What mental habit would you like to change on the golf course? Put 5 tees in your left pocket. Every time you notice yourself stuck in the old habit, without judgment, move a tee to your right pocket. See how many tees you can keep in your left pocket by the end of the round. (Simply […]
A majority of missed putts stem from poor alignment. While the ball is marked on the green, many golfers take the line on their ball and point it to their intended starting line/target to improve their aim. For others, this can be a distraction in their pre-shot routine. There’s no right or wrong answer. However, […]
Can’t make it to the links to practice? Try these off-property game-sharpening ideas: Read Golf Sūtras. Chip indoors. . . safely. Swing in the yard/hit into a golf net. Learn to meditate. Do extra golf stretches. Visualize your favorite round of golf over and over in your mind. Visualize your new golf swing with the […]
“Practice is steadiness of effort and the effort to be steady.”-Bhavani Maki We frequently encounter frustration when we don’t gain the expected results from our practice habits. In general, most amateurs do not put in enough time and work to warrant their expectation. In addition to managing expectations, it’s equally important to continuously check HOW we are practicing. Quality […]
Speaking of obstacles. . . We just hit the perfect drive down the center of the fairway and we discover our ball is in a divot! What do we do? Technically, it is best to choose an iron or a more forgiving club for the shot from a divot. Acknowledge if the ball needs to be […]
“I don’t think this is the right club (doubt, obstacle #4), but I’m going to HIT IT ANYWAY (negligence,obstacle #5).“This is the fourth of an eight part series on the ‘Golf Obstacles’ inspired by Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtra. Negligence/Carelessness (Sanskrit: pramāda): For golf, this obstacle often shows up as the undisciplined mindset of the ‘hit it anyway’ attitude. Maybe our alignment […]
Doubt kills more golf shots then swing mechanics ever will.This is the third of an eight-part series on the ‘Golf Obstacles’ inspired by Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtra. Doubt and Indecision (Sanskrit: samshaya)Different from Self-study (svadhaya), doubt is a persistent feeling of uncertainty. Maybe we are between clubs, or we fluctuate between swing thoughts. Perhaps we don’t trust our […]
Still rushing to the first tee? Commit to taking 3 deep breaths while the other golfers hit. Notice how it changes your tempo for the first swing of the round. . . Dodie Mazzuca is the founder of Golf PROformance and teaches golf and mindset programs in Santa Cruz, CA.