5 Mental Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs!

March 14, 2016

Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC. We conduct 1, 2, and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993. We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.

Golf Blog by the Mel Sole Golf School

I know most golfers want to improve their golf. And those that do spend a lot of time on the range improving their long and short game. But what about the mental part of the game? Are you missing out on this important aspect of golf? Here are 5 Mental Mistakes to Avoid at all costs! David MacKenzie of "Golf State of Mind" tells us how.

Any thoughts about your swing on the golf course are counter-productive.

Whether it be in between shots or during your swing. Trusting what you have is far more important than trying to correct something. Or forcing a movement while swinging. Trying to consciously control your body during any action makes the task more difficult.

Think about if you drove your car while consciously thinking about what your body is doing (“foot on brake, now accelerator…”) and you’d probably get into a crash! Instead you simply trust your ability as a driver. Thinking about your swing while swinging creates tension which interferes with the free-flow of a good swing. It’s fine to think about it on the driving range when you’re practicing a new movement you’ve learnt in your golf lessons, but on the course your mind has to be quiet to play your best.

Wayward shots are hit when swing thoughts creep in during a round. Subsequently, the golfer analyses the swing and attempts to correct the problem. Tension will cause off line shots, which increases the more control over the swing the golfer attempts to have. There’s a saying that In golf, “You need to give up control to gain control” and I strongly believe that to be true.

Hit the ball to a specific target with a pre-determined shot shape, and then trust the body to do what we’ve practiced.

The best swing thought is to trust the swing you have, but if you need some help, you can try saying the words “one-two-three” – “one” for the back-swing, “two” for the down-swing and “three” for the follow-through. This should help eliminate the swing thoughts

To see the other 4 Mental Mistakes to avoid, go here.

Source Golf State of Mind Mel Sole Golf School.

Picture - Keith Allison Ray Sadler

Thanks for reading - 5 Mental Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs!

Golf Blog by the Mel Sole Golf School

Any thoughts about your swing on the golf course are counter-productive.

Hit the ball to a specific target with a pre-determined shot shape, and then trust the body to do what we’ve practiced.

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