It is a challenge to figure out it our golf game is moving to the next level. One of the key goals is to find out what drives you to improve your game. I have played golf for over 50 years and I still try to find a way to lower my score each spring. This year is no different and I think I have found the area to which I want to focus. I am going to work on my mental game in the area of hitting off the tee. I know that most of the time I hit the fairway with a reasonable distance. So, this year I am going to work harder on setting up my next shot in order to avoid hitting over any obstacles. I realize that this might seem like a silly area to focus, yet I am convinced it will save me a stroke or two each round. Let me explain further.
Hitting the ball off the tee is often a mental challenge. Most of us are overwhelmed when we do not see a clear path to success off the tee box. Take this shot off the tee on a par three. This is about a 130 yard shot that does not require much thought. It is a straight downhill with no real obstacles to worry about. Most of us would grab a 9 iron and hit away. We would not worry about anything because there are no obstructions upsetting our mental picture of the our shot. Seems simple right?
This next shot causes us all kinds of mental issues. There are so many hazards to avoid that it gets in our head quickly not to do something. I know we all start thinking about what to avoid (like the tree in the distance) and that is a perfect way to hit a wayward shot off the tee. We mentally find ways to not be successful. Does this sound familiar?
There is one thing about both tee shots that needs to be pointed out. Each shot needs to carry the ball 130 yards to be considered a safe shot. Now that I explained the distances, are you surprised that both shots require the same type of shot to be safe. The mental aspect of any shot is always affected by our visual cues gleaned from looking at what we have to overcome to be successful.
This is a perfect example of where I want to focus my evolution this year to lower my golf scores. I want to fully develop my mental strength in order to block the easily hit the ball off the tee without worrying about what could go wrong. The question is how am I going to achieve this and I think I have a solution.
I am going to focus on a small landing area or target that facilitates a successful shot. I normally do this in my pre-shot routine, yet I sometimes lose my focus when playing and let the negative thoughts hurt my chances of a successful tee shot. Because I do not zero in on a target anything can happen after contact. I am planning to change that and try to focus on every tee shot all the time. This all sounds simple and it is only if I focus on what I plan to improve. I am figuring that if I can successfully integrate my new mental strategy I will save a stroke or two on my overall score. Time will tell!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!