Introducing the Mental Golf Minute Series

I don’t see many bloggers writing about the mental side of golf, but it’s a subject that has always fascinated me. There are so many great players with great golf swings, what separates the good from the very good from the great? I’ve played many golf tournaments and seen many different golf swings in my years. I’ve seen guys and gals with beautiful balanced and graceful golf swings that couldn’t break 80. Conversely, I’ve also seen players shot in the 60s with golf swings that look like a guy trying to swat flies and putting strokes that go in more directions than the I-110/I-105 interchange in LA.

What do the best players have that the rest of us don’t? What makes Tiger Woods so dominant, even when it seems he isn’t on his game? Simply put, the very best players think more efficiently and control their thoughts better than the rest of us.

My college golf coach in the early 90s used to tell me “Golf is 90% mental, and 10% mental.” At the time I was suffering from a lack of confidence and the feeling like I wasn’t good enough to compete. The lesson he was trying to convey was that playing good golf is not really about having the most talent or having a perfect swing, but believing in yourself and controlling your thoughts on the golf course.

In this series of posts, I’ll touch on several different aspects of the mental game. I’ll show you how to recognize the pitfalls of bad thought processes and how to focus your mind on positive thoughts that will help your game. I’ll go over the importance of a solid, repeatable pre-shot routine and show you how to deal with pressure. I’ll also touch on mental games people play on the course, how to spot the tactics and stop them before they affect your game.

I’ll be using the teachings from some of the best mental game gurus in the world, including Dr. Bob Rotella, Dr. Gio Valiante, Dr. Joe Parent and more. These giants of the mind have been helping professional and amateur golfers win tournaments and play better golf for years, all without making a single swing change. I’m looking forward to sharing the lessons I have learned from them over the years.

Stay tuned for the first part in the series!

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