The Mental Game: How To Stay Focused On Your Next Shot When Your Golf Ball Goes Swimming?

Just finished playing round four in our state’s Spring Cup Tournament. There are five rounds in all and only one round left in the tournament. Our team is leading the pack, but only by a point and a half and things are getting a little tense as we gear up for the final and deciding round of golf next week. Our team of five golfers will be facing five golfers of similar handicaps, but we’re playing on their home course!!! That gives them the advantage.

But no matter. I won’t focus on that aspect of the game. Best to stay focused on playing one hole at a time, and play my best game. Of course, that’s all fine and dandy as I sit here at my desk contemplating a positive outcome. It’s quite another to stay focused and free of tension when I’m actually playing the game.

So what’s the secret? Can you stay focused on your next shot even when your golf ball goes swimming? Or gets plugged in a muddy bunker? Or clunks off a tree branch and goes into the deep woods? How do you shake off the mental image of a bad shot and move on?

Recently I had the opportunity to talk with LPGA pro, Sue Weiger from Scottsdale, AZ. The conversation centered around this very topic: the golf game that’s playing between your ears. You can listen to that podcast on iTunes  or visit the post on golfgurls: 90% of Your Golf Game Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With Your Swing

If you are having trouble staying focused on your game I have a couple of suggestions. The first and most important for me is to STOP TALKING!!! Not all the time… you can certainly keep up a pleasant conversation while traveling between golf holes, but once you arrive at the tee box it’s time to focus and concentrate on your next shot. This is tough for me, because I’m a real story teller, and some of the golfers I play with are better story tellers than I am. So we can really get a yarn unraveling! Thing is, it almost always guarantees we’ll have lousy shots. One to the woods, another to the swamp. Not worth it.

The next most important help in focusing my game is to PAY ATTENTION! to how is the course playing today, how deep is the rough, putts always a little short or too long? greens fast or slow? Especially on a new course the first few holes are the learning curve! So I need to smarten up and pay close attention to the course conditions.

thinqgolfIf you’re still having trouble concentrating, you might want to try out a new App that you can download for FREE. It’s called THINQ Golf. Thanks to one of golf partners for recommending it to me. It’s a funky little program you can download onto your tablet or smartphone. It tests your attention to detail, awareness, intention and adaptability. There are several levels of each so you can compete against yourself and improve. I’ve tried it a few times. Unsure if it’s helping me out, but you might find it very helpful. The designers promise it will dramatically improve my golf game in just 10 minutes per day. The website claims the app is used by over 20 NCAA Schools and Professionals! Check it out here: http://thinqgolf.com/

If you do download and try out the App, let me know what you think by adding a comment below. In addition, if you have any great ideas that you use to help you stay focus, add those as well. Love to get your input.

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