Golf Is A Mental Game

Golf's benefits go well beyond opportunities to exercise and strengthen your muscles. Playing a round in the fresh air can be a relaxing experience for golfers of all experience levels, and success on the course can provide a big confidence boost. That's because golf is as much of a mental game as it is a physical one.

The mental aspect of golf goes two ways. While skill development, social interaction and sunshine can benefit your mind, your thoughts and emotions also determine how well you play. Even the most experienced, skillful players can struggle to excel on the course if they get into the wrong frame of mind. Once you enter a bad mental space, your entire game and even every point of your swing can be negatively impacted. As a result, you need mental management for success when playing golf. These golf mental tips will teach you how to mentally prepare for a round of golf to play your best and reap the most benefits from your time on the course.

How to Mentally Prepare for Golf

Your golf mental game begins before you even set foot on the course. To master the mental keys to golf, you need to put in some work before you start to play. The following tips will show you how to mentally prepare for golf to ensure you're in the right head space from your very first swing.

Feel Prepared

You wouldn't walk into a space and give a presentation or speech without prepping. Before the big day, you would take the time to review your talking points, and you'd probably practice a few times in front of an audience of family or friends. This way, the words would feel familiar, and you'd be more confident when it was time for you to do the real thing.

Preparedness is just as important for mental golf as it is for successful public speaking. Before you play a new course, check out the course information, scorecard and flyovers available online. Also, inspect your clubs and make sure you have all of the accessories you need for the game. Doing so will give you a confidence boost and allow you to start your game with a strong mentality.

Visualize Success

Visualization golf mental exercise goes hand in hand with preparedness. By imagining yourself on the course, you can strengthen your golf mental game. As you review the course information, strategize about which clubs you're most likely to need for each hole. Close your eyes and picture yourself playing each hole.

Relax

Tension is the enemy of peak performance on the course. Taking time to de-stress can loosen your body and enhance your golf mental game. When possible, spend a few minutes decompressing with deep breathing exercises. Find a quiet place or listen to music that relaxes you. The last thing you want to do is proceed directly to the course after a stressful day at the office or an argument with a loved one. That time spent relaxing can help you enter the right mental golf frame of mind.

Sleep Well

Fatigue can rob you of concentration and negatively affect your mood, making it hard for you to strategize on the course and recover from mistakes when they occur. This means no article on how to mentally prepare for golf would be complete without advice to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep the night before you play.

Hydrate and Eat a Healthy Meal

When your body doesn't have the proper fuel, your mind can suffer. To keep your golf mental game on point, drink plenty of water before you play. Also, don't go in on an empty stomach. A light well-balanced meal that includes whole grains, lean protein and vegetables can ensure that both your body and your mind can perform at full power.

Golf Mental Tips

Even the pros experience highs and lows during a round. Resiliency is one of the mental keys to golf, and you can foster it by keeping the following golf mental tips in mind throughout the game.

Stay Present

Focusing on one hole at a time is one of the main mental keys to golf. When you tee off, don't worry about what hole is next. Instead, keep your mind grounded in the present moment. Golf mental exercises that involve checking every part of your body as you prepare for your swing and deep breathing can help center your mind in the now to boost your golf mental game.

Move On

Agonizing over the recent past can be as detrimental as worrying about the future on the course. Don't let a bad swing or round interfere with your present performance. Let go of mistakes and instead focus on the possibility of turning things around. We represent this element of a golf mental game with the slogan "Play More, Complain Less," as it perfectly summarizes the importance of moving on after a setback.

Don't Give Up

When those poor swings start to add up, you may feel tempted to stop trying. Your mind can switch into standby mode, leading you to lose track of your form. Then, your difficulties compound and your mindset grows even worse. Break free of that cycle by resolving to not give up. Start each hole fresh and give it your all to shake off a negative mindset.

Remember Every Shot Counts

Place value on every single shot on the course. When you don't put too much weight on any one shot, you're less likely to feel defeated. View each swing as an opportunity to turn things around, make up for missed yardage and get the ball closer to the hole.

Evaluate Your Expectations

Of all golf mental tips, this one is perhaps the most important. Make sure that you're setting realistic expectations based on your ability and level of experience. Setting goals that you're not yet capable of achieving will doom you to failure. Challenging yourself to slightly improve each game is more beneficial for your golf mental game than trying to compete against others.

Feel Your Best and Look Your Best

What you wear can also impact your golf mental game. Being well dressed can help you feel more at home on the course to minimize anxiety and increase confidence. Plus, the right golf clothing can reduce distractions by ensuring that you stay comfortable. Devereux carries a huge selection of golf apparel and accessories that control moisture, provide sun protection and increase flexibility, so you can complement your golf mental game by being dressed for success.