Buzz
Mental mistakes can hinder amateur players similar to physical limitations
Psychological traps often repeated include improper preparation, incessant worrying about bad shots, playing at inappropriate tees, lack of understanding of their clubs,... According to Joe Hallett, one of the top 100 coaches by Golf Magazine (Golf.com), the biggest mental mistake is how amateur golfers visualize their shots, or worse, not visualizing the shot at all.
“They have a wrong image in their minds, thinking about sand, water hazards, or tree areas,” Hallett refers to the situation where most golfers spend too much time worrying about the obstacles around the next shot, without clearly outlining the goal to achieve.
“The world's best golfers set very precise targets. When caddies discuss, they always ask where to aim, left or right of that target point. If aiming left, will it be above or below with a specific estimated distance. They are more effective when they imagine in detail,” the coach said. In other words, “the smaller the target, the lower the miss rate.” That's also a psychological tip applied by former world number one Jordan Spieth.
“It really helps my swing,” Spieth told ESPN in 2015. “I am freed from thinking too much about mechanics and more about the mental aspect, controlling emotions, and choosing a specific target, instead of worrying about how to swing the club.”
For amateur players, instead of just thinking about aiming left of the green, be more specific – at an object, a specific spot then add it to the mental image of the shot, while discarding other distractions. “It's like focusing on a prize and putting all your effort into something useful,” Hallett added.
Thanh Binh
Posted by: Rhino Nguyen
Keywords: Escaping the psychological traps commonly encountered by amateur golfers
