How To Avoid These 5 Mental Traps That Can Ruin Your Round

Have you ever made two birdies in a row and followed them up with two double bogeys? How about starting a round with a drive in the middle of the fairway and walking away with 7 on the card? Golf is just as much a mental game as a physical one (some may argue even more). If you think your mental game might have something to do with your inability to reach your goals on the course, here are a few mental traps you may be up against.

1. The “all or nothing” self-talk trap

With the “all or nothing” self-talk trap, after one bad shot, you immediately think that you are terrible at golf or that there is no recovery for this hole or maybe even the entire round.

Absolute language, used negatively, has no place on the golf course. Saying “I always slice” or “I’ll never hit the green” leaves you with little hope.

Bouncing back, recovering and making saves are all part of the game and you have to be willing and ready to do them if you are going to succeed.

The fix:

Instead of saying, “I’m terrible,” try, “I’m still working on that shot.” You remove the permanent label and give yourself a boost of confidence that bad shots are part of the process. In addition, manage how long you are allowed to complain or react after a bad shot. You don’t want to go much longer than 30 seconds before clearing your mind and moving to the next shot.

I’ve often said that by the time I take my glove off after a shot, I have to let it go (good or bad).

2. The “perfect shot syndrome” trap

Visualization is a huge part of golf but only when it’s based on reality. Too many golfers visualize the perfect shot instead of the shot they actually hit most of the time.

If you haven’t hit a straight shot all day, aiming dead straight isn’t optimistic, it’s reckless. If you always fade the ball, aiming at a tucked right pin is a great way to short-side yourself in a bunker.

Instead of pretending every shot will be flushed, play the percentages:

Start charting your misses and paying attention to where your shots go (left, right, short, long), on the range and on the course. Call your shots before you swing. If the pin is on the right and you typically fade, try something like this: “I’m aiming at the center of the green and my usual fade will work it toward the pin.” If it fades, you’ve got a good birdie look. If it stays straight, you’re still on the green.

Play your shot, not the one you wish you could hit. You’ll avoid big numbers, miss in better spots and make the game easier.

3. The “mid-round swing overhaul” trap

Are you known for tinkering in the middle of your round? Maybe you hit one or two bad shots and start reworking the swing plane, making your grip a little stronger or trying a brand-new takeaway.

By the time you get through the front nine, you don’t even know which thought is the one that’s working. Your swing is lost. Don’t attempt mechanical fixes (especially major ones) in the middle of a round. Constant tinkering leads to doubt, tension and inconsistency.

The fix:

Pick your swing thoughts before a round. Give yourself only two. Make it through the round with those two and then adjust if needed. Keep the thoughts easy to work with like “finish high” or “low and slow.”

Adjust your aim and strategy if needed but don’t make major mechanical changes mid-round.

4. The “fear of judgment” trap

Your concerns about what people think of your game are much stronger than the actual concerns people have about your game. If you tense up on the first tee or when you have to hit a shot with people watching, you need to let it go.

When you are self-conscious, it increases tension and makes you focus more on the negative than the positive.

People care about their golf game, not yours. Take a deep breath, use your swing thought, commit to the shot and move on. Even if it’s ugly, you are playing against the course, not the guy in the group behind you.

5. The “no Plan B” (aka “driver or nothing”) trap

If you are hitting your driver on every tee, you are either great with the driver or you haven’t considered the importance of golf course management. (Likely the latter.)

If you continually (and often unsuccessfully) try hero shots, try to cut the corner on doglegs and shoot for the green in two from 250 yards out, it may be time to start thinking about risk management.

Great players have a Plan B. They know that sometimes laying up or hitting a 5-wood off the tee makes the most sense.

Try a 3-wood or a 3-hybrid as an alternative to a driver. Use the safer club if you have a tight fairway or a difficult approach.

Consider what can happen if you hit a perfect shot and if you hit a terrible shot. If the terrible shot leaves you in the rough, maybe take the risk. If it leaves you out of bounds, go with the safe club.

Final thoughts

We all fall into these mental traps from time to time. However, if you consistently do it, it’s probably time to work on your mental game. One bad shot doesn’t end a round so plan for reality, limit your fixes on the course, stop worrying about what others think and learn to lay up when it’s the wise choice.

The post How To Avoid These 5 Mental Traps That Can Ruin Your Round appeared first on MyGolfSpy.