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The worst thing you can do as a golfer is allow your mind to wander when you should be playing your shot. To hit the best shot we can we have to be totally focused on executing the shot at hand. By that I mean that we are totally focused on (1) our target and (2) the swing we want to make to propel the ball to that target. Jack Nicklaus famously said, "my ability to concentrate and work toward that goal has been my greatest asset." Control the Wandering Mind It is when our mind wanders to other outside thoughts that we succumb to mental interference and don’t hit our best shots. Your mind can wander onto such topics as:- * avoiding the trees on the right; * not topping it off the tee again; * what our score might be if we continue in the form we are in; * what the result of a certain shot might mean to our score; * what people will think of our shot when we are playing in front of a crowd; How often do you find yourself thinking about something other than the shot at hand? If you do it is likely to be costing you a lot more shots than you think. Any time your mind is not totally absorbed in the process of executing the shot at hand you are drastically decreasing your chances of hitting that shot to the best of your ability. Whenever you are thinking about the possible outcome of the shot you will experience an increase in anxiety. This inevitably leads to tension in the muscles and that is possibly the biggest reason why you don’t make a smooth, natural rhythmical swing. Tension - The Biggest Swing Wrecker! Do you know a golfer who has a wonderful, free flowing practice swing but then hits the ball with a swing that is more in keeping with a wrestling move! The two swings look like they are made by two completely different golfers! I bet there is more than just one of these characters? It is tension that causes such a huge difference between the two swings. It is the doubt he has about the potential outcome of the upcoming shot that creates the doubt and anxiety in his mind. The Brain’s Assumption About Muscles The scientific research into sports physiology indicates that our brain assumes that any physical action we perform will be done with relaxed, long muscles. The brain and the body are interlinked and the brain calculates how to move the body based on the assumption that the muscles are relaxed. When we create tension in our body (as a result of anxiety, doubt or fear of failure) our muscles tighten and contract which naturally makes them shorter. This means that our brain is now calculating all the information required to hit the golf ball based on incorrect information. It is little wonder that the resulting shot is not a good one. Tense muscles might only make a fraction of a difference but we all know that golf is a game of fractions. A small change in the path of the swing or the angle of the clubface at impact can produce a wildly misdirected shot. Relaxed muscles are vital to playing our best golf and hitting solid shots. In order to hit every shot in a state of relaxed concentration you need to focus on the process of hitting the shot rather than the potential outcome. Another way to aid this is to take a deep, cleansing breath before the shot. By focussing on your breathing you bring your mind into the present moment and any thoughts of past or future are banished.
About the Author
Ed Bradley is a mental game coach who is bringing the tools and techniques used by the professional golfer, to the handicap golfer. Most club golfers are totally unaware of the importance of their mindset on the golf course and they drop countless shots needlessly as a result. You can get access to this knowledge and slash your handicap by following the steps in the free report on "The Biggest Mental Error In Golf...And How To Avoid It."
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