Which are worse for golf... Mental or physical mistakes?

The fact is that both mental and physical mistakes are bad for our golf game and cost us strokes on the golf course. However, my experience has taught me that the mental mistakes we make during a round of golf have the potential of affecting our scores much greater than the physical (poor ball striking) mistakes we make. Look at it this way...a physical mistake should cost us one stroke (bogey), maybe two (double bogey) when we miss a shot. A mental mistake has the potential to cost us two, three or even four strokes on a hole, depending on how we handle the “adversity factor,” as well as how we play the rest of the round when our “thoughts” turn to doubt, we hesitate, and our minds begin to vacillate to “negative thoughts.” No, you are not the only one that has experienced these “thoughts” on a golf course. Yours truly once had a “quadruple bogey” (4 over par) on the first hole of an important tournament as well as on the last hole of the same tournament (8 over par on two holes). BRT...Bull, Rubish, Trash!

So, how do we establish a “game plan” for competition, as well as apply “course management” during our round to become more effective and shoot lower scores? If you want to improve your scores, simply “avoid” the following mistakes that Nick Foy (Foy Golf Academy) says have cost every golfer strokes on the course.

On-Course Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Not Using a Pre-Shot Routine – A pre-shot routine is like a checklist to give you structure so you can go through a proper setup and make good decisions before hitting your shot.

   * Analyze the lie of your golf ball (how’s it

   sitting).

   * Evaluate the weather conditions (wind, rain).

   * Establish the distance from your ball to the flag

   on the green.

   * Visualize the golf shot you want to hit...in your

   mind.

   * Pick your club choice.

   * Make a practice swing.

   * Setup to your golf stance and align yourself to

   the target.

   * Make the swing and hit a great shot.

2. Trying to Hit a Club You Aren’t Confident With – If a club isn’t working for you, switch to one you trust.

   * Lay up on a hole instead of trying to reach the

   green with a club that you don’t have confidence in.

   * Sacrifice a little distance to increase accuracy.

3. Trying to Fix Your Swing During a Round 

   * Learn to play the swing you have that day.

   * If you start making grip changes, closing the

   face, or other adjustments, it might lead to poorly

   hit shots that end up 40 yards away.

4. Playing Too Quickly 

   * Slow down your pace of play if you feel you are

   playing too quickly.

   * Slowing down gives you more time to think

   about the shot you want to make.

   * Factor in distance to bunkers, water and out of

   bounds.

5. Looking Up Too Early on Putts 

   * Keep your eyes and head down a little longer

   on your putting stroke and finish the follow

   thorough.

   * Apply the same thoughts to your golf swing and

   chip shots as well.

6. Not Using Enough Loft in the Rough 

   * Take a higher lofted club to get the ball to “pop

   out” of the rough when it is tall and thick to avoid

   a clunker.

   
   

Mental Mistakes to Avoid (from Practicable Golf):

1. Don’t analyze your swing or think about mechanics while swinging.

2. Don’t focus too much on your score unless absolutely necessary.

3. Don’t beat yourself up—be your own caddie and remember it’s just a game.

4. Don’t just aim at the fairway or green—choose a very precise target.

5. Don’t forget your pre-shot routine.

Good Luck!

Perry Noun is the former executive director of the Northeastern NY PGA as well as a competitive amateur golfer and winner of the New York State Super Senior Amateur Championship. Perry Noun can be heard on “Tee Time With The Pro-noun” on... News Radio 570 WSYR and 106.9FM.