golf tips blog

Date : 4/6/2018

Freund Friday 4/6/18 - The Mental Game: Playing Focus

When you are on the golf course it is very easy to let your mind wander. Golfers often lose focus and stop paying attention to the shots they are hitting. They simply go through the motions; select club, hit ball and go find it. On the most basic level that is what golf is all about.

However, if you want to hit better shots more consistently, you need to stay focused on every shot. While it is great to set goals for the future such as breaking 100 for the first time or winning the Member/Guest Tournament, it is important to have a PLAYING FOCUS to ensure that you stay on the path (in the present) to accomplish those goals in the future. Your PLAYING FOCUS should be some kind of commitment to every shot.  For example, for one round your playing focus might be “I will go through my pre-shot routine before every shot today.” In this example, you have clearly stated your intention for the round, and now have a goal to help you focus on every swing. 

It is important that your playing focus be clear and specific. Rather than saying “I want to be consistent today” try saying “I will hold my finish position until the ball lands.” Your PLAYING FOCUS should be positive. Instead of saying “I will not 3 putt today” you might say “I will commit 100% to my putting line before every putt.”  

Lastly, be sure that your PLAYING FOCUS is under your control. You cannot always control what score you will shoot. Sometimes your ball will land in a divot or bounce off a sprinkler and go out of bounds. We can, however, control our reactions. Use a PLAYING FOCUS you can control, such as “I will have a neutral or happy reaction after every shot”, not one that may be outside your control, like “I will shoot even par today.”

When you play your next round, choose a PLAYING FOCUS and commit to it. On your scorecard record your hole score as you normally do but also record a score from 1 to 5 representing how well you performed your chosen PLAYING FOCUS for that hole – score a 1 if you did not use the PLAYING FOCUS at all and 5 if you applied the PLAYING FOCUS on every shot that hole.

The most important shot in golf is the next one. - Ben Hogan.

 

-Submitted By:
 Anthony Freund
 Assistant Professional
 Three Lakes Golf Club

 

Sources: EVERY SHOT MUST HAVE A PURPOSE, by Lynn Marriott, Pia Nilsson, and Ron Sirak

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