Top Golf Mental Game Tips

Be Aware
★★★★★

Golf is a zen pursuit. You might have noticed that many good golfers have an amazing ability to remember a course they have played on. They can tell you the detailed layout of par five hole on a course they played five years ago. On the other hand, a beginner golfer's mental game is such that they often cannot remember the details of a par five hole they played five minutes ago! One of the wonderful things about golf is it can improve your awareness. When you are playing, try to be more aware. There is so much to notice that has an affect of your game. Notice the lie of the ball, the slope of the ground near the ball, the wind speed and direction, how the elevated is the green, the flag position, the lay of the green and much more. But above all be aware of what is going on in your mind, stop those negative thoughts that can so affect your game. Being more aware can have health and financial benefits well beyond the game of golf, so wake up and be aware!

Think Positive
★★★★★

The mental side is more important in golf mental game golf than any other game. Just look at Tiger Woods, he went from totally dominating world golf: to missing the cut. The most important change was in the space between his ears. It is really worth taking the time to work on your mental game. One easy habit to cultivate is to always think three positive thoughts for every negative one. For example, if you have an approach shot and think "I am going to hit this into the bunker", then think three times, "This will land near the pin". This helps to reprogram your subconscious.

Tips for your Mental Game Brent Kelley
★★★★★

Brent has collected a fascinating selection of articles on the mental game. For example, he points you to an scientific study that proves discussing the mechanics of your stroke in between shots has a strongly detrimental effect on your performance. Another study shows golfers really do putt better if they think a putter once belonged to famous professional. Mind over matter! Overall, this web site is worth visiting if you take a more cerebral approach to learning golf. Of course, always remember that being cerebral while learning is good, being cerebral while playing is disastrous.

The Mental Game from Tom's Golf Tips
★★★★☆

This is a collection of pithy thoughts on golf. There are some excellent tips, like "Don’t dwell on a bad shot after it happens. Focus on the shot ahead of you." Interestingly, Tom has chosen to include quite a few thoughts that are not directly on the mental game. For instance, " Don’t hesitate to use a three-wood off the tee for more control." Although such thoughts are not directly on the golf mental game, they are part of developing a playing strategy which enables you to easily make decisions on the course. For example, decide in advance which tees you are going to use the three wood and then when you come to that tee, you will not waste mental energy trying to make the decision. All in all, Tom's tips contain much wisdom and are worth reading.

My Brain Solutions from the My Brain Solutions team
★★★★★

This is a truly great site for golfers, despite the fact that it is not specifically a golfing site. The My Brain Solutions people have developed some clever exercises that can assist you to develop greater resilience, control stress, and improve your focus. When you consider that when you are playing golf, you are often under stress, have many distractions (both internal and external), and need to recover from setbacks, the link to golf becomes clear. The My Brain Solutions' exercises are claimed to be based on solid science and they are fun to do. The Mentor strongly recommends signing up to this site. There is a "Basic" level of membership that is free, but you can try the premium membership with a three day trial. You might like to start with the "My Calm Beat" and the "e-catch the Feeling" exercises.

Golf State of Mind from David MacKenzie
★★★★☆

When you visit this page, there is a box on the right hand side to obtain a free "Golf State of Mind" ebook. The ebook is an excellent exposition of some of the key principles in mastering the mental game. These include setting clear goals, reframing negative thoughts to positive thoughts, maintaining focus, and building your confidence. I particularly like the emphasis on goal setting, and the excellent prescription for developing a pre-shot routine. The ebook expands on each of these topics in a clear and simple way. Well worth reading.