mental

Qualifying to Play Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

second-placeOne of the things I like about golf is the requirement of a few players to qualify to play in a professional golf tournament. It is very stressful for these ‘up and comers’ (and some times players past their prime), but it is a necessary path to play on the PGA and LPGA Tours.

For years, I had to qualify to play golf on our Base team. I have mentioned military competitions before and part of the right of passage is that there are no free rides. Over the years, I have worked my way up the standings such that making the team was expected, but that is where things get challenging sometimes.

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Playing Mentally Weak Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 14 Comments

As I watch the 2017 / 2018 golf season start, I am reminded that professional golfers play for keeps. They do not let up or offer their opponents any flexibility regarding the rules of potential advantage while on the links. This competitive instinct is something that amateurs need to adopt to shoot lower scores. Continue reading →

The Magic of One Shot in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Happy Monday!

There are many great moments in golf. Each of us have fantastic memories that we can recount in minute detail. Personally, I have many great shots I can happily outline in every detail if asked. These special shots are mine alone and have great meaning to me. They form the bases to my positive approach to golf.

We have all played a round when nothing seemed to go well or everything was going awesome. Then suddenly, one shot changed the fortune of our round. It is not anything we can explain, but happens to everyone.

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Stretching Your Success Mindset in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

I am always amazed by the mental aspects of golf. There are many different approaches to improving our success mindset in golf, however all these choices just complicate the issue for me. I constantly try to make positive steps towards my ultimate golf goal and sometimes I forget the simple things that make all the difference between moving forward or stagnating.

Not seeing the forest for the trees is debilitating for a golfer. We have so many thoughts racing through our minds when playing and practicing, that I a surprised any positive golf thoughts can make it through the white noise! I have talked about creating a winning mindset before and as I grow as a player, I realize it is important to simplify my mental game to really be successful.  Continue reading →

Fixing your Golf Game – If You Can!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Over the years I have experienced droughts in my golf game. The longest in memory lasted about 10 games when I could not break 80, with many of my scores in the mid 80s. This many not seem to drastic, but during that period I could not seem to anything right!

train wreck

As I struggled to figure out what I was doing different. I tried changing my grip, adjusting my stance, swinging slower, swinging faster, and well, I tried just about anything. Unfortunately, nothing made a difference! Until……. Continue reading →