The importance of the mind in golf is a topic that is being discussed more and more. One of the worst offenders is often me. The problems that the game presents are fascinating to me. Why are short putts something we fear? Why is it that some people get cold when they have to play in the water? What causes us to fumble a relatively easy shot at a crucial point in a game? And why is it that we can hit the ball well on the practice field but never play as well as we know we are capable of doing in a game?
These and other phenomena cannot be fully explained in terms of pure physics. We spent a lot of time learning the theory behind how to swing a golf club, but we lack the self-control necessary to put what we’ve learned to use. We typically start thinking about learning about mental skills when we realize this.
As viewers, the mental aspect of golf frequently provides us with the drama and excitement. The Ryder Cup competitions have most likely demonstrated that golf is a mental game at its highest level. Even the top athletes in the world experience fatigue. Some people break under the strain of fierce competition, while others seem to thrive under pressure and step it up a notch. But rarely do we ever operate at the peak of our abilities for longer than a few seconds. We may occasionally make a good shot or a good round, but we struggle to maintain our performance over an extended period of time. The game we play with ourselves is much more challenging than the game we play with the golf course. We occasionally make fantastic shots, and it’s these that keep us motivated when our game isn’t working.
Golf is a Thinking Man’s Game
Those players with the right mental attitudes are the ones who succeed. Of 8,000,000+ golfers in the United states, the Only Small fraction are “scratch players. They have no handicaps. They consistently shoot par, which shows that they have the proper mental attitude and the physical endurance to support it.
Golf is a game in which the handicap is a great leveler, and fortunately the camaraderie at the 19th hole is excellent. The par shooter or “scratch” player can give the 18 handicapper can drop to the 20 class and the 20 handicapper can develop into a 10 handicapper. Sometimes the player with a 10 handicap can shoot a par.
Although all golf movements are brain-based, psychology can be more powerful than a well-struck two iron or a lethal putter because it applies to every club, every shot, and every hole.
Despite the fact that I am not a professional golfer, I will make an effort to impart to you the knowledge and abilities needed to play the sport. They are adequately covered elsewhere in great detail. But I’ll talk about how crucial it is to practice and learn these abilities.