ROOTS

You don’t have to be a farmer to understand that roots are vital to the growth of any plant. They provide the foundation for everything we see above ground. If the foundation is not sufficient, the plant dies. It’s that simple.

The part of the plant or tree that we can’t see, The Roots, directly affects the part of the plant or tree that we can see. Isn’t that interesting?

So what is the correlation between roots, plants, trees and golf?

I’m glad you asked. Here is the correlation. The part of the golfer that you can’t see, The Mental Part, directly affects the shots from the golfer that you can see. A players mental capacity is the root system that their game grows from. And just like plants, golfers can have strong roots and they can have weak roots. In my opinion, this is the most overlooked part of the game by amateur players. We are so likely to hit balls at a driving range and practice chipping and putting but we rarely work on our minds.

The greatest swing in the world will fall apart under pressure if weak mental roots are in place. Same goes for the smoothest putting strokes. When the pressure is turned up, what happens to your game? And don’t think that only tournament players experience pressure. Golfers of all abilities must learn to deal with pressure. It’s simply unavoidable. Tee shots that require us to carry a water hazard. Three foot putts that we expect to make every time. What happens when we head to the 18th tee box realizing that a par will complete our best round ever? I guarantee the butterflies will be present. How are you able to handle these situations?

Does your pre shot routine fall apart when you need it most? Are you able to control your breathing when it’s all on the line? Can you stay focused in the heat of the moment? Let’s make the commitment to build strong mental roots that will support the game we know we can play. You will have an instant advantage on 99% of all golfers if you will make the commitment to work on your mind as well as your game.

Thanks for your time and please stay tuned. We have many more tips and ideas coming that will help you build strong roots to support the game you’ve always desired.

As always, I welcome your comments and please check back soon.

Mike Snyder