mark and occasionally I’d break 80 but only rarely.

I remember playing so many rounds I played when I was 3 or 4 over with only a few holes to go and in a great position to shoot 74 to 76.

Then it happened.

I’d start thinking about how cool it would be to shoot in the low 70’s and tell my friends and family.

I’d get nervous and get ahead of myself and started thinking ‘I only need 3 more pars’ and I got this done.

I’d finish double-bogey, double-bogey, bogey, bogey or similar and end up shooting the predicable low 80 score.

It was like I stopped doing the things I’d done well during the round leading up to that point.

My brain decided it was time to change things up and it always ended in disaster.

The truth is I was comfortable shooting around the low 80’s.

That’s what I was used to and it felt easy.

I was scared to shoot 75 and didn’t know how to handle it.

I know exactly what it feels like to ruin a great round, but experience has taught me some valuable lessons to get passed the mental side of golf.

Focus and Patience are the Keys to Closing Out Your Round

The greatest golfers in history were not always the ones with the most talent or ability.

They often were the ones that had the best mental strength to stay focused, patient, and grind out a round when others fell to pieces.

Remember Tiger Woods when he won the 2008 US Open?

He struggled for much of the 3rd round but held his focus and made 3 clutch birdies down the stretch to earn a place in an 18-hole play-off against Rocco Mediate the next day.

History shows he won the play-off playing on one leg after injuring his cruciate ligament in his left knee the day before.

Tiger didn’t necessarily play the best golf that tournament, but he did produce the ultimate display of focus and patience all the way to the very end.

You Can Break Your Mental Golf Hurdles

You’ve already proved you have the skill and ability to break your own golf comfort zone by playing under your handicap for 14 or 15 holes.

So it makes sense that if you were to keep doing the same thing for those remaining holes then the strong play would continue to be the same.

You would have heard the cliché in golf about staying in the moment and taking one hole at a time.

It’s incredibly powerful.

And this is where focus and patience is vital to you breaking through the mental side of golf and stretching yourself.

This is not a time in your round when you should be thinking ahead to the next shot or even the next hole.

It’s definitely not a time to be changing strategy and playing defensive unless the hole you’re playing can really punish you for not doing so.

Focus only on hitting the next shot, regardless of whether it’s a drive off the tee or a 1 foot putt.

Give every single shot 100% attention and focus and forget about anything else.

Don’t take a single shot for granted and assume it’s a done deal.

Believe You Can Achieve Your Golfing Goal

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but you have to believe you’re good enough to shoot your magic number.

And I mean, really believe you can do it and do it on a regular basis.

And guess what, I KNOW YOU CAN.

How do I know this?

You know yourself you can play to your target score for 14 or 15 holes.

You’ve done it a hundred times!

All you’re missing is a few more solid holes of exactly the same.

It’s not like you haven’t proved you can’t do it … you can!

Maintain the Belief and Set a Goal

Of course, it’s a no-brainer to constantly improve effective practice is essential to help in grain good habits and get rid of bad ones.

But, no amount of practice is going to save you from a lack of faith and belief in your own golf game.

It’s the only proven way to break through your own barriers and the mental side of golf and win.

My goal every round I play is to shoot low to mid 70’s.

Whilst it might not happen every time, it happens more often than not.

That’s my goal and I’m not scared to reach it even if I’m playing well with just a few holes to go.

Remember to maintain your focus, stay patient and develop a rock solid belief in your game and don’t give up.

I don’t and neither should you.

Cover Photo via Flickr