By: PGA Professional David C. Smith Jr.
When playing golf a player must not only have a repeating swing, the player must be able to think
how to use that swing to get the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes. This is a very gray area for
most players. It seems as though players will hit balls to grove a swing, but once they can hit the ball they
feel it should just go into the hole. They don’t work at “thinking the ball into the hole”. When an expert
golfer sets up to hit a shot this player has weighed all the options. He picks the most effective plan, sees the
shot, makes a practice swing that will produce that specific shot, and commits to the shot. Finally he
executes the specific shot at hand. This is the ideal scenario.
Conversely, the ball beater will never prepare for a shot this way. The result…their scores reflect
this lack of mental preparation. The ball beater will flail their way though the rough, into the trees, out of
bounds without a clear mental plan to control their ball. Frustrated and exhausted, the player heads to the
range only to over work their technique and possibly destroy any good golf potential they may have. This
leads to the vicious relearning cycle of lessons, tips and the golf channel to search for the “cure”. In fact,
what the player needs to do is stop searching and start thinking!
Understanding this mental shot preparation is one thing; empowering it is the game within the
game. Empowering this mental management takes discipline, patience, and commitment. The discipline
lies within the player sticking to and following a checklist for every shot. The patience occurs when the
player starts to follow this checklist; however, does not see the immediate results he feels he should see.
Finally, commitment to the mental process though good and bad will make the player think well on a daily
basis ultimately lowering their handicap. This process is very comparable to an apprentice bricklayer
finding level and plumb in their job. In the early years, the apprentice consistently must use his level for
each row of brick. As he grows and becomes a journeyman he becomes faster and can recognize level
without the tools. He becomes efficient and effective.
Here is a checklist to follow in order to to make your best mental play over each shot. Let’s
start this simple checklist by answering the following interrogatives before we hit the shot: who, what,
when, where, why, and how?
Who? You! You are going to hit the shot at hand! The shot you visualize and plan to execute.
Nobody else. That is the fun of golf if you don’t get excited about that then quit the game!
What? What are you trying to accomplish? Be specific! When you answer what it should always
involve holing the shot if it is within your distance parameters. Otherwise be specific as possible.
When? There is no time like the present! Execute now! The when question is more associated to
multiple round tournaments.
Where? Where are you going to hit the ball? Where will it land? Where will the ball come to rest?
Where will the ball fly in the air? You must be able to answer these questions before hitting the shot! This
is probably the most difficult part of mental management. It is seeing the shot before it occurs. It requires
visualization and imagination. The where must be practiced on every shot ever struck in practice or
competition. It is easy to say; “I just cannot see the shot.” The discipline comes in trying to see each and
every shot, asking the correct questions, trusting the technique and executing the shot. If the shot comes off
perfect then you have succeeded. If not, go find your ball and repeat the process. That is golf! This game
was not meant for the “faint of heart people”. A player must endure the pain and suffering of improperly
executed shots in order to find their individual best in order for the player to enjoy the excellent shots. Once
this level has been found it must delicately be maintained.
Why? This is a general question which needs to be directed to the players overall golf game. It
reveals the heart and soul of the player’s intentions on the golf course. The major question, “Why do you
play golf?” Needs to be answered by all players so that a tolerance for frustration can be set. Once a player
holds the answer, he will then understand the limits he is will to endure to reach his goals.
How? How a player executes a shot lies in technique and experience. This is the reason that young
players can have a distinct advantage in learning golf. They can build a shot portfolio based on the
numerous amount of times the have practiced and played in and out of competition. This also can explain
the frustration of a middle-aged player just learning the game. The imagination and visualization takes time
to hone. The suggestion here is to treat every shot as an experience and log it into the memory bank without
malice.