The Mental Game
Developing the Right Mindset

The mental game is all important in golf as in all sports today.

All the top pros in any sport have dietitian's to help with their diets, personal trainers to help with the physical aspects, but almost all, and in particularly golf pros, will have a sports psychologist to help with golf psychology.

Most golfers who take lessons begin learning the game with GAP: grip, alignment (stance) and posture, the traditional approach to the first golf lesson. But this isn't always the most important thing to learn first. For instance, the stance used by the great Lee Trevino has him aiming 45 degrees to the right. Many things can go wrong with the beginner's GAP, just as there can be a many things wrong with the stance and posture of a good pro. But like great golfers, you'll improve your game despite flaws in your GAP if you learn to master your mental game.

Club Head Lag.

This is the first concept a golfer needs to know. Club head lag is the common denominator in good golf shots. In simple terms, the head of the golf club must lag behind the golfer's hands; or try to think of it this way: when the club head strikes the ball, your hands must be in front of the ball. Do NOT race to get your hands in front as this will result in to quick a swing resulting in a bad shot, a nice slow even tempered swing is all that's required. When the club head lags behind the hands, the golf club strikes the golf ball close to the end of the club's downward flight. All shots that are hit off the ground and into the air must have club head lag.

Golf Shot Tip.

When practicing your swing, particularly on the driving range, never try to hit the golf ball. Take a few practice shots, thinking about getting your hands in front of the ball, then take the shot without trying to hit the ball, in other words, the golf ball is just in the way of your swing path. This is a great mental approach to take with you out on the golf course and will help with your mental game.

Low Point of the Swing

Akin to club head lag is the low point of the swing. The low point of the swing is where the club hits the ground. Here's how club head lag and the low point are connected: if your hands are in front of the ball, the swings low point is closer to the front foot (the left foot for right handed golfers), or further out in the swing; if your hands are behind the ball, the swings low point will come before the impact of the golf club on the ball. The low point of the swing should come after impact. The exact spot of the swings low point will vary according to the golf club and the shot, but the low point should always come at or after contact with the ball on all shots hit off the ground.

Golf Shot Tip.

Always think tempo when going to the golf course, particularly if you haven't played in a week or two, by using this swing thought in your mental game will help maintain the correct tempo of your swing

Getting the Golf Ball in the Air

This is much more of a mental problem than a physical one. Most beginners want to lift the ball into flight. When a golfer thinks about lifting the ball, usually the opposite type of ball flight occurs, the ball skitters along the ground or goes in the air with much less power and almost no control. Why? Since a golfer concentrating on getting the ball 'up' instead of thinking about the swings low point, the point of swing has moved back towards the right foot. Also thinking about hitting/lifting the ball instead of swinging through the ball, almost as if it wasn't there.

Visualizing Your Shot.

This is a great and fun part of your mental game, visualizing your shot. All the top pros, and low handicap golfers visualize their shots. The great Jack Nicklaus calls it going to the movies. before every shot, he visualizes the shot in he's mind. He sees the ball take of into the air, he watches the ball draw, he looks at where the ball lands on the fairway, or the green, watching it roll along the fairway, and coming to rest before he takes every shot. This sounds as though it takes a long time, but Jack does this every time, and it only takes him a couple of seconds! All the pros go to the movies and visualize every shot in the mind, before executing what they have just 'imagined'.

Golf Shot Tip.

Forget about a bad shot as quickly as you can, don't dwell on it. Tiger Woods takes less than 10 seconds to forget about a bad shot (whenever he makes one that is), he has conditioned he's mind to do this. Draw a red dot on your golf glove just above your thump and call it your reset button. Whenever things aren't going your way, press your reset button, forget what's done (you can't do anything about it) and start over.

Developing a strong mental game will most certainly reduce your strokes and better your score. You may not be able to hire a sports psychologist, but by adopting the lessons above will help your golf psychology and strengthen your mental game improving your mind set, you will be well on the way to playing better golf.

Lesson three Golf Stance

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