I was having one of those days where nothing seemed to go right, I couldn’t get any rhythm or concentration going and I kept getting distracted by everything around me. It takes time to perfect your skill and become comfortable with playing well.Ī while ago I was playing a round of golf with some friends at my home course. Let’s face it, golf isn’t an easy sport and good players have been working on their game for years. The problem with golf is that it’s not only about what you do physically, it matters what’s going on in your head. So much time and effort is put into practicing with the goal of playing well when the time comes, but sometimes that doesn’t work out. If you are a golfer then you know how frustrating it is to have a bad game. We don’t think about how we are swinging we just swing
![mental game golf mental game golf](https://www.golfpsych.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/golf-mental-game-schools-4.jpg)
What’s happening when we are in the zone? Our subconscious mind has taken over our swing mechanics, our muscles are firing at just the right time (at “speed”) and we are thinking only about our target. This is what is called being in “the zone” or “flow”. It felt like time slowed down and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. My mind was clear and there were no thoughts running through my head as I swung. It’s probably not a surprise to you that I hit that golf shot without even thinking about it. I ended up forcing a playoff with a par on the 18th hole, but lost by one stroke. The next three shots were from about 5 feet from the cup and all missed. I hit it about 135 yards, but it had enough spin that it pinched back to about 4 feet from the cup and I made birdie.
![mental game golf mental game golf](https://golfstateofmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/72100.jpg)
I remember teeing off with a hybrid and thinking “I can’t get this up in the air.” The hole was a par 3 and played about 150 yards. I was playing in my first golf tournament at the age of 16 and I was in the final group on the last hole. – Getting angry at yourself and other golfers, frustration with bad shots, etc. – Focusing too much on your score or scorecard instead of each shot at a time. – Not thinking about your swing while you are swinging and overthinking it when you are not (i.e.
![mental game golf mental game golf](https://golfstateofmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GAMIFYING_2.jpg)
– Nerves when on the first tee and hitting your drive into the trees or out of bounds. What is the “mental game”? Well, it is all of those things that happen in your head while you are playing that you have no control over. I am a pretty good golfer (I carry a 3-handicap) but I know that if I could get my mind right on the course, I would be able to shoot some very low scores. It is the one that keeps me from shooting lower scores than I am capable of. If you are like me, the “mental game” is the toughest aspect of golf.