Having the best equipment, playing on a top course, or having endless knowledge about the golf swing will never yield success in the game if the golfer doesn’t know how to use his mind on the course. Things like anxiety, emotional reactions, and distractions can all cripple a golfer’s ability and keep him from Read more…
The Scenario You hit a pretty good drive, but as you step off the yardage to the green you discover that you’re 5 yards farther than you comfortably hit your 8 iron, and 5 yards shorter than you would hit your 7 iron. So what do you do? Here’s the Solution Learning to take Read more…
One of the best things you can do for yourself is find out what learning style you are. While the validity of learning styles has long been debated by neuroscientists, many great educators feel they are not only valid, but are invaluable for teaching and learning. Knowing your learning style — what kind of golf Read more…
Editor’s note: In January, Hawaii-based mental game and performance coach and author Cary Valentine interviewed several Tour players at the Sony Open — major winners Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink, Champions Tour standout Kenny Perry and PGA Tour veteran Anirban Lahiri — about how they prepare mentally and spiritually for competition and keep focused on Read more…
As Dr. Bob Rotella titled his famous book, “Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect.” Unfortunately, very few golfers really accept this to be true. Instead, they go out on the course expecting perfection and their “A game” to show up, and then struggle to cope when it’s not there. I heard an interesting statistic Read more…
Jim Flick, Jack Nicklaus’ long-time instructor said, “Golf is 90 percent mental, and the other 10 percent is mental too.” How is your golf mind? In 2018, golf enthusiasts spent $6 billion on equipment, apparel, and supplies. If the game is overwhelmingly mental, why don’t golfers devote more time, effort, and dollars on how to Read more…
As far as Jerry Brown is concerned, there’s a great inner golfer inside every able-bodied human on earth. All we have to do is get out of the way and let him or her through, smiling and relaxed and ready to enjoy the game without giving all those pesky swing mechanics and repetitive drills and Read more…
Editor’s Note: During the 2018 Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii-based inner-game coach, author and musician Cary Valentine interviewed four current PGA Tour players — one-time Tour winner Tony Finau, second-year cardholder J.J. Spaun, two-time winner James Hahn and six-time winner and 2009 Open Champion Stewart Cink — to find out what makes them tick in Read more…
What is sport psychology, and how can using its theories help you build great golf mannerisms and manage your game around the course? According to the American Psychological Association, “Sport Psychology is a proficiency that uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, Read more…
Most of us are familiar with the old expression: “Golf is 90 percent mental, and the other 10 percent is in your head.” How true. While ingraining the fundamentals, learning the proper techniques and dedicating yourself to plenty of practice is vital to lowering scores, so is building a reliable mental approach to every swing and Read more…
