Golf remains one of the most prestigious outdoor sports. Winning a tournament isn’t an easy task even for professionals who’ve been playing for a long time. Whatever your level of expertise in the game is, you have to perform well under pressure to make it count. Here are a few mental game tips which will help you keep your nerves under control.
Be prepared prior to every competition. This does not refer to your practice regimen, but preparing yourself with clean clubs, new balls, tees, pitch-mark repairers, clothing, shoes, sunscreen and nutritious snacks. Prepare a mental checklist for your convenience and go through it to ensure everything’s ready for your match. Feeling as if you’re forgetting something can result in unnecessary stress.
Don’t change any of the things you’d normally do before a competition or an individual round. You mustn’t change anything in your routine. Many golfers tend to have extensive warm-up routines and they may get to the course at least a couple of hours before the event in order to make sure everything is in its proper order. Do your warm-up for a long game, short game and putting and eat the same breakfast or meal pre-round. Every warm-up must feel the same. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a club championship or a friendly game.
It isn’t possible for you to expect shooting a good score before the match, but it’s possible for you to visualise success before you play your round. When on your way to the course, picture shooting a grand round on the course you’re heading to play. Though this won’t change your approach towards every shot, our brain has a specific way of manifesting our dreams and goals once we’ve visualised them. This is something which can also be implied into your daily life and not just remain limited to when you’re playing golf.
Be it in any sport, the better you can hide your emotions on the field, the better you can perform. The same is applicable for golf. Letting your emotions run wild can ruin your performance and your game. It’s very easy to get carried away once you start playing well. This, in turn, can cater to your ego and can result in your amazing form gradually disappearing. Alternatively, being one of the worst players in the tournament and fearing embarrassment are also feelings which can appear out of nowhere. Your partners can also make you feel inferior due to better putting or by longer driving. You must learn to ignore these emotions and give it your all when you’re playing on the field.
This probably sounds really ridiculous and obvious, but even when you think you’re having one of the worst rounds ever, remember you’re just one shot away from getting back in the game. Try and look at every round with positivity and know that each round provides an opportunity for you to excel in your game and take it forward.
Everyone knows that it isn’t technical ability that separates the winners from the losers in golf. It’s the mind of the player which makes all the difference. These simple tips can help improve your golf game and ensure you’re in your best form.