Maintaining "Soft Focus" Cuts Golf Handicaps

The difference between good and great isn't always physical. Sometimes, it's mental. Take Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Both are gifted players physically. Both have great short games. And both have creativity and imagination. But Tiger, it seems, has a more disciplined approach to the game than Phil—or any other player on tour. That's why he plays so well and wins so often.

If one player has a more disciplined approach than another, chances are good he or she will have a lower golf handicap, even if the two have equal amounts of physical talent. In fact, sometimes a player with less talent outscores a player with more talent because of a great mental approach. The key to shrinking your golf handicap, golf lessons and golf tips not withstanding, might just be developing a more disciplined mental approach.

Strive for Soft Focus?

On the course, strive for soft focus. What do we mean by the term "soft focus"? Dr Bob Rotella, the well-known sports psychologist, offers a great example of soft focus in his book The 15th Club. It's a term borrowed from Padraig Harrington, a golfing client of his. Rotella worked with Harrington before his British Open win in 2007. Harrington wanted to change his mental approach to the game and he contacted Rotella. Here's how he describes Harrington's focus:

As Padraig begins his pre-shot routine, his mind is clear. He's thinking about only one thing: his target. But his focus does not cause his jaw to jut or knuckles to go white. It's not grinding. It's not that intense. Because he already knows that he'll accept whatever happens to his shot, he's relaxed.

Rotella explains that Padraig doesn't watch the leader board. He relies on his caddy for that type of information. Sometimes his caddy tells him in words. And sometimes he tells him by his club choice. Harrington doesn't want to break his focus on his target by looking at the leader board and starting to think about the implications. Instead, he wants to focus just on the task at hand.

Later, Rotella describes a situation in the British Open where Harrington loses focus. Instead of stepping off and refocusing, as we've suggested in our golf tips, Harrington went through with the shot, drilling it into a hazard. Not only did it cost him a penalty stroke, but it also left him with a difficult second shot. That's what losing focus does to you. Fortunately, Harrington recovered and won the tournament.

Other Mental Keys

In addition to soft focus, Rotella points out other mental keys that helped Harrington win the British Open and that can help weekend golfers cut their golf handicaps. These mental keys include:

* Visualize the shot
* Use a pre-shot routine
* Commit to your swing
* Accept the result

Of these, perhaps the most important is accepting the results of your shot. Sometimes even the best of shots goes awry. Maybe it rolls into a divot on the fairway. Or, the ball takes a bad bounce and lands in a bunker. Whatever the case, you need to put the results out of your mind and focus on the next shot. Thinking about a mistake two holes before or how bad your luck is only serves to distract you and ruins your focus.

The other essential mental key is visualizing the shot. No matter what level you play at, you need to eliminate conflicting thoughts before you swing. You must commit to your shot whatever it is. You must also have a clear idea of where you want the ball to go and how you're going to get the ball to go there. If you don't have that clear picture, stop and regroup. Then clear your mind of everything but where you want the shot to go.

Develop A Mental Routine

Achieving the right mental discipline is something every player should add to his or her game. But keep in mind that even the best players fall short of achieving the right mental attitude on every shot. Few players manage to keep their minds focused on every shot during a casual round of golf never mind a club championship. But trying to visualize each shot will pay off by eventually improving your ability to focus.

The best way of staying focused for a shot is developing a mental routine as well as a physical routine before hitting. The mental routine should have the concept of soft focus as its foundation. Of course, a good mental routine won't replace the need for taking golf lessons and reading golf tips. But running through your mental routine before hitting the ball can help you cut strokes from your scores and your golf handicap.