Golf may seem like it’s a very physical game highly dependent on your physical and athletic skills – but the truth is, your mental skills are just as important when it comes to success in golf. Mental skills are the secret sauce to a good golf game, and the best golfers usually have the mental side of the game down pat. Of course, there’s more to it than just thinking good thoughts and believing you can. If it was just a matter of getting your thought process right and then following through with an amazing swing, then golf would be the easiest game in the world. And we all know that’s not true. You can perform as much mental imagery as you like and imagine yourself hitting the most spectacular hole-in-one you’ve ever seen, and still not be able to actually do it.
That’s because you don’t hit the ball with just your body, or just your mind. The process undertaken during your golf swing is the culmination of the mind and body as a unit, instead of isolated parts. We start playing bad golf when there is a disconnect between these two parts that results in system breakdown. For instance, you might be feeling completely mentally switched on and alert, but your body is sore or tired, and it just won’t perform the way you want it to. Or your body feels great, but you had a bad night’s sleep and you just can’t focus. Everything you do in golf needs to be a unified effort between your mental toughness and your physical conditioning – your ability to control both your mind and your body together equate to better performance. We’ve all had those days when everything just seems to work (and also those days when everything just seems to go wrong) – you find yourself playing your best golf when your mind and body are working in harmony.
So how can you enhance your mind-body connection to give you a competitive advantage? Here are a few tips and tricks.
Tap into your consciousness
Golf has a definite mind-mind body connection that every golfer should be aware of and able to tap into. Too many golfers don’t. It’s all too easy to play the game of golf without ever really thinking about what your body is actually doing. Often we play on autopilot, without paying enough attention to the mechanics of the swing and how our body feels. The average golfer will keep on doing the same thing they’ve always done without any real degree of consciousness, and will often end up feeling frustrated with their lack of progress or improvement.
The best levels of performance come from the inside out, and are driven by an awareness of the nuances of your body position so that you can self-correct. It’s hard to fix mistakes that you can’t feel you’re making. When you start to pay attention – REALLY pay attention – to the muscles in your body and the movements you are making, you have a much better chance of improving your performance.
Use mindfulness
Mindfulness is one of the buzz words of the modern age, but it certainly has a role to play in better golf. When you pay attention to how your body feels and performs during a swing, you are better able to stay focused and fine-tune your technique. As well, a practice of mindfulness can help you minimise any mental distractions that may arise during your game.
Practice breathing techniques
Breathing is an underrated – but highly useful – technique to try when improving your golf game. Controlled and focussed breathing can relax both the mind and the body, allowing for a more steady oxygen flow to the muscles. You can use breathing exercises both before your swing to calm you, and during your swing to enhance your rhythm and tempo.
Develop a pre-shot routine
A pre-shot routine is the ultimate way to prepare both your mind and your body for the best outcome. A routine enables golfers to be both physically and mentally ready to perform at their best. Having a pre-shot routine of repeatable physical actions and thoughts increases control over a golfer’s performance and enables them to remain focused. An effective routine will immediately bring you into the headspace for success and enable you to achieve more consistent physical actions.
Your mental pre-shot routine might include elements such as:
• Visualising your shot and how you want to play it
• Repeating a keyword or cue to yourself
Your physical pre-shot routine might include elements such as:
• Checking the direction of the wind
• Getting a visual for the shot
• Checking your grip is correct
• Taking a few practice swings
Of course, the scope for a pre-shot routine is broad and can include anything you will find helpful. A repeatable pre-shot routine will make every shot feel the same, no matter what’s at stake, help you control your nerves and perform your shots to the best of your abilily.
Focus on your fitness
Really paying attention to your body can help you identify any weak or tight spots in your body that might need attention. Weakness and tightness can cause problems in your swing, as well as overcompensations that might not be helping you. When you pay attention, you should be able to feel where it’s tight, or what feels a bit sore or twingy when you swing. So focus on those weaknesses. If you lack flexibility, stretch those muscles. If you lack strength, try some golf-specific resistance exercises. If you’re sore, try a massage or visit a physio. Paying more attention to your physical limits will help you transform them – and this might go a long way towards transforming your game, too.
Click here to read more about how to minimise golf injuries.
So, to improve your golf game, get rid of the belief that it’s all about your physical skills, or all about your mental toughness. That’s only one part. To make your practice time effective, spend it focussing on your mind-body connection, and watch your game move to the next level.
Click here to discover more ways to play more consistent golf.
