state of mind

I recently asked the question about being offered a guarantee two putt from 15 feet or further during your entire round. My intent was that you had to take the every time. I was wondering how many players would take the offer. There is the results:

#golf – If you were offered a guaranteed two putt from 15 feet further during your entire round, would you take it?

— The Grateful Golfer (@TheGratefulGolf) November 17, 2015

I have to say that I am not really surprised. Most players, including myself, think that if you are putting, no matter the distance, we are confident that we can sink the putt. This poll brought an idea to mind that I would like to share.

Confidence is critical to low golf scores. You have heard me discuss this in the past, but it is a topic that warrants repeating. I still like David MacKenzie from Golf State of Mind views of how to build confidence in your golf game. (for a more detailed explanation click here) Here is what he has to say:

Don’t be Self Critical.
Don’t Give Yourself Technical Feedback on the Golf Course.
Visualize and Feel.
Develop a Strong Shot Routine.
React Indifferently to Bad Shots.
Take Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone.
Change Your Goals.
Focus On What You Did Well.
Recall pass success.
Believe in Yourself!

Confidence in your golf swing, course management, and the mental side of golf goes along way to being a scratch golfer. Every time I tee it up, I hope to shoot my best score ever and have the confidence in my game to do it! I continually work on my game in my perceived areas of weakness and in turn this builds my confidence to perform well on the course.

How confident are you in your game?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Golfing is a unique sport that has so many moving parts, that even the slightest change can spell disaster or success. Take the Travelers Championship today! Ken Duke won his first PGA tournament in his 187th start. He played very well in the last round and was beaming with confidence after winning the second playoff hole over Chris Stroud. Today was his day and rose to every challenge. His performance may be very difficult to duplicate, however it can be done if he continues to believe he can play well and compete with his peers…..he must remain confident!

How many times have you stepped up to the ball and hit the exact shot you envisioned? Your confidence increases and your next shot is pure as well. Conversely, how many times have you stood over the ball and the voice in your head fills you with doubt. Then you shank your shot and say “See, I knew you could not do it.” Confidence is a powerful tool!

So how do you gain and keep your confidence? Is it really something that can be turned on and off? Is it something you have to find or is it a state of mind?

DR. BOB ROTELLA, from Golf Digest, has ten things that will build confidence in any golfer. Rotella suggests: “I believe every golfer has the potential to be much better than he or she is, and that using the mind is one essential way to improve. You will never know if you have the ability to be the best player in the world, or the best player in your club, unless you commit yourself to developing both your physical and mental skills.”

David MacKenzie from Golf State Of Mind, also suggests ten things that all golfers can do to improve their confidence. My favorite is #10 – Believe in Yourself! There is simply no reason not to! That can be applied in all aspects of our lives, but that is a discussion for another day.

Regardless of which points resonate with you. Confidence is a state of mind! By mentally staying positive and focused on each shot, any golfers confidence will grow. My specific trick to build confidence is to mentally play the shot in my mind from behind the ball. It is like watching the shot on TV! Even if I hit a bad shot, I go through the same routine on my next shot. It works for me and something I am confident in!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!