Golf Mindset Tips to Feel Positive
It’s no secret that one of my foundational beliefs is that you can think better to score better; a productive golf mindset is a powerful tool between winning and losing.
I’ve coached elite players like Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover, and Davis Thompson, and they have all used my mental coaching to win.
I’m also thankful to see that a new generation of savvy golfers can take advantage of the mental coaching I provide online and use this knowledge to win.
In order to think better to score better, you need to master how to navigate negative thoughts.
Here are three tips to start you on your journey toward a better mindset.
When you get negative, make it about your skill and make it temporary
Making a negative thought temporary instead of permanent is an effective way of releasing yourself from the weight of the thought that holds you back. When you combine this with removing yourself from the equation and making it about the skill, you have a way to conquer those negative thoughts.
An extreme example of blaming yourself and making your negativity permanent is saying, “I will never be a good driver”. When someone says this, there is no room for the skill to change, when in actuality, it can. In this example, by saying, “I,” they’ve also made it about themself and not the skill, which is driving!
Other players will make more subtle negative dives that take them in the wrong direction by still blaming themselves, “I drove it so bad today,” or making the issue permanent, “My driving is never good.”
When players learn to make their negative thoughts about the skill, not themselves, and keep it temporary, they can think better to score better. To achieve a better mindset, you would say, “My driving (skill) was poor today (temporary).”
When you get negative, you must make it about the skill and keep it temporary!
Master How You Comment on Your Game
You can use the impact of saying something out loud to your advantage.
When you comment out loud, it has a triple effect.
- You think with your brain
- You say it with your mouth
- You hear it with your ears
When you comment internally, the effect is reduced.
- You think with your brain
When you realize this, you can reduce the impact of negative thoughts by keeping negative thoughts internal and saying positive thoughts out loud.
Amplify those positive thoughts!
Three Physical Actions to Reset Your Mindset
My last mental tip to think better is to allow you the time and mental space to reset and start again. Try all three of these and note what works for you best or in combination. You can count to 100 steps, put an imaginary “golf-saver” in your mouth (in actuality a life-saver mint), and say nothing until the candy dissolves or bag up and restart on the next tee.
Ultimately there’s a catalog of exercises that golfers work through to score better. Combating negative thoughts is just one aspect of the game you can learn to conquer, and I hope you leverage these golf mindset tips. If you want a mental advantage when you’re playing, read what students have to say about the best online golf course to help them score better.
