There are two general mindsets throughout the game of golf.
1. Practicing/training
2. Playing/trusting
Practicing or training mode is set on the intention of improving mechanics. Drills and exercises are good examples of practicing or training mode (video drills coming soon!).
Playing or trusting mode is the focus upon target and tempo. This is ideally how you play golf mentally. Target and tempo are truly your conscious thoughts as you play. You've made enough repetitions consciously beforehand practicing your golf swing so that your subconscious remembers how to move and how to swing the golf club. (You shouldn’t be thinking about your swing mechanically on the course)
Here's an exercise to do the next time you're at the range
1. Stroke a dozen or two dozen balls to just warm up your muscles.
Practicing or training mode is set on the intention of improving mechanics. Drills and exercises are good examples of practicing or training mode (video drills coming soon!).
Playing or trusting mode is the focus upon target and tempo. This is ideally how you play golf mentally. Target and tempo are truly your conscious thoughts as you play. You've made enough repetitions consciously beforehand practicing your golf swing so that your subconscious remembers how to move and how to swing the golf club. (You shouldn’t be thinking about your swing mechanically on the course)
Here's an exercise to do the next time you're at the range
1. Stroke a dozen or two dozen balls to just warm up your muscles.
2. Dump out the rest of your bucket and split the balls in
half.
3. Make the first half of the bucket practicing mode; improve
your golf swing (work on drills your coach has given you, or drills that are
soon to be posted).
4. Make the second half of the bucket playing mode; only
think about your target and your tempo (this is definitely what amateurs find
to be the hardest half because the vast majority of them never do this!)
Go complete that drill, and then come back and read the rest
of this post.
………
Go on, go to the range. Stop reading. GO TO THE RANGE AND GO HIT A
BUCKET, HALF IN PLAYING MODE AND HALF IN PRACTICE MODE AND COME BACK.
So you just finished your bucket. Any epiphanies?
Here's the whole thing with golf and why it is so mentally
challenging – We are told that the range is the way that you get better.
So, you practice, practice, and practice. Practice makes
perfect right? No! Practice makes permanent.
And, if you practice incorrectly, now you're really just making
yourself worse.
The range will only make you better if you implement drills 50% of the time (practice or training mental mindset) and 50% of the time working on target and tempo (playing or trusting mindset).
The range will only make you better if you implement drills 50% of the time (practice or training mental mindset) and 50% of the time working on target and tempo (playing or trusting mindset).
You must practice
playing golf on the range.
Any comments, questions or suggestions for topics are
welcome; enter them in the comment box below.
Your topic might be the next post! New posts everyday, so get some help
from a PGA Professional for free! Scroll
down below and enter your email under the heading “Follow by email” so
you don't miss a single new golf skill! (You will probably have to
change your preferences under the "basic" tab to choose to get email
notifications of newsletters/updates)
For more, visit http://www.gibbsgolf.com
For more, visit http://www.gibbsgolf.com
