Keep your mind on the game: the psychology of golf

Bernd Wiesberger tries to keep his focus / PA Images

You’ve been playing the same course, every week for the past 5 years. It’s a way of getting rid of the working week’s baggage and really unwinding. You’re slowly chipping away at your personal best round, and even managed a birdie on that difficult par 5 recently. Things are good. But then, from out of nowhere you’re carding 5, 6, 7 over. The fairways seem to have shrunk and the greens are made of glass. Something has changed. It’s not the course; it’s not your clubs; it’s not your body. The change has happened in your mind.

We take a look at how the brain is just as important on the course as your swing.

Keeping your focus

Take note every time you think of anything that isn’t the specific shot you’re playing. If you can’t get your mind to focus, take a step back from your shot. Try closing your eyes when you swing – you probably won’t hit the ball, but it’ll clear your mind of everything other than the shot.

Also, ignore unsolicited swing advice especially when it’s working for you. People pointing out a kink in your swing or a change in your putting style will make you lose focus.

A good tip for those who keep losing focus is to have a pre-shot routine. It could be something as simple as how you take the club from the bag or the way you adjust your grip. But it’ll tell your mind and body that it’s time to focus on the shot.

Remove the tension

Golfing is an odd hobby – most of the time it is a relaxing stroll around a lush course, but occasionally it can drive you crazy. A sliced drive, followed by a difficult rough shot and by the time you come to putt you’re wound up and angry.

But tension in a golf swing is the worst thing you can have.

Your swing, whether it’s from the tee or on the fairway, should be smooth and relaxed. Take some deep breaths and laugh it off. Literally, laugh. Even if it’s a fake one it can help remove the tension.
 

Stop over analysing

Always stick to your game plan. Around the 8^th or 9^th hole you might feel yourself getting into a groove, hitting every ball sweetly and sinking ever putt. The risk is then to think ‘maybe I could push my game further and go for a personal best’. This is when the mistakes come in, as you start to think too much about your game.

A good tip is to get someone else to keep your score and don’t check on it until you’ve sunk the final putt. That way you’re only focussing on your game, not your results.

Believe you can win

Ask any golfer going into a major if they think they can win and they’ll all say yes. Otherwise, why turn up. Some call it visualisation – where they see themselves lifting the prize. It can be a useful technique especially when things start to go wrong.

Thinking you can win doesn’t just apply to big games – it applies to every shot. Don’t worry about making the shot – visualise yourself hitting it perfectly instead. If you’ve just attempted your third bunker shot in a row and are still stuck in the sand, don’t think how it’s affecting your overall score and just think how to get out.
 

Embrace the pressure

Handling pressure can be hard – especially if you’ve got a big game. But like everything else in golf, it just takes practice. If you find yourself struggling with big round pressure, try putting yourself under similar strain on the practice course.

Don’t give yourself freebies - deal with the negative outcomes face on. Try putting a time limit on each shot or replaying a hole over until you’ve got par. You’ll get stressed and start making mistakes, but you’ll then be able to see what kind of mistakes and how you handle the pressure. From there you’ve got a starting point on dealing with it.

Be mentally agile

You might have your game plan all sorted, when the weather picks up and you’ve got to change everything. You’ve got to be able to think outside the box and try new techniques. If your drive isn’t working for you, try a new grip. 
 

Try thinking about golf in its most basic form – you’ve got to hit a ball using a club into a hole. This will remove any preconceptions or ‘rules’ you’ve embedded in yourself over the years. Stuck in the rough? Why not try putting your way out. It might not work, but maybe it will. If your drives keep going into the rough, simply chip your way along the course.

But play your game

Do you like to take your time over each shot or do you just want to rocket through the holes as fast as you can? Are you a chatter or do you play to get away from the day-to-day chit-chat? Whatever your game is, play it. Don’t be pressured into anyone else’s way of playing.