Now that the major championships are over and the golf season is drawing to a close, it is a good time to evaluate your golf game and instill new mindsets in preparation for a solid start next year. In short, it is time to begin thinking about improving your game of the future.
Focus!
How many times after a missed shot have you realized what you had done to cause it? Taking the time to focus and prepare mentally produces the results you desire.
Focusing on your score accomplishes the reverse effect of what you are trying to accomplish. When you think about your score you are keeping your focus from giving the shot your full attention. Your main objectives are hitting your target and putting the ball in the hole. Do not become attached to the results of your actions. You know how well you can play with the result you should expect. When that doesn’t happen, frustration can negatively affect your mindset and game. Let go of expectations and any attachment to the outcome.
Give every shot your full intention and attention!
It is my belief that all missed golf shots are due to mental errors. The key to playing consistently is to prepare your mind 100% the same way every time so your results are consistent. Your pre-shot routine is the tool to bring your focus into the present. Practice your pre-shot routine on the range until it becomes habitual and you don’t need to think about it. This will turn your preparation over to your subconscious mind for allowing your body to perform effortlessly according to the information you have given it.
When you let go, everything is effortless. Your thoughts are no longer producing emotions that move you out of your desired focus.
Instead of focusing on what you want to avoid, or upon the results, spend more time visualizing and imagining what you do want to focus on. Practice being in the state of mind where nothing exists except your awareness and hitting your target.
Ways to focus on your mental pre-shot routine!
- Do not rush your preparation. The USGA Rules of Golf allow you 40 seconds to prepare to hit your shot. This is plenty of time to do the following.
- Use good course management. Take the time to think positively about your strategy. Take into account the lie of your ball in the grass. Is it on a slope? Is it under a tree? What is your safest target? Will the wind affect your distance and direction?
- Be decisive about your club selection. Trust the club in your hands to produce a good solid golf shot. Believe in your club selection and target.
- Clear your mind of all negative emotions. Let go of all fears by thinking about the shot you want to hit. Focus on your target and how to get there.
- Clear your mind of all distractions. If you are distracted by movement, noises outside your head or thoughts inside your head, back off and begin your pre-shot routine again.
- Clear your mind of all previous shots. Thinking about other shots draws your attention away from the shot you are about to hit.
- Take a practice swing to feel your swing tempo. Limit your thinking to one thought about how to access your rhythm.
- Take deep abdominal breaths to slow down your thinking mind. Breathing deeply will put your mind and body in a relaxed state for easier focus.
- Be precise in your alignment. Set up correctly. Pick an intermediate spot to align yourself correctly to your target.
- Be ready to enjoy hitting the shot. Smile inside to create a sense of ease, confidence, and joy for the shot you are about to hit.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
Improve your concentration and mindset to play focused golf by listening to PMI compact discs in the privacy of your own home. As you listen to these audios repeatedly you will program your mind to become more consistent every time you play because you will be in control, concentrating easier, and having more fun playing the great game of golf! Available now at www.pmi4.com/cart
If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself on the golf course, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net or call 828.696.2547 for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation about developing a new strategy. Learn what is missing in your golf game so you can achieve the success you desire.
“THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” 
explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to the joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.
“THE HEART OF GOLF” guidebook for transforming your life and golf game is available now on Amazon and Kindle
All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!
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