How to Master the Mental Game of Golf

Most amateur golfers give little credence to the mental game of golf. Little do these golfers know the most important distance in the game of golf is the 6 inches between their ears!

Granted, hardly any of the authors of ANY golf instructional book have comprehensive training in golf psychology, so let me give you some tips for peak concentration on the golf course and how to master this mental game of golf. I'm not talking about "grinding" out on the golf course - this will burn you out early in the round and mentally deplete you.

To begin with, play the golf swing you brought to the golf course - trying to fix your golf swing on the course is a recipe for disaster. There is plenty of time to fix your golf swing on the range after the round. The only thing to concern your self with is how to score!

Your thoughts need to be focused on getting the golf ball into the cup in the least amount of strokes possible...the object of the game! (How soon we forget this fact) The only things you should be thinking about while you plan your golf shot is the target, distance, direction, wind speed, your lie - and any other factor that comes into play.

Before you can master the mental game of golf you MUST forget about your last golf shot and what score you might shoot. Only concentrate on the golf shot at hand. Discipline yourself to stay in the moment - this takes time to master. If you want to become an accomplished golfer you will master this skill.

Once upon a time your ability to concentrate was incredible. Before you could think or understand what words are. This was when you were a baby. Your brain was a sponge. As a baby you could hold your attention on anything in your field of vision without any distracting thoughts.

As you got older and learned how to talk and to think you soon became aware of that little voice inside your head that seems to be with you during every waking moment. Some people call this little voice you're "ego". The harder you try to silence this little voice the louder it gets. You're ego is always telling you that the golf shot is too hard, or that other golfer is better than you. You need to quiet this little voice to become proficient at the mental game of golf.

Zen master Dogen Zenji teaches not to stop negative thoughts in your mind...let them stop by themselves. When a negative thought enters your mind, simply let the thought come, and then let it go. It will not stay long if you are not attached to the thought. When you TRY to stop your thinking of a negative thought, it means you are bothered by it. Don't be bothered by anything and the mental game of golf will become easy for you.

At first glance it may seem these negative thoughts are coming from outside your mind. The truth is these thoughts are only waves of your mind - like waves on a ocean. If these waves do not bother you they will gradually become stiller and stiller. In five or ten minutes your mind will be completely serene and calm. At this time your breathing will become quite slow.

Now that your breathing is slow and your mind is calm, you can nourish your mind with positive swing thoughts. Your mind follows your breathing, if you are breathing slowly; your mind is ready to focus on only the thoughts that will allow you to play the golf shot at hand.

If your ego gets in the way and you are thinking of how to impress someone, this thought will get in the way of your objective to play the shot at hand. Let the thought come and let it pass - do not try to get rid of it, let it pass on its own, like a wave on the ocean - this is the essence of the mental game of golf!

Hit 'em Long & Straight!

John Lynch