SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE YOUR WAY AROUND THE GOLF COURSE

Understand the design of your home course and why you make mental playing errors 

Before the golf season is in full swing, why don’t you take the time to analyze the holes at your home golf course? The golf course architect designed each hole with a specific purpose. If you look at the holes from the architect’s perspective, with your abilities in mind, you might find a smarter way to play them.

Golf is a game where the position of your golf ball is vital for scoring. Without a plan it is easy to beat yourself. Professionals have a plan to play each hole for the lowest possible score. With the plan in mind, they then focus by taking dead aim at each target, one shot at a time. 

In planning your strategy, visualize the entire hole or use Google Earth https://www.google.com/earth/ It allows you to search for your golf course and measure hole distances using satellite images.

In planning your strategy, ask yourself the following questions for each hole:

• What is the length of the hole?
• Is the fairway landing area wide or narrow?
• Is it flat, undulating or sloping?
• Is it straight away or a dog leg?
• What is the yardage from the tee to the trouble (bunkers, water, trees, etc.)?
• Where do I want to land my tee ball to avoid all the problems?
• Is there trouble around the green (water, sand bunkers, trees behind, etc.)?
• Is it better to hit short or long on this green?
• What is the shape, slope, speed of the green?

You may have lots of talent, but if you don’t know how to think your way around the golf course, you aren’t going to play to your potential. Here are some tips for managing your golf game:

1. Play the percentages. Don’t expect to hit your best shot. Hit the shot that you can hit 75% of the time.
2. Hit the ball in the fairway. Sometimes that is easier said than done. Know where the widest part of the fairway is and hit to the largest landing area. This may require using a 3-wood instead of a driver. Know exactly how far it is to avoid the fairway bunkers.
3. Par 3’s: Know where to miss it away from any possible trouble spots. Plan to land the ball where you haven’t “short sided” the next shot. Give yourself the best angle to hit to the green. If the pin is on the left, tee your ball up on the right and vice versa.
4. Par 4’s: Use the terrain of the hole to help you put the tee ball on a flat fairway lie. If you miss the fairway, knowing the layout of the hole will enable you to change your strategy for the best possible recovery.
5. Par 5’s: These longer holes give you one more chance to recover. If you have to lay-up, place the ball where you can hit a full shot and have a good opening into the green.

If this is your “off season” it would be a good time to formulate your plan now before you get back to the golf course. By looking at the yardages on each hole you can make decisions on which clubs to use to avoid the trouble and hazards. This will allow you to avoid indecision, thinking and analyzing when you are on the course.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

To train your brain to use imagery to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available 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 your golf game is available now on Amazon and Kindle at https://amzn.to/2MQzjfq

All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!