Dublin Ranch Golf Course
5900 Signal Hill Drive
Dublin, CA 94568
Tel: (925) 556-7040
Fax: (925) 556-7045
GOLF TIP
Think Positively for Better Golf A clear head and clear thoughts are very important to the proper execution of any golf shot. A player who can relax and clear their mind properly will usually have a better chance to hit better shots and shoot lower scores
Golfers have plenty of time in between shots to prepare for the next one and that can sometimes be a bonus or a burden depending on how that time is spent and what thoughts the golfer has. If the golfer uses that time to overanalyze the next shot, the brain can get cluttered with unproductive thoughts and cross up the signals sent from the brain throughout the body to hit the correct shot. Never occupy your mind with past shots or past holes because these will only obstruct you thinking. Always focus solely on the current shot.
The next thing is to focus on the target and the target line, not the mechanics of hitting the shot. If you begin to think about the mechanics, your chances of success start to go downhill fast. Time spent thinking about mechanics should be reserved for the range and not the golf course. A few seconds spent behind the ball on the target line should give you some time to see the target and focus on the target line, visualize the shot and most importantly to take some deep breaths in order to relax your body and clear your mind of thoughts that do not pertain to the target. Golfers tend to get in their own way when playing the game and by focusing on the target and clearing your mind of unproductive thoughts you will be better prepared to hit good shots and eventually shoot better scores.
There is an old saying; “What you think about, you bring about.” During your preparation to hit your shot do not think ‘don’t hit it in the water’ or stay out of the trees.’ Your mind will process the words water and trees and get in the way and make it more difficult to actually hit it at your target. While visualizing the target from behind and breathing deep, think about where you want the ball to go (middle of the fairway, center of the green etc.) and avoid thinking about where you don’t want the ball to go (trees, water, bunker etc). Try to always think in the positive and not the negative.
While clearing the mind of unproductive thoughts and focusing on the target, it can also be beneficial to have one swing key to be a mental cue for the shot execution. A simple thought such as ‘tempo’ or ‘swing the club down the target line’ would work nicely for this. If you are a visual player, visualize yourself hitting the desired shot to the desired target and then let your body relax and hit the shot as you have visualized it.
Take the time to see the target line, visualize the desired shot and take some deep breaths to relax and prepare to hit your shots and you will see that you will soon be thinking your way around the golf course more efficiently. If you begin to think better around the golf course you will begin to see noticeably lower scores.
