The Mental Game
The great Arnold Palmer once famously said :
Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.”
Undeniably, golf stands out as one of the most mentally demanding sports. When confidence drops and pessimistic, illogical thoughts take control, your scorecard will suffer.
So how do we improve our mental game?
We can improve it by using mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a mental state and practice that involves intentionally focusing one’s attention on the present moment without judgment. It is about bringing full awareness to your present experience, including thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment.
Two of the many ways it helps you play better golf is by improving your self-awareness and focus. By being mindful, you can recognize negative thoughts as they arise, observe them without judgment, and consciously choose not to engage with them. This awareness allows you to redirect your focus back to the task at hand, such as your next shot. Mindfulness teaches individuals to observe their thoughts without getting entangled in them.
You can apply this non-attachment to negative thoughts like “Don’t hit it in the water left”. Instead of allowing these thoughts to consume your attention and impact your performance, you can acknowledge them and let them pass, refocusing on the present moment. Whenever you try to suppress negative thoughts they actually get stronger through a process that psychologists call “amplification”. Which will make it more difficult to execute the shot at hand.
There are multiple methods to practice mindfulness, but for this blog post i’ll go over breath-centered mindfulness. No matter our location, activity, emotions, or state of mind, one constant remains: we are breathing. It serves as a reliable anchor to the present moment, readily accessible at all times. Hence, it comes as no surprise that mindful breathing stands out as one of the fundamental and powerful techniques for cultivating composure.
Breath-centered mindfulness practice
- Please sit comfortably in an upright position on a chair.
- Softly close your eyes.
- Take a moment to let your focus naturally align with your breath.
- There’s no need to modify or assess your breathing or exert excessive control over it. Simply let your attention harmonize with your breath.
- Remind yourself that this practice involves observing your breath without passing judgment.
- Stay mindful of your breath, whatever its nature may be. It’s normal for your thoughts to occasionally wander from your connection to the breath. Should you notice your attention drifting away, acknowledge this shift in your inner experience and gently guide yourself back to your breath.
- Repeat this process as many times as needed for the next five to 10 minutes.
Remember to Breathe for your Mental Game
When you play your next round of golf, I highly suggest taking two or three connected breaths before addressing any shot. Purposefully grounding ourselves before each shot directs our attention to the present moment, enhancing our performance. These factors significantly improve the likelihood of executing a shot as intended.
By Ryan Hood
Ex Tour Professional and Performance Coach at Optimus Golf Performance