Golf Traps, Don’t Be Fooled - You Can’t Buy a Game to Play Better Golf

By Mark H Wright -

As much as I love them there are times when I think the world’s most gullible sportsman have to be golfers. I have simply lost count (years ago) of the number of times I have listened to a golfer explaining that their new found success is due to their new game improvement clubs, the two most common being the driver and the Putter.

I am not denying that in some cases the golfer really will play better golf but how come within a week or two they are back doing their old normal thing? How could they play better and then slowly slide back if the magical pieces of equipment such as their new game improvement irons are still in their possession?

The real truth, as painful as this may be for the golf club manufacturers and Golf shops to admit to (and they probably won’t) is that the real reason golfers can enjoy a short respite and play better golf is because of a change in their mental state. They are unwittingly working one of the important Mental Game of Golf strategies.  If the golfer feels confident with a new piece of equipment they will play with more confidence which will in turn bring better results, thus reinforcing the belief that new golf clubs can “Improve my golf game.”

Before anyone gets bent out of shape let me say that there is no substitution for decent golf clubs and if I see a golfer with poor equipment then I will be the first to point this out and that it may be costing them shots. The problem is the many golfers who have good kit and still try to buy a golf game.

It’s June 2009 and I saw Sergio Garcia at Wimbledon. He was there to watch his Spanish friend who was playing in the tennis championships. Sergio had just shot 66 with borrowed clubs that week so don’t go telling me it’s about equipment. Do you think the best putter at your club will beat you in a putting contest using your putter? Of course they will, although I hope you are the best putter at your club.

If buying golf equipment to improve worked then the average golfer would be far better than they are because equipment, both clubs and balls, have improved phenomenally in the last 30 years, but handicaps haven’t.

I wonder if golfers like buying new golf clubs as a means to improve because they are looking for quick and easy fixes? Think about it. We go to the range because we’ve been having a little trouble with the driver and decide to demo a couple clubs because that would be a really quick and easy fix wouldn’t it? The thought of hours on the practice range is enough to put many golfers off so I suppose all they have left is either trying to buy a game with new sticks or give up on their aspirations to improve.

The truth is that all golf, including the physical aspects, starts internally. Temporary good play with a new club proves that it’s more in the mind than anything else because if it was equipment then the fix would not be temporary. In addition remember that all physical movement is born and controlled in the mind. So if you want the most performance possible, whether you like to hit balls at the range or not, your mental game should be a primary focus for game improvement.

Hitting balls at the driving range without working the correct mental processes used in modern sport psychology is “mindless” and the long and frustrating route to improvement. The beauty of mental game is that it is as close as you will ever get to quick and easy system for improving your game and it has the potential to transform your game to levels you only dream of, and doing it very quickly compared to physical practice alone.

Consistently and diligently using a good mental game strategy while doing actual physical practice can halve the time it takes to get great results. In addition much of the mental game practice can be done from the comfort of an arm chair if you are not the practicing type.

Is it any coincidence that Tiger Woods is the best golfer mentally (by far) and is the best golfer ever by far? Don’t get sucked into thinking that it’s his swing that does it. There are better swings that don’t produce the results. He is not the most accurate off the tee and he is not the best putter but he is the best clutch putter I have ever seen. When he absolutely has to hole the ball he is deadly at it and that’s mental game at work.

“I am the best golfer mentally.” Tiger Woods.

You can view “Mental Game Programs” which will give you phenomenal results in your game by going to http://www.golfmindshop.com/albatross.html to find out more about my highest recommended “Mental Game Program.”

Discover What’s HOT & What’s ROT. Reviews of Golf Training Programs are now available online so you can read up on a system before deciding if it’s right for you. Some of the systems are great and will give you excellent results if you work them, but some of the systems which promise to knock loads of shots off your game are, quite frankly, rubbish. Read my reviews at http://www.golfmindshop.com/products.html

Wishing you FIR’s, GIR’s & Blue Skies,

Mark - The Golfersmind

PS - You can also get your FREE copy of “Bring your golf scores to life” a Golf Improvement ebook with some good mental game techniques to get you started and playing better golf. Visit my site now at the link above to get yours. When you sign up for a free ebook you will automatically be entered into a monthly draw to win a Free Golf Hypnosis MP3 valued at $27.00.

Mark Wright is a Master Coach and Sport Psychologist. He can be contacted via his website where you can get free advice on your golf swing or mental game just for the asking.

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