By Dr. Deborah Graham
Want to know the top 5 golf tips that students in the GolfPsych Game Builder Schools learn to reduce stroke averages fast?
"One week after attending a Game Builder School, my son shot 69 in his first round of District play to lead by 5 shots!...This was his first time ever to shoot under 70......" Proud Texas Dad
The majority of the players who attend a GolfPsych Game Builder School report back that golf tips they learned to use during the weekend program helped improve their competitive stroke average in their very next tournament.
Some, like this player, go from struggling to playing some of their best competitive rounds ever...
How?
We have pulled 5 golf tips from a list of the favorite Game Builder skills that help players of all levels reduce their competitive stroke averages fast.
See which ones you could use to improve your competitive play.
One
Find and Use a Consistent "Mental Pre-Shot Routine" That Works for You.
Ever choke on an important shot or putt that you really need to make? You are not alone, everyone does!
But you can do it far less if you take the time to learn and use a consistent Mental Pre-Shot Routine that compliments your physical routine.
Then make a point to use your mental pre-shot routine in your practice and it will empower you to treat every shot and putt the same in competition, whether it is the first shot or putt of a friendly round , or the last shot or putt to win the U.S. Open!
[Tip: Check out the free video of a good Mental Routine on the home page of GolfPsych.com while it is still available to see how yours matches up].
Two
Make the 1st Step of Your Mental Pre-Shot Routine
a "Full Commitment" to Your Shot or Putt.
Do a quick mental check of your last competitive round and make a fast estimate of how many shots or putts you hit with a little doubt or uncertainty swirling in your head while you were trying to hit the shot.
If you had ANY, you can improve your scoring by simply making sure you are fully COMMITTED to each shot and putt before you set up to the ball. If you lose that commitment over the ball, don't be embarrassed to back off the shot and re-commit.
We have long told our clients, and have repeatedly observed in their play, "you play better golf committed to the wrong shot than not committed to the right shot".
Three
Between Shots, "Be Yourself!"
Would any of your playing partners say your personality changes when you are not playing well, or that you are more fun to play with when you are playing well? Your goal should be to be the same regardless of your score.
Not sure what "being yourself" is?
To answer that you might need only to reflect on some of your best rounds to decide what is being yourself between shots. Between shots were you...
- quiet and peacefully reflective or observant of nature and activity around you
- occasionally engaging in small talk with your playing partners
- entertaining your group with jokes and stories
- humming or peacefully lost in your own pleasant thoughts
Then be determined to reflect that personality between shots regardless of how you are playing.
Easy? No. But if you can do it you will be pleasantly rewarded for your efforts with better scores!
[Tip: This is one of the style traits measured in the GolfPsych GameBook Pro. If you have your report, a look at your cool vs warm and your sober vs enthusiastic scores will tell you your style. The more cool and sober you are, the more natural it is for you to be more to yourself between shots. The more warm and enthusiastic you are the more natural it will be for you to interact with others between shots. Just remember to use your mental routine to regain focus before hitting your next shot!]
Four
JUDGE THE PROCESS, not the outcome.
Do you fear certain shots or putts? Or react strongly to bad ones? Then you have yet another way to save strokes!
Your game will get easier--and better--when you choose to judge your mental routine, or the “process” that you used to create the shot or putt rather than judge your play by the outcome of that shot or putt.
Why is this so powerful?
Many reasons. One of which is that you are now using your focus and energy more productively on things that can improve rather than take away from your play!
Five
SET A MENTAL GOAL for every competitive round.
Is score always in the forefront of your thoughts when you play?
Do you ever find yourself losing interest in the round or even giving up when you feel you are not scoring well?
You will be amazed at how much better you score when you replace a “score” goal with a “mental” goal.
What exactly is a mental goal?
Using any one of the first four tips in this article is a great place to start!
Before you start your round, for example, make up your mind that your goal for the day is to have a good mental routine for at least 60 percent of your shots and putts.
Then during the round keep your own "score" by rating your routine after every shot, being determined to make this score more important than your strokes score. If you can stay with your mental goal you will be amazed at how much easier the game can get.
[Tip: The GolfPsych Mental Game Scorecard makes setting and monitoring mental goals easy. It is actually a small booklet of scorecards created to use before, during, and after your round to make learning and using these 5 tips fast and easy.]
Try one of these 5 golf tips today. You have nothing to lose except strokes off your game!
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