THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GOLF Those of us familiar with golf know that it is a physically challenging sport. What we tend to forget is that it is also very much a mind game. How can we get mentally prepared to play better golf? We first of all need to remember that golf should be fun. No matter what happens around us, or how poorly we play, we have to be able to enjoy ourselves. If having fun requires shooting in the low 80’s, then we need to get organized and take lessons, practice and play a lot. If we are high handicappers who don’t really take the game seriously, we still need to be prepared for the many frustrations of the game such as poor scores, lost golf balls, slow play etc. There are many psychological obstacles that can challenge us. Negative thinking and dwelling on past mistakes can be disheartening. Getting angry at our own poor play, or becoming distracted by things that don’t really matter, can ruin our fun and end up causing us to play worse. Focusing on the “here and now” is an easy way to avoid these pitfalls. There is no point dwelling on factors beyond our control such as weather conditions, how well others are playing or the condition of the course. Instead we are better to focus on things we can control including maintaining a consistent pre-shot routine, thinking positively and staying relaxed. Being able to relax is a very important skill for two reasons. First of all stress causes our muscles to tense up making it harder for us to swing properly. Secondly being uptight can cause us to focus on incorrect cues and fall into the trap of over-thinking (“paralysis by analysis”). To help reduce stress, we should concentrate on taking slow, controlled deep breaths. With each breath out, the muscles should be allowed to relax. Another way to loosen up is to intentionally tighten and then relax key muscle groups such as the upper shoulders, the forearms and the lower back. Golf can be an exhilarating game, especially if we approach it with a positive mental attitude. Hopefully these tips will help you enjoy the game more.