Feature: Getting Your Mind Right, Six Golf Psychology Tips

Golf is both one of the simplest and, at the same time, one of the most complex sports that we have the (mis)fortune to play. Simple in that it is the same thing time after time, a small white ball that does not move. Sure there are different slopes, environmental conditions, length of shots etc. But ultimately we bring the club back eight feet or so and then bring it through to where it started. But it is complex for one simple reason, the grey matter between our ears. Despite this, most golfers continually search for the magic bullet mainly by spending vast sums of money in their local pro shop or in lessons with a professional player. In recent years recognition from elite golfers of the importance of sport psychology or mental strength has been increasing. This is slowly filtering down to golfers of all abilities. Although the number of people who will see a sport psychologist is still low (despite the hundreds of pounds spent on the latest driver), books like Golf is not a game of perfect by Dr Bob Rotella are becoming more commonplace on the bookshelves of golfers worldwide. One particular quote that highlights the importance of the mind is “Consistency of play begins with consistency of thought”. With this in mind Michael Nicol, Academic Director at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and Director for the St Mary’s Clinic is offering some simple tips to help improve a golfer’s consistency of thought. 1. Pre-Shot Routine One of the biggest mistakes in amateur golfers is to step up to the golf ball and to hit a few practice swings, not feeling 100% confident. They then may take a couple more and then once they have finally checked their grip and alignment they will hit the ball. There are two problems with this. The first is having too many things to think about and the second is having different things to think about before each swing. The key to consistency is to have the same routine before each swing. It does not really matter (except for the next point) what is included within that routine, but it is important to create the consistency in order to tell the brain what action you are about to take. 2. Picking a small target Often we fall into the trap of ‘I want to hit this on the fairway’ or worse still ‘I want to avoid hitting it in the trees to the left’. With that level of guidance the brain does not provide our body with enough help and we fail in either aim. Instead by focusing on the smallest possible target in the distance we give clear instruction to the mind to help the body deliver on that vision. 3. Think of the best shot that you ever hit Often we spend the majority of our round thinking about the last lesson we had or the tip that our friend gave us. Then we think about our grip and the time on the previous hole that we hooked it into the trees and the end result is that our mind is cluttered with too many thoughts and not particularly positive ones at that. Instead we must try and focus on that time (however rare) when we hit the perfect shot. Think about how it felt, what it looked like and have that as the only thought in your head as you go to hit the next shot. 4. Don’t be guided by your first few holes Don’t allow the performance on the first tee or the first few holes to dictate the rest of the round. Often you can start well and then blow up so why not the other way around? 5. Aim for the hole Putting is one of the areas that even the best golfers can struggle with. A simple tip here is to make sure that in the same vein as when we are on the tee pick the smallest target, when putting we must aim for the hole. Too often our thought is to try and get within a few feet, or try to swing straight instead of thinking simply; ‘Roll the ball in the back of the cup’. 6. Be decisive Linking to some of the points that have been made earlier a round of golf can take anywhere from 3-5 hours and within that time we only hit between 70-90 shots (hopefully). That is a lot of time for thinking about what has been happening this round or last time on the practice range. When we step up to the ball and have gone through our pre-shot routine and picked our target, whatever else we must be decisive and commit to the shot, and target that you have set. There is no question that golf can, at times, be a very challenging sport to play and there is no small amount of skill in delivering a consistent and efficient swing with the full range of clubs available from driver to putter. But with these hints and tips, you’ll be in the best mental shape to play your best game ever.