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Playing

Back to List   Author: Doug Pike

Playing golf is where you will likely spend the majority of your time which is why it is essential that you have the ability to manage your game and emotions. Playing well is one thing but playing well consistently is the key. [[1]] There has been a steadily growing buzz around sports psychology in golf for quite a few years now and I must say that I find their body of work alone very compelling These Psychologists have been instrumental to players seeking to tap into their golfing potential more frequently.

The psychology coupled with good golf strategy is vital to becoming a consistent golfer. Clearly if I were to cover all of the possible circumstance on the golf course this article would never end so I am giving two primary requirements that should use in each and every situation.

One of my favorite sayings to students is that when you step onto the golf course you are stepping on sacred ground and mechanical swing thoughts are forbidden. This can cause quite the confusion as I more than likely have spent a fair amount of time informing them on the technical aspects required to hit a golf shot. However, if you have read the Training article and then the Practice article you can see how the area of emphasis has taken the player further away from the mechanics of the golf swing. It progresses even further away from fundamentals and becomes more "Zen-like" as you play on the course. I like to think of it as becoming more aware of your surroundings on the course, taking your time to asses the shot at hand. Really it has to do with identifying areas on the golf course that you first want to avoid so that you can select a more prudent and "pattern" oriented target. Appropriate target identification is the main point here. Imagine your shot pattern is a transparency and on each tee box you hold it up in front of you so that you can see the course through it. Then notice where the majority of your shots go. You may find that you will need to reposition yourself to bring your pattern into a desirable location. When you do this you will find that the direction that you moved to will become your alignment and your visual target (aiming point) will also shift.

Another important key for player is playing what I call the match game. No it is not the once popular 70's show but rather the game of matching your rehearsal swing feeling to your desired shot image. First comes the "picture" and when visualizing a golf shot I suggest that you walk a few paces behind your ball see the trajectory of your desired shot from start to finish (this does take some practice/discipline). From there you can apply your new Practice feel to try and match what you want to what you feel. It is critical that you don't just go through the motions, instead make it your goal to become completely attached and in tune with these two tasks. You see it isn't that you need to take a practice swing for the sake of exercise; there is a very specific reason for why you take it. If you agree with me now and see the significance of these steps now imagine how useful the match game will be for your short game.



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