I’ve worked with dozens of golfers who spend thousands of dollars on new equipment and gadgets that promise to lower their score. I have seen ebooks and online guru’s claiming that for $29 you can score under 8o any day of the week.
What these golf “experts” know is that there is a golf sucker born every minute. Consistently scoring under 80 takes a combined effort of physical practice and mental mastery. Trying to do one without the other would be like trying to get out of a sand trap with your driver. It’s not impossible, but I think even Tiger Woods would agree that it would likely be accomplished through sheer luck.
So how do you lower your score?
First you need to actually see your swing on video. This is what PGA pro Bobby Lopez recommends. He uses the latest software from V1 Golf, a program that is outside the budget for most golf professionals. The reason you need to see your swing is simple; we have a mind’s eye and we have an optic eye.
Seeing is believing!
Once you see your own swing-the good, the bad, and the ugly-you get a whole new perspective. Combine this new mental awareness with the advice of a highly skilled PGA instructor, and you are well on your way to shaving points off your score.
Golfers Can Use the Mind’s Eye
Once you know your correct swing and have physically practiced it enough to hardwire it into your body, you can use your mental screen to spend less practice time on the range.
With the help of your “head coach,” you can use visualization to repeat the new movements you learned. The number of repetitions is critical to reprogramming your golf swing through the new positioning and path. Unless you’re a touring professional, spending several hours a day on the practice range is impractical. This is where mental rehearsal comes in. Five minutes of visualization is equivalent to a half-hour of physical practice.
The one-two punch
When you combine the specialized drills created by Bobby Lopez, and then use the “Mind Trip” processes to support the mental and visual training, you’ve got everything you need to hardwire your ultimate swing.
Without the mental training, most people tend to quickly revert to old swing faults. It takes continual repetition to reprogram a swing. Mental training allows golfers to replace many of the repetitions needed at a golf driving range, saving them money and commute time to the practice range.
Mental training helps golfers become more aware of themselves and how they operate on the golf course. Golfers are known for losing their temper, over-analyzing, and second-guessing their club selection. Mental control over these issues translates to lower golf scores.
The real hole in one
Golfers are known for carrying their golf troubles home with them. The whole family suffers. Both golf and life will be more enjoyable when the golfer learns to relax, correct swing faults, and make better choices.
Copyright 2005 Patrick K. Porter, Ph.D. of Discover more about Using Your Mind In Golf and Bobby Lopez of Free Swing Analasys .