Play Better Golf by understanding where the true battle lies.

I’m sitting here watching Man vs. Food on the travel channel and it made me think about the this wonderful game of golf we all know, love and sometimes hate. Here is the bottom line.
- The game is not man vs. water hazards.
- The game is not man vs. sand traps.
- The game is not even man vs. others.

When it comes right down to it, the game is Man vs. Self. (And all you ladies who play, go ahead and insert “woman” because this game does not discriminate.)

There is only 1 thing you need to overcome each and every time you tee it up and that 1 thing is YOU!

How can we learn to get out of our own way and simply play the game? How can we forget about the 97 swing thoughts we read in this month’s golf publication and play the game? How can we overcome a recent loss in confidence and play the game? How can we quit worrying about how far our buddy hits the ball and play the game?

The answer lies between your two ears. It takes an incredible level of mental toughness to play the game well. This website is dedicated to helping you play better golf through increased mental toughness and I have another great tip for you today.

Here is today’s lesson; stop looking where you don’t want your ball to go!!!!

I can’t explain why it works this way, but whatever we focus on seems to multiply. See if you can relate. You stand on the tee box and notice a diabolical sand trap in front of you. You immediately think about not hitting your ball into the sand trap. Then you address the ball and once again look at the sand trap. During the swing, all you are thinking about is not hitting the sand trap. And as your eyes turn forward to watch the result of what you have just done, guess where the ball is headed? Again, I can not explain why this happens. I only know it to be true.

The fix is easier said than done but it really is quite simple; focus on where you want the ball to go. This is where mental toughness and training come in to play. You need to practice focusing on the right things before each shot. You can no longer look at all the hazards. Train yourself to stay focused on desirable targets. Will you always hit them? No. But that doesn’t mean you stop focusing. Pick small targets that require laser focus before each shot and watch the results improve. Don’t even bother peeking at the trouble. It’s like those silly magazines at the checkout counter at the local grocery store. They aren’t even worth the look. Hazards are no different. Don’t even give them the time of day. Pick the target you want to hit and don’t let your eyes wonder.

Now for your homework. Schedule a tee time and play the entire round with 1 goal and 1 goal only. Pick small targets on every shot. Don’t worry about score, only concentrate on picking targets. If you will do this on every shot for the entire 18 holes, the score will take care of itself.

Go give this a shot and then come back and let me know the results. I am confident this simple strategy will instantly help you to play better golf.

See you back here soon,

Mike

Twitter: @Mike_Snyder