How to Stay Focused on Your Own Game in Golf
The Masters Tournament is a mentally grueling tournament with its lead challenges, players surging up the leader board, tough holes, bad lies and missed putts.
An even bigger challenge is the stacked field filled with the best competitors in the world fighting for the top spot.
Focusing on a tough field or a fierce rival can internally magnify mistakes, missed putts and unlikely bounces.
When you are up against tough competition, you need to be mentally on top of your game or things can spiral out of control quickly.
Even though you may not be a ‘Masters’ level golfer, you have still faced tough competition.
Take a minute to think of the toughest competitor you have faced off against…
Who was your toughest opponent? A friend? A higher ranked player? A cross-town rival?
While all those opponents can be challenging, the toughest competition you ever face is always YOU!
In order to play your best golf consistently, you need to win the battle within. You need to keep your focus on your game, your shots and cope well with the challenges you face.
It is not always easy but it is absolutely necessary.
Patrick Reed was able to keep the focus on himself en route to winning the 2018 Masters Tournament and fending off all challenges to bring home his first victory in a major tournament.
Reed had not played well at the Masters in the past, missing two cuts in the past few years and never breaking 70 in any rounds but was determined to stay immersed on HIS play in THIS tournament.
After the third round, Reed was asked about his thoughts heading into the last day and playing in a group that included Rory McIlroy who was having a strong tournament.
Reed stated he was singularly focused on playing his game.
REED: “I’m not out there to play Rory. I’m out there to play the golf course. At the end of the day, if I go out and I feel pleased with how I play, then, you know, it should be an enjoyable Sunday night. But really, I’m just going to go out there and enjoy the day, go out and play some golf and hopefully go out and shoot another round in the 60s.”
With a one-shot lead heading into the final hole, Reed stayed true to focusing on his game and sank a four-foot putt to win by one shot over Rickie Fowler and two over Jordan Spieth.
Reed was not intimidated by a field of elite golfers… Reed was focused on playing against himself.
That is the challenge you must face every round… to keep the focus on your game and not on what is happening all around you.
There are enough distractions to wade through. You don’t need to add to the challenges in a round of golf by watching who is making birdies around you or sinking long putts.
You are your toughest competition. To play your best, you need to focus on playing the golf course to the best of your ability.
Immerse Yourself in Your Game:
Remind yourself of this analogy…
A horse racing at the Kentucky Derby wears blinders to keep their eyes focused forward. If a horse turns its head to the side to see the competition, it would cause the horse to slightly veer off course.
When you are golfing, think about putting on blinders and focusing forward… Watching other golfers will pull you off your game.
Use the cue word “Blinders” to remind yourself that you are focused on the golf course, not who is making a charge in your group.
Learn how to focus your best with The Golfer’s Mental Edge…
Related Golf Psychology Articles
- How Scheffler Maintains Composure
- How Golfers Can Play More Consistently
- How to Regroup After a Bad Round of Golf
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Golfer’s Mental Edge 2.0
Do you suffer from fragile self-confidence after missed hitting shots or making mistakes, playing with strict or high expectations that undermine confidence, or the inability to play freely and relaxed on the course?
Successful golfers have learned how to perform with ultimate confidence in competition, so we’ve developed The Golfer’s Mental Edge 2.0 Workbook and Audio program to help you do this!
The Golfer’s Mental Edge 2.0 program includes the top 11 mental training sessions I do with my personal students to help them boost their mental game and improve consistency on the course!