| Golf is a game that begins long before you reach | | | | stretch far beyond the course as well. Mental |
| the first tee. It begins longs before you reach the | | | | toughness and stability filter over into other |
| practice range. Golf is a game that begins before | | | | aspects of everyday life including the professional |
| you book your next tee time with the local pro | | | | and family life. So we are not talking about simply |
| shop, or before calling your golfing partner to | | | | having a mental strength that will only sustain us |
| schedule a round. The game of golf begins the | | | | on the golf course; we are talking about mental |
| moment you decide to pick up a club and give | | | | domination throughout our lives. |
| this sport a try. | | | | The process of going about strengthening the golf |
| Golf is a game of the mind as much as it is the | | | | mind begins with exercise. Just as you would not |
| physical prowess or technical ability that any one | | | | (or should not) set up on the driving range and |
| golfer may possess. Ask any athlete in any sport | | | | crank a few hard drives right out of the gate |
| and you will find that all of them agree that | | | | without any stretching or easing your body into |
| mental preparation is the key to success, but | | | | the motion, you do not merely step out onto a |
| perhaps no other sport requires such mental | | | | golf course and think to yourself, 'Okay, today |
| strength and stamina as golf. In golf, a player is | | | | nothing is going to bother me. Today I will shoot |
| not competing against another opponent, even | | | | 80.' You have to build up to the kind of mental |
| during the final round of a tournament; a golfer is | | | | toughness that is so apparent in many of today's |
| competing with the course, with nature and the | | | | best golfers. |
| elements that exist at that very moment. | | | | Take Tiger Woods, for example. His mental |
| And that golfer is also competing with the most | | | | toughness and psychological preparation is second |
| formidable opponent of all: himself. Any golfer | | | | to none. He does not step out onto any golf |
| -check that, any honest golfer- will readily admit | | | | course in any tournament without having made |
| that he or she is most often the cause of a bad | | | | notes about different holes, locations, recovery |
| round, or a series of poorly played shots. After all, | | | | points, or angles. He sees the course in his mind |
| most tee shot are set from a level surface of | | | | before he sees it with his eyes. That is the golf |
| the tee box, so a missed drive can only be | | | | mind at work, but it is only one small part of the |
| attributed to an error on the part of the golfer | | | | preparation. |
| himself. | | | | How many times have you stepped out onto the |
| So, basically, all of the practice at the range or | | | | course feeling great about your swing, and your |
| the loosely played rounds while taking second and | | | | game, only to have it all fall apart with one poor |
| third shots to tighten performance is all well and | | | | shot? The game of golf is not about 18 holes and |
| good, but if you are not prepared mentally for | | | | 70 or 80 or 90 shots. That is the big picture and |
| your next round, then all of that practice can slip | | | | while Tiger Woods can see the big picture, his |
| away in a flash. This is not to say in any way that | | | | focus is much more narrow and that is where |
| physical practice will not help; it is absolutely | | | | you must start. Begin with small challenges, small |
| necessary. What is important to remember, | | | | games within the game and you begin to build a |
| though, is that you need to program your golf | | | | golf mind that is strong and can withstand an |
| mind for success or that target score, whether it | | | | errant shot or two. When you can withstand a |
| is to break 90 or 80 or even 100, is going to be | | | | missed opportunity, you can recover and save |
| elusive for some time. | | | | the hole, and the entire round. |
| Having a strong golf mind can have benefits that | | | | |