The mental game of golf can help to reduce your handicap pretty quickly. Putting is perhaps the biggest part of the game where how you think can make a big difference. Many people develop the putting yips not because they have bad putting mechanics but because they tend to think too much before hitting the ball.
Tip 1: Look and react instead of thinking too much
Sports like soccer and basketball are reaction based and most of the time the players do not have time to think about their mechanics or to even doubt their ability to hit the shot, they simply have to kick the ball or shoot it otherwise it will get stolen. A similar way of thinking in golf might help many amateurs.
You do not need to rush your game before you step over the shot. Instead take your time to pick a proper club or read the green but then once you have made up your mind and stepped up to the ball you need to simply look and react to the target and trust that you will hit a great shot.
Tip 2: Stay in the present
It is easy in the midst of a great round to start totaling up your score and imagining how great it would be if you could keep it going. You need to instead focus on the present and how to best execute the next shot. Try to minimize thoughts of the future and the past. It is difficult to completely block out all future or past thoughts but do your best to focus on hitting the next shot as well as you can.
Tip 3: Do not dwell on missed shots
We all hit bad shots every now and then however the great players are able to learn whatever they can from their poor shots and then simply forget about them and focus completely on the next shot. You need to forgive yourself instead of constantly beating yourself up. It is okay to get a little upset if you hit a bad shot but do not let it last the rest of the round, remember that golf is supposed to be fun.
Tip 4: Manage the course appropriately
One important tip to keep in mind regarding course management is to develop a conservative strategy but an aggressive swing. Most amateurs try to hit shots they have never hit before in the middle of a round. Do not try to be a hero on the course, the pros hit those kinds of shots because they have spent lots of time practicing them and are comfortable with pulling them off with a high percentage rate of success.
Hit shots that you know you can pull off more often than not. If you want to get better then you need to spend more time on the range and practice greens fine tuning your swing and short game, do not try to get a better swing or try new shots you have never successfully hit on the course. Consider some of these golf mental strategies to help you learn how to shoot lower scores fast.

Shooting low golf scores is a great challenge and few people ever learn how to break 80 never mind breaking 70. The mental game can play a big role in helping you to shoot really low scores especially if you already have good swing mechanics and a solid short game. Too many golfers do not have a plan mentally to approach the game and this costs them an unnecessary number of strokes each round. Here are some tips on the mental game that can help you play better golf:
Tip 1: Execute Proper Course Management
Most amateurs are very poor at managing a golf course and try to play the heroic shots that the commentators on television talk about and some of the professionals on tour like to hit from difficult situations. The best approach as far as course management is to have a conservative strategy but an aggressive swing. You need to know what you are capable of doing and play within yourself and only hit the high percentage shots. Do not let what other people in your group are doing influence your decision off the tee. Remember that your main competitor is the golf course itself and your goal is to post the lowest score you are capable of on that day.
Tip 2: Develop a Solid Pre Shot Routine
Having a good pre shot routine will help you to be a more consistent player since it will help to get you physically and mentally prepared for every shot. There are 2 aspects to the routine and they include the mental and physical routine. The mental routine is more important however a consistent physical routine can aid and support the mental routine also. Try to be flexible in your physical routine and allow yourself to take extra practice swings if necessary at times. The key aspect of the mental routine is how you think before you strike the ball.
It is important to clear your mind and focus only on the target when you swing the club. You need to trust that you have trained your swing enough on the range to be able to hit the ball well on the course. If you constantly think about swing mechanics then this will affect your ability to play well especially under pressure. Do not worry if you find your heart racing and even your hand shaking a little during a competition as this is normal and you should even try to enjoy it as it is simply a surge of adrenalin going through your system. Just look and react to your targets and this will allow you to hit the best shots in those situations.
Tip 3: Think Positive
You know you need to do this but most people have a bad habit of dwelling on their bad shots. This can really suck the enjoyment out the game so relax and even laugh a little when you find yourself hitting some bad shots. Remember that golf is a game of mistakes and then recovering from those mistakes as fast as possible. Try some of these golf mental game strategies to help you reduce your handicap faster.

Golfers are bombarded with advertisements for the latest fabulous, amazing high-tech golf equipment, clubs with the magic power of wizard’s wands and golf balls that soar far out into the heavens, or behave as they are being operated by remote control.
Every golfer dreams of improving their golf game, so most of us are conditioned to believe we need the latest and greatest equipment to achieve our goals.
Shop Online for Discount Golf Equipment
There’s no doubt that having good equipment should be part of a golfer’s strategy to improving their game. And fortunately, because of tremendous discounts on equipment offered at shopping sites all over the Internet, the best clubs are not out of reach for even the most budget conscious golfer.
Shopping for equipment online may take getting used to, but the savings are well worth it. Step one in your game improvement strategy is to give yourself the competitive advantage of having the best equipment available.
Practice will improve your golf game.
There are two other often overlooked ways of improving your enjoyment of the game of golf: playing more and practicing more. Only a small fraction of golfers ever take lessons, and that’s a shame, because a trained golf teacher can quickly spot flaws in your swing that you are totally unaware of. Why not take some of the savings on equipment you earned from shopping online, and putting those dollars toward a series of lessons? (Most professional teachers offer discounts if you sign up for a block or series of lessons, rather than booking them one-at-a-time).
Play more and improve your golf game.
And then, get out there and play more. Increasing your frequency of play is the best way to truly get a feel for the game of golf, so the club always feels comfortable in your hand, rather than like some foreign object you have just become acquainted with. But you say, greens fees are too expensive these days, and your golf budget is maxed out? There are solutions for this problem as well on the Internet. You can get coupons for discounts on greens fees of up to 50%, purchase passes for discounted play, or even get free rounds of golf. Besides saving tons of money, you might find great courses to check out that you have never heard of before.
Try these three strategies together: Get the best equipment at discounted prices, spend more time practicing and learning the game, and get out there and play more frequently. You’ll be surprised how many strokes you can shave off your average score.

How can you improve your game, eliminate those regular poor shots without thinking?

I want to ask you a question? ….which word best describes the way you learn a new task?

For me and I think for most people, that word is ‘IMITATION’! If you look at infants in their early years, the way they learn and pickup your habits for better or for worse are by imitating you! That’s the beauty of this skill which is genetically ingrained into us from birth. It transcends any language barrier!

That’s why I love the use of  golf training aids. Because that’s the way we have learnt new skills ever since our first steps in life. We as human beings learn best by imitation. We watch, imitate and repeat.

This is how we can improve on our game without being overwhelmed by countless swing thoughts.

For those of you who are not quite familiar with the term golf training aid, it is a device (and there are many to choose from) which will help you to swing the right way.

A golf training aid can get you swinging the right way by utilising Muscle Memory-in other words Imitating, without the mental overload of advice and tips coming in from all directions.

How many of you folks out there have a habit…whether good or bad? I know I have but ill never quit Hershey’s bars-never!

Now you know that a habit is the product of repetition continuously until it becomes automatic without thinking.

This is how a golf training aid works, it gets us swinging or putting the correct way until it becomes a habit with no need for overwhelming swing thoughts. And swinging well folks is a great habit to keep don’t you think?

Also, the beauty of golf training aids is that there are many types to choose from which target all the aspects of your game you may need to focus on, therefore satisfying your own personal requirements.

For example you may be having problems with and so need to correct your swing plane, your address to the ball, weight transfer, shoulder turn, wrist break, head movement, balance, putting and the list goes on.

So if your want to get your game back on track, by utilizing the skill nature has given us all – Imitation, then a golf training aid is the perfect partner for a better swing.

I wish you the greatest success on and off the course….Jock Mcdoogle

Did you know that hanging on to bad shots, bad golf moments, and general negativity is one of the most prevalent mental practices that weighs golfers down, holds them back, and leads to less-than-positive golf experiences? It permeates the entire mental golf psyche and distracts from focus, visualization, and awareness. In fact, all of those “could haves,” “should haves,” and “if onlys” take away from mental energy that could otherwise be put to good use on constructive thoughts that will help your game.

So what exactly is “hanging on?” It is a mental habit of actively keeping thoughts and memories of past negative actions and experiences in mind by dwelling on them, frequently recalling or “replaying” them, and allowing them to linger and fester and take the place of otherwise helpful thoughts and memories.

And what is it that golfers hang on to in their minds? The specifics vary from person to person, of course, but the common factors include:

Memories and thoughts of —
- bad shots
- bad rounds
- bad tendencies
- mistakes and “flaws”
- “ruts” you have been or are stuck in

Plus negative mental habits and tendencies such as —
- Fear
- Anger
- Frustration
- Worry
- Self-Doubt
- Self-Comparison
- Blame
- Dread
- Resentment/Envy
- Misconception that you need to try harder

“Hanging on” is a negative mental habit I have grappled with in the past, and it definitely affected my game. I would get so preoccupied with hanging on to the memory of a missed putt or errant drive that I would lose focus on my current shots and strategy, and then my game would suffer. I have known others who have hung on to bad shots for an entire round and even afterward, and they would keep talking about it. Thinking of your own game, you can probably recall some examples of “hanging on.” What is it that you tend to hang on to? Maybe it’s the memories of missed putts and poor shots like I did. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by taking notice of this tendency, then doing something to curb it or cut it short.

A helpful tip that helped me to reduce my tendency for “hanging on” and is something I continue to practice is:

Consciously focus you attention on remembering the positive and letting go of the negative. Practice filling your “memory bank” with memories of good shots and positive outcomes and not “storing” thoughts of mistakes, problems, and poor shots. Think of it like putting thoughts of the negative moments in the trash. Leave your past in the past!

We’ll have more practical tips on curbing this negative mental tendency for “hanging on” in our soon-to-be-released Positive Golf Handbook. Leave a comment on this blog about what you tend to hang on to on the course, and I’ll email you some more of these tips.

Here’s to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Credits: Positive Golf

I often hear from people who have a golf outing or event coming up and they are feeling anxious because they haven’t played in a while. They want a quick mental golf tip or two that they can start using right away to help their game. If you are in a similar situation, or are just interested in starting to beef up your mental game in general, I have put together a list of some mental golf fundamentals that you can start doing right now, wherever you are. A key idea behind all of these tips is one of changing mental habits that clutter your mind and distract your attention away from really focusing on your strategy and the shot at hand. These are things that I continually remind myself to do, especially if I am feeling “scattered” and off-track in my mindset and my game is reflecting that same thing. By starting these new mental practices right now and persisting with them, you will be headed in the right direction for building a stronger mindset and setting the stage for more Positive Golf experiences. Keep in mind, these things can (and should) be done both on and off the course, whenever you are playing or thinking about the game. These skills get more natural and effective with practice.

1. Let go of those bad shots. I know. I know. Easier said than done. But believe me, it makes a difference. Dwelling on missed putts and errant drives demands a lot of mental energy that distracts you from productive thoughts and better focus.

2. Don’t dwell on fear. Here again, easier said than done. And here again, an enormous “consumer” of mental energy. Start by picking one thing you are really fearful about (i.e. missing short putts and looking bad in front of others) and consciously make an effort to “switch gears” to more productive thoughts (i.e. swing thoughts and your strategy) when this pops into your mind.

3. Let go of that blame. Like fear and holding on to bad shots, frequent blaming also consumes a lot of mental energy and distracts you. While blaming might help you justify things and help you feel better for a moment, it takes your thoughts away from the shot at hand and also from getting to the real cause of swing problems or other challenges. (Your clubs and the weather are not always at fault!) Make a concerted effort to tune in to your blaming tendencies and steer your thoughts in a more positive and productive direction.

4. Take the pressure off. It’s a common practice to continually put pressure on yourself to hit farther, make more putts, and score better. Self-motivation is one thing, but persistent pressure can distract your focus and be counter-productive. Seriously, give yourself a break. When you notice those pressure-filled thoughts filling your mind, switch gears to swing thoughts and some self-encouragement.

5. Stop dwelling on “hitting.” It’s a very common tendency these days to think about hitting at the ball harder with more effort in order to achieve more distance. A lot of people spend a lot of mental energy dwelling on trying to figure out how to “hit harder,” when the real solution is less effort and more allowing. Switch those hitting thoughts to more productive thoughts of feeling and allowing the smooth, natural swing. (For more insight and tips on this topic, check out my Goodbye Hit, Hello Swing e-book.)

Now, you’re on your way to a mental golf mindset that is stronger and more aligned with the flow of productive thoughts and a smooth, effortless swing.

Here’s to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Credits: Positive Golf

Like so many people, I have enjoyed watching the Olympic Games for the past 17 days. I have enjoyed viewing them for many reasons, with a primary one being that it helps my golf game. Even though golf is not part of the Olympics at this time, there are still a lot of beneficial things to be learned from a mental and athletic standpoint that can be applied to golf. The ideas and inspiration from athletes in a variety of sports can successfully be applied to golf, and many other aspects of life for that matter. Here are the top five ideas that stood out for me in the past couple of weeks and served as valuable reminders and motivators for my mental golf mindset and golf improvement activities:

1. Look forward, not backward. Let go of misses and mistakes and look forward to positive possibilities and outcomes. Don’t dwell on what went wrong because that will hold you back. The past is the past, period.

2. Take responsibility – don’t blame. It comes down to you on the course, the court, the track, the pool, or wherever. Blaming mistakes or poor performance on other people or conditions (i.e. heat) does not help anything, because while you are blaming and complaining other competitors are not – they are focusing on things that help their performance instead, and it shows.

3. Don’t get affected by limiting ideas about “age.” Don’t buy into common ideas and beliefs that you can’t do certain things once you reach a “certain age.” There were several shining examples of athletes past what is traditionally considered “prime competitive age” who blew people out of the water (no pun intended) with their attitudes and performances. These athletes weren’t “superhuman,” but they each had a super attitude that did not focus on what are “supposed” to be the “limitations” of age (i.e. You’re old and stiff and “over-the-hill” past 40.) They really get the idea that “You’re as old as you think.”

4. Believe that you can do it. Time and again, the athletes who surprised with their performances, did the seemingly “impossible,” or just stuck with it and went on to win expressed this can-do attitude in follow-up interviews. They showed us the supreme value of believing in yourself and knowing that, yes, you can do what you put your mind to when you absolutely believe in yourself. This applies just as much to achieving a goal in golf as it does to achieving an Olympics medal.

5. Always strive to improve. Here again, those shining stars on the court, the track, and in the pool make frequent reference to their continual efforts to improve, whether it be their form, their time, or their strength. Their years of preparation, out of the public eye of the Olympics, are filled with days and days of dedication to improvement. And they fully embrace the idea of improvement – watching videos, seeking feedback, building their bodies and their minds. They strive for practice that is positive and productive, not merely repetition. And yes, this approach is just as beneficial for golf improvement for the recreational golfer as it is for the Olympic athlete! Take the open, receptive, and persistent approach to improvement and stick with it!

These are the “Olympic ideas” that have re-charged me and my game. I would like to learn about the ideas that helped others. Feel free to add a comment to the blog…

Here’s to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Credits: Positive Golf

Using golf training tools can help you take your game to another level.  Even the pros will use golf training tools if they feel they are not getting the most out of their swing, or there is a problem with a certain aspect of their game.  There are so many quality golf training tools out there that you can find the right tool to help you improve any aspect of your game.  These tools are very helpful and should not be overlooked.

In many sports, practice makes perfect.  This also holds true in the game of golf.  If you are serious about improving your game, you should invest in your training.  The best way to do this is to use quality golf training tools.  There are many quality golf training tools you can get your hands on to improve your performance on the course.  Most of these tools are rigorously tested and engineered to strict standards to ensure they are of the utmost quality, durability, and efficiency.

For example, the Medicus is a great overall golf training tool, and can help you acquire a nice tempo to your swing, which is a vital component of a sound golf swing.  Nets of different sizes can prove to be good investments, because they allow you to hit shots unassisted, and make proper adjustments along the way.  There are many different permanent and portable putting greens that can help you develop a sound, comfortable putting stroke.  The list goes on; there are just too many quality golf training tools out there to list them all.

This being said, the equipment and tools you decide to work with are only going to work if you decide to use them with discipline and focus.  In other words, you can use the best golf training tool in the world but if you don’t use it with discipline, focus, and determination they will be totally ineffective.

If you strive to shoot better scores, golf training tools are a must.  Seeing positive gains on a golf course is a very satisfying feeling, and one that can be very addictive. Using these golf training tools becomes even more motivating when you begin to see these results.  This can lead to increased motivation to use these tools effectively.   If results are what you are looking for, golf training tools are your best bet to get there.  Choose wisely and remember to use them with dedication, and there is no doubt that positive results will follow.

The Golf Blog says: Wow! Hank Haney reveals a lot in this interview with The Golf Channel. Jim Gray asked some excellent questions, including Tiger’s driver. Haney got a little bit defensive, but did raise a good point about Tiger’s total driving stats being better than Phil Mickelson’s and Anthony Kim’s at the Masters.

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Credits: The Golf Blog

When mental golf practices don’t seem to be helping your game, the tendency is to stop using them and chalk it up to mental golf not being right for you or mental golf not working at all. Before you throw in the towel and decide to stop developing and applying these skills, however, ask yourself these four questions:

1. Do I really believe mental golf practices work and can help my game?

2. Am I utilizing these skills consistently throughout each round (not just when the “going gets tough”)?

3. Am I overwhelming myself by trying to change too many mental practices at once?

4. Am I putting too much pressure on myself to master these practices and get “instant results”? (This was one of my main tendencies when I was beginning the development of my mental game.)

Your answer to these questions can give you some very good clues as to why the application of mental golf skills isn’t working for you. An answer of “no” to the first two questions and “yes” to the second two indicates some things that are blocking the success of using positive mental practices in your game. If you have been trying to develop your mental golf mindset this summer (or at any time) and have not experienced any improvement in your game, take a moment to reflect on these questions and the answers. It can be time well spent that gets you past the threshold of quitting and onto a new and more effective path. Changing your approach in any of these four areas (and certainly in all of them) can help to make a difference in your evolution as a successful positive golfer!

Here’s to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer and
Co-Founder
TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Credits: Positive Golf