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How to Take Strokes off your Golf Game
by Mastering the Mental Part of It
Monty Bryan
The game of golf can be broken down into two parts: muscle
memory and the mental game. Muscle memory is simple. So long
as you have a decent swing you can lower your handicap by
increasing your muscle memory and you do that by, of course,
putting in range time. By contrast, the mental game is something
that is as complex as the human mind itself and even professional
golfers who have muscle memory down could endure occasional
breakdowns of their mental games. How, then, is an amateur
like you supposed to master the mental game? Well, a number
of mental practices you can put in your bag will shave more
strokes off your game then any gimmicky golf ball.
The mental game has multiple layers of depth just like the
human mind. First, let's discuss your rational mind and what
it has to do with course management. If you don't play very
often, or even if you do, you have probably noticed a heightened
sense of awareness on the golf course at times; not just when
you notice the birds chirping or the wind blowing -- it's
more than that. You get in a zone of thinking like a pro.
That means you know your exact yardage, which way the wind
is blowing, out of bounds is to the right, sand traps are
short left, long is bad, you have a flier lie, the air is
heavy and last time you hit a seven iron from the same spot
you came up short. Making this mental address to the golf
ball is every bit as important as hitting the right club.
Smart folks say that what determines a decent round is not
how good your good shots are, but rather how bad your bad
shots are; you must take every measure to increase your chance
of success if you don't hit a perfect shot.
Next, you have to tackle you harsh golf superego and subdue
its power. Often your golf superego can make you suffer from
a "Tyranny of Shoulds." If you are like most of us, you have
probably suffered from an inter-dialogue on the golf course
in which you berate yourself for not performing the way you
should. Not only is this a surefire way to ruin a good time,
it will have a tremendous effect on your stoke average. Thinking
too far ahead on the golf course can actually put you behind
and will most certainly throw you off your game. Perhaps the
most bankable skill possessed by great golfers is their ability
to quiet the mind. To them, every single shot is a new game
of golf. This advice may seem contradictory to tips given
the prior paragraph, but it is not. On your rational surface
level, you are considering golf course management, but now
you are a level deeper in focus, the rational brain has said
its piece and you are focused solely on making the shot. Just
like all good decisions are born from a peaceful and focused
mind so is all good shot making.
However, none of these states of mind are achievable if they
are not built on a solid foundation of gratitude. What does
that mean? Someone once said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled."
It sure can be if you don't cultivate a mentality of gratitude.
When you get to the first tee box take a minute to appreciate
all that is taking place; you are playing a game with your
buddies for a few hours, the air smells fresh, you have 18
holes in front of you to make good shots and a 19th hole if
you need to drown a bad outing in a whisky sour. Regardless
of anything, you are privileged to spend a few hours of life
playing one of the greatest games on earth. If you can truly
achieve that feeling inside your body, that my friend, is
the fulfillment of your deepest level -- the golfer's soul.
Learn how to mentally improve your golf game - seven secrets
to dramatically improve your golf game from Monty Bryan,
President of ReFiner Golf. Visit www.refinergolf.com
to learn more and to improve your golf swing.
Article Source:
http://www.articlerich.com
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