Golf is a Game Played by Your Mind

If you have made par or birdie on a hole, what’s stopping you from doing the same on every hole that you play?  Your swing must have been perfect for the successful holes that you played in the past so what is holding you back for your future successes in golf.  As it turns out, it’s all in your MIND.

There have been some amazing wins and accomplishments from new and also past winners in recent tournaments.   Why are these golfers suddenly re-surging?  I started thinking about this when Sean Foley brought Lydia Ko’s golf career back to life.

Sean Foley (Certified PGA Trainer for Tiger and Lydia Ko) shared an emotional Instagram, praising Lydia for her first tour victory in 3 years.  His primary focus on training Lydia was to build confidence from her past successes.  He recognized that she just had to find and release the game that he knew was within.  He helped her understand that she had performed well in the past so her skill and attitude was already in her mind and body. All that he did was to give her the conviction to let it re-emerge. 

Sean Foley got Lydia Ko’s mind in the right place. Just focus on the stroke that you have made perfectly so many times before. (ref. NZ Golf Magazine)

These are a few of the recent golfers who changed their mental focus into success (in addition to Hideki Matsuyama).

1/ Stewart Cink winning RBC Heritage at Hilton Head by 3 shots at the age of 47.  He focused on a hole by hole game plan each night before each round with his son who happened to also be his caddy.  He said that it cleared his vision and his ability to make the shots that he wanted.

2/ Lydia Ko had not won in 3 years and won by a margin of 7 strokes at Lotte Championship in Hawaii.  Since she started working with Sean Foley she has had 9 top 10 finishes in her last 16 starts.  She also set a low round scoring record in the final round of the ANA Championship.  NOTE: Her drives are still about 30 yards shorter than the longest drivers but her accuracy to hit greens and putts is blowing the field away.

3/ Jordon Speith is back on a tear with a fresh return to his winning form.  He just changed back to his original swing style by shallowing his downswing.  We expect to see him win a few tournaments this summer.

4/ Will Zalatoris came from the college ranks to place second at the Masters.  He is a new comer on the pro scene but he sure is shaking up the golf world.

I’ve seen the same commitment and success happen recently in the Professional Tennis world.  Winning gives them confidence and that confidence breeds success.   It’s caused by their new found mental attitude.

Focus on One Shot and One Hole at a Time. 

Mark-up the corners of the box on your score card for each hole with a check for your drives staying in the fairway (or on a par 3 green), a check for Greens in Regulation and number of putts.  Total your checks for FIR, GIR and Putts for comparison to your next round.  Playing against yourself from round to round is a great way to lower your scores.  You may want to put in some extra practice with your GOLFSTR+ to help you focus on your perfect hits.  Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Golf Truism #56: A good golf partner is one who’s always slightly worse than you are, that’s why I get so many calls to play with Friends.

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