There are many factors affecting distance in the golf course. In this article I will resume all possible in one.
The single most important factor in increasing your distance is your mind.
You may have the best swing in the world, the best driver, the best ball and the best conditions by your side and still not making that extra yards you have been looking to reach. Some times you make it, yes!, but for any reason, you can't repeat the action over and over, it looks as if it was just a spark of luck... or was not? The truth is that your game at any stage is a mental one. So, what are the conditions your mind must have to improve your game?
1) Clean Your Mind of All the Clutter:
You came to play, so don't bring up that "extra" stuff you left at home or at work: "Today is my monthly payment due", "I promised my wife I would take her to...", "I'm going to call Fred", "I'm dumping my girl", " What I am going to do with that employee", "After I finish the game, I'm going to the golf store to check some clubs". "I'm the worst person in the world, my wife caught me cheating with dozens of women, and now the media is all over me (sorry Tiger)". All those thoughts come to your mind without your permission, because you have your door open to them. It is not your fault, it is simply the way our minds work, and we have the power over our minds. It will probably take us some time to master it, but we are capable of doing it, because we have done it before. So, when you are in front of the ball, preparing to hit it, there is nothing else in the world, but you, the club and that ball. Forget about the dealing you are closing in the afternoon, forget about your worries. Close the door to your thoughts and be one with the golf ball, being your golf club an extension of your body.
2) Stop Negative Thinking:
You cleaned up your mind of all "external" influence, now you have to stop the "internal" influence. Those blood sucker thoughts that drain your energy, energy that should be focused on your game instead.
Once and for all, take over your thoughts, hold the wheel of your mind and drive your it where "YOU" want it to go, and not where your thoughts want you to go.
Negative thinking is a learned skill. You weren't born negative, you just learned negative behaviors.
There you are in front of the ball and dozens of advisors begin to talk to you: "You can't have that", "Who do you think you are? Tiger?", "Everyone is watching you", "There are people waiting", "John maybe thinking I'm not good enough", "I'm still learning, what if I miss the ball?", "Everyone play better than me, they will laugh at me", and the list goes on and on and on.
3) Don't Let Guilt Tell You What to Do:
Guilt is all over the world of a golfer, but it shouldn't be that way.
You feel guilty for not giving time to your loved ones, for spending money in your favorite sport, for being caught while cheating on your wife (Again, no Offense, Tiger). Add your own guilt to the list. This could be one of the worst golf destroyers in the world, because you are punishing yourself for being such a "bad person". So, you have to distinguish a justified guilt from an unjustified guilt. If you are using your game to avoid your family at all cost, then you have the right to feel guilty, but if you really have a balance between your game and your family, then there's no reason to feel guilty at all, by all means, enjoy your game to the fullest.
The truth is that you have to play your best golf. It doesn't matter if you took your fist lesson today, or you've been playing for years. What is your best golf?, the one where no interference from outside or inside yourself, can affect your performance.
Putting it in practice: The next time you play or practice try the following:
First, do it while letting your thoughts intrude in your game. Your thoughts don't have to be negative to affect your game. Try it a few times
Then, do it, while giving all your concentration to the game, don't try it too hard, just play your best. If an intruder thought come to you, welcome it and then, let it go.
In the end, your mind will be more focused in finding ways to improve your game, than criticizing your performance. With time, you will notice that your game will have improved.
Enjoy your game.
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