Golf mind focus is a combination of where you focus your mind, eyes, body, breathing and intention. Rather than working against yourself have all of you moving in one direction, working together for one outcome.

Your eyes may be playing tricks on your golf mind focus

Your eyes can play tricks on you on any golf course. And therefore play tricks on your mind and what to focus on.

In fact your beliefs about your ability, your fears and the optical illusions deliberately designed into any golf course will distort what you think you see and more importantly what you focus on.

Play to your target not to the ball

One of the greatest illusions of golf is that most golfers think it is all about hitting the ball. They put all their effort into learning to improve their swing and to hit the ball.

The reality is this.

It’s not about hitting or how hard you hit the ball it’s about where you are hitting the ball to that is the most important thing in golf. Golf mind focus is about the target.

Where do you want the golf ball to go? How will the ball behave when it lands? Will it stop where you want it to go?

Use your golf mind, focus on the target.

Golf mind focus covers what you are doing with your eyes, where are you looking, what you are focused on, your decision of what to focus on and what you are thinking about.

Be clear about what you want

What you think about is critical. Have you noticed when you think about what you don’t want, when you focus on it, you get it?

It could be simple as you saying to yourself in your mind “don’t hit it in the water, again!” or “don’t slice this one.”

This is a funny quirk of our golf mind. It doesn’t hear don’t.

It’s like parents yelling to their kids “don’t run”. What do they do? Better to yell what you want, in the positive.

“Walk”.So focus on where you want the ball to go.

Be decisive

A key to your golf mind. Focus, make a decision. He or she who hesitates, loses.

When you hesitate you are being indecisive and more than likely scattering your thinking. Usually onto thoughts that are not what you want.

An interesting thing happens when you are decisive. Your mind and body becomes quiet. This is golf mind focus.

What a great way to play any golf shot.

The most powerful strategy for any golfer

The way you breathe, can determine whether you are relaxed, have rhythm, flexibility, and movement. As you execute the shot, breathing moves you out of your head into your body to simply execute your decision, here and now where it counts, in the present.

Now you are in the present playing your shot with full commitment to the outcome. Breathing supports your focus. As you move through your shot your body moving to where you want to go.

Golf mind focus is a mind, body and emotions focus.

Listen to yourself

Notice if your internal chatter. Notice whether it is supportive or not. It’s a signal to either go for it, to stop, or do something else.

Bottom-line, listen to yourself.

If it’s not what you want, it doesn’t feel right, it’s not supporting your outcome, notice it in the moment, stop, have the discipline and patience to back away and start again.

Your mind, body and emotions are giving you clues of what’s working, what’s not, of what to do and not to do all the time.

Focus on the positive, not the negative

An example is if the ball is on a line or lie that doesn’t look good, right, doesn’t feel good. Focus, on what you want, not what you don’t want or on your fear? Make a choice.

Just like you can focus on what is not working which is what most people do and punish themselves. Usually a golfer who does this throws the round away.

Instead, reward yourself for your wins. Build from the strong foundation of the 90-95% of things you do right.

What we believe is what you’ll focus on, and you will justify it, you’ll find evidence to support it. Therefore it will be true, your reality today. I stress YOUR reality. If it’s not what you want, then shift your focus to what you want. Believe that which supports what you want.

Use a positive golf mind focus.

The Golf Designers are playing with your mind too

Now’s add another piece to the equation of focus, or what you see on a golf course. Or more importantly, what you think you see and how it affects your thinking, emotions and decisions.

Remember a golf course is designed to create optical illusions. Designers put your focus on the hazards, on the boundaries. Check it out. Walk the course you are playing backwards, walk ahead a bit, look over the rise. Realize there is always more room to play with than your first impression.

Focus on what you want. Go for it!

As you execute a shot keep your eyes on the ball. Notice the target in your peripheral vision. As you hit through the ball to your target also see the ball to the target. Use your breathing to literally exhale through the ball to your target.

Set yourself up for success with all of you moving in one direction, to one decision, to your desired target. Use your golf mind focus.

Golf courses have been designed all over the world is an optical illusion. They have been designed to trick your eyes and your mind. Here is a couple of examples.

Have you ever noticed that when you par-3 hole on the golf course that it always seemed like it is very narrow and you are forced to play very accurately. There is little room to move and plenty of risk. A bit more about this at the moment.

Or have you ever noticed that when you are on a par-5 hole on the golf course they seem to have all the room in the world. So you tend to aim in a general direction. There is a lot more room for error.

Then there is distance… how far away is the green really? Picking enough club is always a challenge. Judging the distance and knowing you’re going well enough is really important.

Golf courses deceive your eyes!

Whether it’s a sunny day, early in the morning when it is a bit foggy, in the rain, the heat of a summer’s day, or nearly dusk in winter any golf course will test your vision and therefore your judgement.

A good remedy for this is to walk the course backwards. by walking the course backwards from the 18th green to the first tee your start to see from a different perspective the distances that you are playing to.

Most importantly I would suggest you use this as an opportunity to also map out your game plan. Look at distances and map out according to how you play your game.

The best golf coaching programs need to take place where it counts. On the golf course.

If you are really serious about improving your golf and lowering your score then you need a coaching program.

Your program needs to cover:

• The golf mind game
• Golf physiology
• Golfing skill including swing fundamentals
• Getting the right golf equipment
• A quality golf practice program
• Course management and strategy
• Knowing your game
• Knowing how to score

Chuck Hogan puts it nicely when he says – “it isn’t golf that is such a difficult game, it’s how it is taught that makes it quite impossible”.

Golf coaching should take place where it counts – on-course, with a focus on playing to a target and lowering your score.

This involves a lot more than a narrow focus on the swing and hitting the ball.

Here’s some of the things quality program can do for you:

• Create awareness of what working and what’s not
• Gives you valuable feedback
• Slows things down – we learn better in slow motion
• Gives you direction
• Lays a foundation for a strong pre shot routine
• Trains your mind and body

Coaching is team effort

Our focus is on helping you achieve personal golfing excellence.

As a Golf Mind Coach Rod Fraser has worked with PGA golf professionals in Sydney Australia at several leading golf courses. At Golfing Excellence we only work with golf professionals we believe know how to coach and are professional golf coaches.

We also work with physiology specialists too, on and off course. Most golfers will need a golf fitness and stretching program as well as having your body, physiology and movement assessed. This will often involve a remedial program with most golfers.

We encourage you to get your golf clubs, golf ball selection and equipment custom fitted to your skill level and physiology.

Find golf coaches who take a team approach

If your golf coach:

• Is focused on teaching you swing technique and to hit the ball.
• Only works with you on a practice area or driving range.
• Doesn’t custom fit your golf clubs.
• Hasn’t custom fitted the golf ball and tees you use.
• Doesn’t get you to keep your golf stats.
• Doesn’t work with you on-course.
• Doesn’t actively work with you on course management and strategy.
• Doesn’t work with a golf mind coach or physiology specialists.

Look elsewhere! You deserve better!

To achieve your golfing goals you need to know where your game is up to now, what’s working, what’s not and most of all, know what you want.

Setting your goals is the start of your golf improvement program. They give you direction and most importantly, if they are right for you they will motivate and inspire you.

Your golf improvement journey starts with awareness

That requires an awareness of your golf game, not just an impression. Which part of your game do you want to work on? Which area is going to give you your greatest improvement?

An excellent way to do this is to have a golf improvement journal where you track your golf statistics.

Your beliefs will determine your success or failure

Your beliefs are at the heart of everything you do. They will help you or stop you. It’s ultimately a matter of choice.

Some questions to ask your self about your golfing goals:

• Is your goal desirable and worth it?
• Is it possible to achieve it?
• What do you have to do in order that your goal is appropriate and right for you?
• Do you have or can you get the capabilities to achieve it?
• Do you deserve it and will you take full responsibility to make it happen?

A success formula for achieving your golfing goals

1. Know what you want, specifically. Break it down into smaller goals if that helps.
2. Take action, no matter how big or small the steps as long as they are consistent.
3. Know what you are getting at any point in time. What’s working and what is not? Where are you in relation to your golfing goal?
4. Tinker, if your strategy isn’t working, keep going till you find one that does.

Four more keys to help you get what you want

• Know what you want, have clarity and direction.
• Be congruent, believe it and do it every day.
• Know how, if you don’t know how, find out, get help.
• It takes time, everything takes time. The process to follow is Be, Do, Have.

Golf is a game of attitude

Enduring champions have an abundance of great attitude. Talent alone won’t do it, in fact someone with talent and poor attitude will not get far in life or golf.

Someone with average talent, great attitude, discipline and belief can become a great golfer.

Obviously the ideal would be to have great talent and great attitude.

Make your golfing goals SMART

• Make your golfing goals Specific.
• Your results need to be Measurable so you know how you are going.
• Make your goals Achievable.
• Be Realistic with your goals and your time frames.
• Set deadlines, work to a plan and make your goals Time related.
• Above all make your golfing goals inspirational for you and others, then live it.

Think through your golfing goals and make a decision

• What do you want?
• What do you want from your golf?
• What do you want that’s different from what you have right now?
• Are you getting it?
• If not, what’s stopping you?
• What has to change?

Everything has a price

Work out what price it will take to get your goal. What are you prepared to pay or not pay? If you really want your golfing goals and you are prepared to pay the price, then pay it.

Golf vision includes everything from eye dominance, peripheral vision, where you focus your eyes and what you do with your eyes through a shot.

Golf is an optical illusion that can play havoc with your targeting, judgment of distance and score.

Golf designers are playing tricks with you.

Golf courses have been designed to draw your attention, your visual focus and thoughts to the traps and hazards.

Have you ever noticed how you can be so aware of that bunker or the water that you go in it?

Also the course is designed to play with your perception of depth and distances. The pin looks really close to the edge of that bunker. Yet when you get there you had plenty of green to work with.

Knowing how much room you have to work with can improve your confidence and save you valuable shots.

Get to know your course. Walk any course you are going to play, backwards. You’ll be amazed what you learn. Create a game plan as you go.

Golf vision is what we see with our eyes and what we see in our minds

Zero in on your target with your eyes and mind. We think using the 5 senses. We see, hear, feel ,taste and smell things in our mind.

Some people can visualize easily and others struggle with it. The point is to focus on your target – where you want to go, with your mind however you do that and your eyes.

How you see is important

Ben Hogan was known as ‘The Hawk’ because he used to gaze with incredible focus and concentration on his target.

Then he would simply notice the ball as he played his shot to where his focus was – to the target.

Really narrow your focus on your target so it is the only thing you see. Make a decision and commit to it.

When you are over the ball see if you can see your target through the corner of your eye whilst looking at the ball. Keep your attention on the target. That’s where you are going.

This is your peripheral vision. When you use it you will simply notice the ball in what is called soft vision.

Make your golf vision work for you – know where you are going

Stand behind the ball when targetting rather than picking your target and line when you are over the ball. You will be able to pick a more accurate line. Align the club face to that line and target.

Pick a line, zero in on a small target. Play with precision to that line and target.

Look at the impact point and follow the ball

I often here golf professionals telling people not to move their heads. The reality is you head will naturally move a bit through the rotation of the swing. A better way to look at it is to keep your eye on the ball.

Throughout your shot notice the impact point of where you are going to hit through, play through the ball and literally see the ball to your target.

Your own mind can play tricks with your golf vision

Ever played a par 3 and your perception is you don’t have much room to move. It is really narrow with little room for error. And you make errors easily.

Yet on a par 5 you have lots of room to move and you can your shot precisely to a line and land the ball on a dime.

Your mind can distort your thinking and what you see. To overcome this, focus on what you want, narrow your focus and play to it.

Be aware of your golf vision, use your eyes and save shots.

A good quality golf practice program will focus on mind, physiology and skill. Most of all it will build strong routines. If you don’t have a program, get one.

A quality golf practice program is more than swinging a golf club and trying to hit the golf ball a 100 or 1000 times a day or week.

Once you have your golf swing fundamentals and set up sorted there are more important things to focus on.
Such as:

• Building a strong pre shot routine.
• Focus on playing to a target.
• Learning to relax.
• Get your balance and alignment right.
• Focus your eyes and thinking on the target.
• Play for accuracy instead of distance.
• Tap into your natural swing and rhythm.
• Learning your distances.

Golf tips are strategies for excellence that cover all aspects of your game for mind, physiology, skill, equipment and quality practice.

Here are seven tips for you to consider:

Learn to breathe so you can relax. Relaxation is the key to high performance. And learning to breathe correctly is the key to find a natural rhythm.

Focus on a target, the smaller the target the better rather than focusing on the ball. Play to the target endeavor what you want, play to we want the ball to land rather than focusing on hitting the ball.

Stay in play. This might sound really simple and be common sense, yet how many golfers do not do it. This means for example not over hitting the ball off the tee. Try going to accuracy over distance. It is much easier to play from the fairway than out of the rough, the trees or some other hazard. Even worse been two or three fairways from the one you’re playing.

Slow down!!! A player in a hurry gets agitated, frustrated, rushes their shots and makes mistakes.

Develop a strong, consistent golf shot routine. This becomes your anchor to your entire game so then you can play one-shot at a time.

Play to score. Play strategically. If your ball is out of play, take a shot to get back into play. Risk management is strategically smart.

If a shot does not look or feel right, back away and start your routine again. Even if you are half way through your downswing. Tiger does it. So can you.

Improvement comes through awareness, a golf mind game assessment is a good way to start looking at your golf mind game.

We know the mind game is 80% or more of golf, yet is often misunderstood and neglected. Without even realizing it we work against ourselves and our score.

A golf mind game assessment will allow to become aware of what it is you are really doing and not doing. To know what’s working and what’s not.

One your greatest challenges in golf is self sabotage

Without knowing it we get in our own way.

We have the challenge of our own limitations of thinking, perception, knowledge, physiology, skill and choice of equipment to contend with.

To make the game even more of a personal challenge, golf course designers build golf courses as an optical illusion to trick you. They add to the golf mind game by playing with your perception.

The reality is that golf is a game of mistakes and therefore it requires good thinking, risk management, strategy and decisions.

Your Golf Mind Game Assessment

Take your time to go through the questions in the golf mind game assessment and answer them honestly. Write your answers down. Something seems to happen when you write things down and you can see what you have written.

Let’s assess your game. Here’s some questions for you to consider.

• What’s happening with your game?
• What’s your handicap now? Is it up or down?
• What do you want? To achieve? To change?
• What’s working well?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Where do you waste shots or energy?
• How do you play under pressure or in competition?
• Do you speed up under pressure?
• What happens when you hit a shot that doesn’t work?
• What are you like with your risk management and recovery shots?
• Do you overplay or underplay any shots?
• Do you have a pre-shot routine you use on every shot? This is your anchor for consistency.

Play with the possibility. What if?

• What’s your score now?
• What if you were able to play consistently?
• What if you improved your strategy?
• What if you saved wasted shots?
• What if you improved your short game and putting?
• What would your New score be?

How would you rate yourself:

• Desire
• Determination
• Discipline
• Persistence
• Patience
• Practice
• Confidence
• Concentration
• Composure

What needs working on here?

What do you want to change?

What have you noticed, have you set yourself up for success or are you working against yourself? Are you playing the shot you want or are you thinking when you shouldn’t be and playing to what you don’t want?

If you want to change, then do something about. If you need help, get it.

A great place to start

This golf mind game assessment let’s you know where you need to focus your efforts.

Work on your golf mind game by learning to let go the result of the previous shot. Learn to relax, focus on the shot at hand. Make a good strategic decision. Play to the comfort of your game and build a good solid pre shot routine.

Also, get and keep the ball in play and really work on your short game and putting. This is a sure fire way to lower your score.

The best golf coaches look at all aspects of your game – your mind, physiology, skill, equipment and quality practice.

Golfing Excellence focuses on delivering the best in golf coaching. Owner Mind Coach Rod Fraser has deliberately put a strong emphasis on the mind game.

Most golfers have overloaded on golfing technique, swing and golf skill. It’s time to put golfing skill into perspective as part of the integrated whole.

By learning the golf mind game and the role of physiology in your game and introducing golfing skill in this context, your golf game will totally transform.

Most golf professionals who coach are mediocre

Most coaches are PGA golf professionals and they seem to focus on what they think golfers want. Helping you to fix your swing and teach you to hit the ball.

Usually this is in the guise of half hour quick fixes.

If you want more, it’s up to you to ask. Assuming you know what to ask for. And it’s up to you to drive the golf professional to help you improve your game.

The other startling revelation you may discover is a golf professional knows how to hit a ball…most have no idea of how to coach.

Good golf coaches have a different focus

Good coaches on the other hand take a total approach to your game, of mind, body, and skill, with the right equipment and a quality practice program to learn the game and improve.

This usually requires a team approach of a golf mind coach, a PGA golf professional and a physiology specialist.

Their focus is on proactively teaching you the fundamentals of all aspects of the game. Setting you up for success to play good, consistent golf and teaching you how to lower your score.

Once you have the swing fundamentals, they focus on teaching you to score, to play to your target and how to play consistently. For example having your golf clubs fitted to your physiology and skill level and building a strong pre shot routine.

Essentially customizing your game to you.

Get coached where it counts…on-course!

Most golfers don’t get an adequate grounding in the game of golf. Then they waste their time hitting hundreds of golf balls at a driving range hoping to improve.

If you really want to learn or greatly improve your golf game. Then get on-course coaching. I’m not talking about one lesson or half a hour lesson either.

Get a golf coaching program where each session is 2-3 hours on-course. Not just with a golf professional. Find a good golf mind coach too.

Most golfers who really want to improve will participate in a golf coaching intensive of up to three days, two or three times a year or get a coaching program year round with a golf mind coach, pga golf professional as well as have a fitness and flexibility program.

It’s up to you to

It’s your responsibility to demand and seek out the best golf coaching and education available no matter what level of golf you play.

It’s really amazing the impact this approach with golfers of all levels and handicaps has.

Work with someone who will help you play your best, most enjoyable golf for years to come. No matter what handicap, age or skill level you are, good coaching will make a difference if you take the time to apply it.

You need to stay focused on your game and you can use golf etiquette to help you.

Here’s what I mean. The biggest issue on any golf course or in any golf competition is slow play.

To the point that most people will hurry their shots because they don’t want to be labeled a slow player or simply out of good manners and respect for others.

Slow is fast

A paradox if you like. It is crucial that when you approach your golf ball that you start your golf routine as usual. Take the same amount of time.

Tiger Woods has a pre shot and shot routine that is identical in sequence, nature and time frame every time. So should you.

When I say slow, I mean your golf shot routine should allow you to relax and focus. Plus the best way to find your rhythm is through a slow swing.

Most golfers swing too fast and rush their shots

You know the result of a rushed shot. A mishit, topped, duffed, a terrible slice or hook from hitting the ball instead of playing to a target.

Now you are getting frustrated. Your ball is lost, on another fairway or out of bounds and you need to go again.

Do yourself a favor.

When it comes to your shot. Slow down!!!

You will save strokes and time

Golf etiquette at it’s best is you keeping your ball in play. Going through your routine, playing to a target and hitting a good strategic shot.

Here’s how you can speed up play. Walk briskly between shots. If your ball is not in the line of play of someone behind you in your group.

Move to your ball. Get ready, start preparing, making your decisions, be ready to start your shot routine with club in hand.

Start your routine again if you have too, you will still save time

If your routine is interrupted for any reason. A distraction, your mind wandered, you started thinking about what you didn’t want. Or you lost your commitment to your shot through doubt, fear or lost concentration.

STOP

Start again from the very beginning. If Tiger Woods does it he might be a good person to model. In fact he has such discipline he will stop a shot in the down swing.

Your pre shot and shot routine is the best form of golf etiquette

Stick to your routine. It will allow you to relax, make good strategic decisions, to focus on your target and play to it with ease instead of forcing the ball.

Good rhythm, timing, commitment to a shot and letting the club do the work for you will always produce a better shot.

Golf etiquette is about good golf practices.