Monday, 13 May 2013

Darren Steels PGA Professional - Mental Game Tips for Beginners






As a beginner playing golf it can sometimes feel very frustrating that your successful practice doesn’t always transfer straight into better shots on the golf course. This can be infuriating at times having seen practice sessions result in consistently straight, well struck shots on the range yet a wide variety of wild, badly struck shots on the golf course.


Try not to get too frustrated on the course. It will not help.

This inconsistency is down to many things, mainly the fact that when you are practicing you are in a completely different environment. You have an almost unlimited supply of golf balls for one. This takes all of the pressure off of the shot. You will be more relaxed and as the end result doesn’t really matter, you will also be more likely to try and execute the correct swing technique that you are carrying out in your lessons.

It is this relaxed feeling you need to try to take onto the golf course. Remember that everyone hits bad shots, look at Tiger Woods, he misses a fairway by 40 yards at times, if this is happening to the greatest player ever then you shouldn’t expect to have a round with no errors involved.

Here are some ideas to maintain your calm and patience on the golf course:

1. Take one shot at a time – do not look too far ahead or have too high expectations on upcoming shots or holes. Do your best to execute the shot you are about to play

2. Have practice swings – use these to rehearse the swing you wish to carry out. This will relax you and get your muscles ready for the upcoming jobs they need to carry out

3. Keep it simple – if you go onto the golf course with a head full of swing thoughts then you will probably crumble. Have one clear objective for your swing. A two second swing cannot handle 5/6 thoughts

4. Let it out – for the volatile player give yourself a 10 metre walk after a bad shot to get any frustrations out of your system. Say what you like (to yourself) but after those 10 metres your sole concentration should be on the next shot. Do not let one bad shot drag you down for the next 2/3 holes

5. Mix it up – mix between course and range practice. Use the range and practice areas to master the technique and the golf course to learn how to play golf. Playing golf is an art so get out there and play.

The more you play on the course the more comfortable you will start to feel out there. This will lead to a more relaxed approach to each stroke. Trust me, one day it will click and the scores will tumble. Just be patient and enjoy your golf.

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