The document provides tips for improving one's mental game and managing emotions in golf. It discusses the importance of developing solid pre-shot and post-shot routines to focus on the target and minimize reactions. Specific tips include rehearsing the intended swing, holding one's finish without reacting to the result, understanding what went wrong after a poor shot, considering risk versus reward on difficult shots, and developing a pre-round routine to warm up and focus the mind. Bouncing back from a bad hole is key, and the article provides strategies for shifting focus to the next shot and relaxing tension.

1. GRIP CONTROLS FACE
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MANAGEYOURGAMETHINKBETTER,SCOREBETTERBy Rick Sessinghaus, PGA | Photos By David Johnston
THE PRESHOT ROUTINE
Most golfers think a preshot rou-
tine involves only taking a practice
swing,aiming at your target and then
swinging,but it has a bigger purpose:
to prepare a golfer to hit his shot suc-
cessfully. This demands both a men-
tal and physical routine.
During the mental routine, take
in your environment: the lie, haz-
ards, wind, yardage and target; then
analyze what the shot requires. Say
you’re 142 yards out, your ball is in
the fairway, and the pin is tucked
over a bunker.There’s a 10 mph wind
into you. At this stage, you need to
make a decision,based on your skills,
aboutwhichclubandshotisrequired.
Next, rehearse the swing you plan
to make. If it requires a ¾ 7-iron,
take a ¾ practice swing so that it sim-
ulates your actual shot. I call this the
“feel stage” of the preshot routine.
Its purpose is to help you commit to
your shot.
Onceyou’verehearsedyourswing,
it’s time for the real thing. Set up to
the ball and shift your focus to the
target. This is the time to quiet your
mind and react to the target. Finally,
makeaswingwithyourtargetinmind.
FAST FACT!
Emotionally charged events or
information (whether good or
bad) burn a more significant
imprint on the brain than
nonemotional events. So
every time you react with
frustration to a mis-hit shot,
you make it harder to
concentrate in the moment.
A common saying in golf is that the game is 90% mental.
That is, 90% of what’s required to be successful comes from
how you think and manage your way around the golf course.
I don’t think that’s true. I think it’s 100% mental.
Consider the fact that you have,at one time or another hit
a perfect golf shot. Clearly you’re capable of making solid
contact. So why can’t you do it all the time?
One reason, of course, is that a lot can go wrong in the
golf swing; another, more likely reason is that your mind
often impedes. Whether you think too much (about swing
technique or a water hazard) or don’t picture the shot at
hand or fail to build a repeatable routine,simple course man-
agement and mental game techniques can help you not only
play smarter, but also swing better.
Being mentally tough doesn’t mean you have to have a
killer instinct with you at all times,but it does mean you have
to know how to manage your game,from warming up before
your round to bouncing back after bad holes to goal setting.
Golf is such a terrific game because it’s subtle. For some
folks, those nuances have reduced grown men to tears and
fits of rage; for others who manage it well, it has catapulted
them to another level of performance, and they’ve become
better players and better people because of it. Read on to
become one of them, too.

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THE POSTSHOT ROUTINE
HOLD YOUR FINISH
After your swing, hold your fin-
ish for at least three seconds with-
out reacting to the result.Don’t talk
to the ball, call yourself any names
or use any negative body language.
Just watch the ball and hold your
finish. Reacting to a shot’s result
wears on your emotions.
If youhaveahottemperandcom-
plainabouteveryshot,composeyour-
self. Start by doing this postshot
routine. Hold your finish without a
reaction. It’ll take some time, but
you’ll play better and have more en-
ergy at the end of your round.
After most players hit a shot, they usually
take a moment to react to it (often verbally
and not always with words that I can repeat
here) and either walk away pleased or frus-
trated. Riding an emotional roller coaster like
this can do damage to your confidence. A
proper postshot routine, however, will mini-
mize your emotional reactions and help to
prepare you for your next shot.
After you hit a poor shot, first figure out if
it happened because of a mental or physical
error. Mental errors include being distracted,
lacking confidence and never committing to
the shot. Physical errors are swing flaws such
as bad alignment, an open or shut clubface,
poor weight transfer and incorrect swing path.
If your shot happened because of a mental
error, remind yourself that you, and only you,
are in control of when you make a swing.Don’t
swing until you’re ready. If it were a physical
error, understand the cause and effect of the
shot pattern. If the ball went right, then simply
say to yourself,“I left the clubface open.” Then
rehearse the swing you wanted to make. The
goal is to walk away from your shot and un-
derstand what happened.
The problem many golfers suffer from is
that they get mad after a poor shot and don’t
learn from it.This makes it more likely that the
poor shot will be repeated. By making a prac-
tice swing after a poor shot, you’ll forget about
the shot and shift your focus to the next one.
RISK VS. REWARD
Many golfers let one bad shot
ruin a hole because they try (and
usually fail) to pull off a difficult
shot to get out of trouble. The next
time you find yourself with a dif-
ficult shot, ask yourself if the re-
ward is worth the risk. Is it worth
trying to save one shot, when you
might add on a couple more? Con-
sider your skill level and honestly
assess what your chances are of
pulling it off.
Consider the situation I’m in
here. My ball is behind a tree, and
there’s a small gap under its
branches. I could go directly at the
pin, but I might hit the branch, or
I could hit a little to the left and
avoid trouble altogether. The safer
play to the left might leave me with
a 20-foot putt, but I’ll be on the
green with my putter in hand. If I
risk it and go at the pin and hit the
tree, I’ll have to hit another pitch
shot, and the chances of getting up
and down decreases.
I ended up playing it safe. The
risk was not worth the reward. I’ll
leave the green feeling confident
and hope to bounce back on the
next hole.

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SETUP VS. IMPACTPUTTING ROUTINE
WHAT’S YOUR TARGET?
Your putting routine should start when you’re
100 yards from the green. From there, it’s easier
to see how the green slopes. Too often, people
start to look only after they’ve marked their ball.
Here’s how to do it.
First, look for the general slope—the high and
low points of the green. When you get on the
green, use your eyes and feet to tell you how the
putt breaks. If time permits, walk the low side of
the putt and feel the slope under your feet. Many
times, our eyes will see one break, and our feet
will feel a different one. As you take one last look
behind your ball, it’s time to pick a target and see
the entire line, including where the ball will enter
the cup.Your practice stroke should replicate how
hard you plan on stroking it.
The average player should aim for the mid-
dle of the green. If you have a normal shot pat-
tern like a fade, then play for it.You should rarely
aim at a hole that’s tucked on one side of the
green, especially if it’s tucked behind a bunker or
other hazard.
Imagine if your ball finishes in the middle of
any green. The longest putt you’ll probably have
is 30 feet. When you aim at the middle of the
green, you minimize the chances of hitting it in
trouble areas on the side of greens. Also keep in
mind your skill level. What’s your average dis-
persion rate with the club in your hand? Unless
you’re a low handicap, you’ll be better off play-
ing to a target in the center of the green.
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WHAT’S YOUR CLUB?
Many players fall short of their
target at least 80% of the time be-
cause they overestimate their skill
level. Just because you once pured
a 7-iron 150 yards doesn’t mean
you’ll do it on every shot. Instead
play what I call the “10% Rule.”
Take the best shot you’ve hit with
a club and deduct the yardage by
10%.Never take a club you feel you
have to hit perfectly to get to your
target. If your best 7-iron goes 150
yards, then deduct 10% (15 yards)
and plan for a 135-yard 7-iron.
You’ll swing smoother and make
more consistent contact.
The worst-case scenario is that
you’ll hit it too flush and end up on
the back of the green, or have to
chip from just over the green. Most
courses are designed with trouble
in front of and to the side of the
green.You’ll take those hazards out
of play by playing within yourself.

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THE HOLE YOU HATE
VERBALIZE YOUR SHOT
Playing a hole you hate can send your scores soaring.
You might hate a certain hole because it doesn’t set up to
your eye or because it challenges your weaknesses. Don’t
worry, because you have options:
• Play a different shot. For example hit a 3-wood off the tee
instead of your driver.
• Remember a similar type of hole you’ve played well to
boost your confidence.
• Use visualization to focus on what you want to do instead
of fearing what you don’t want to do.
HOW TO BUILD A PREROUND ROUTINE
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A common technique used by Tour profes-
sionals during their preshot routine is visualiza-
tion. By imagining their shot’s shape, they see a
clear picture of the shot they intend to play. This
“mental rehearsal” promotes focused, confident
decisions—and that leads to good shots.
Unfortunately many amateur golfers have a
hard time pulling this off. While some see where
they want the ball to end up, they don’t see the
path of the entire shot. If this sounds like you, or
if you have trouble visualizing your shot,then ver-
bally describe the shot you want to hit. For in-
stance, tell yourself,“I’m hitting the driver toward
that palm tree with a 10-yard draw, and it will roll
past the bunker on the left.”Saying it out loud will
help you create pictures and clarify the shot shape.
Another benefit is that it places your focus on what
you want to do, not what you don’t want to do.
The goal of a preround routine is to get your body
warmed up, your mind focused and your swing ready
to go.
Here are a few quick ways to get ready before your
next round:
• Do light stretches for five minutes that concentrate on
the lower back, hamstrings, hips and shoulders.
• Take at least 10 minutes to hit about 25 balls on the range.
Start with a sand wedge and make some half swings, then
progress through your set, skipping a couple clubs each
time. Finish by hitting a few drivers. Use this time to de-
velop your rhythm and balance for the day. When you hit
the last three balls, go through your preshot routine to get
your mind focused on targets instead of swing mechanics.
• Next,give yourself five minutes to practice putting on the
practice green to develop speed control. The last few putts
should be from four to six feet so you can feel confident
standing over some short ones.
• Finally, go to the first tee with a positive attitude. Don’t
fixate on your score, but rather stay committed and
focused on every shot.This will minimize pressure and get
you focused on what’s in your control. Then go have fun.
I’m going to draw this
shot about 5 yards so
it catches the slope.
FAST FACT!
During the time you prepare
to hit a shot, a hemispheric
shift should take place in your
brain. From the analytical left
side (measuring your shot,
accounting for the wind),
to the creative right side
(visualizing your shot).

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HOW TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER A BAD HOLE
The definition of mental toughness is the ability to handle adversity, and nothing puts your toughness
to the test more than blowing up on a hole. Golf can be frustrating when a shot result (or a bad hole)
doesn’t match our expectations.
The first thing you need to know is that all golfers hit poor shots and get bad breaks. How you react
to these situations says a lot about your character.
Here are some tips on how to bounce back from a bad hole:
• Put the shot into perspective—it’s just a golf shot.
• Use whatever frustration you feel to refocus on the next shot.
• Remember the rounds when you hit poor shots and had bad holes, but still scored well.
• Shift your focus from outcome to process, and to what’s in your control (namely the next shot).
• Become aware of excess tension that creeps in when you get frustrated or angry. Take some breaths
and begin to walk a little slower to relax yourself.
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Most golfers feel a little nervous on
the first tee. After all, the first-tee shot
(rightly or wrongly) often sets the tone
for the entire round.
If you’ve been playing well recently,
then you may be excited that you’ll
put together a great round. If you’ve
been playing poorly, you might fear a
bad round. The key is to not feel too
much pressure on your first shot. If
you stripe it down the middle or cold-
top it, your first shot doesn’t deter-
mine whether you’ll shoot 80 or 100.
What determines your success is your
ability to shift your focus from a bunch
of “what ifs” to what is in your con-
trol. Stay focused. Play to your
strengths,eliminate your expectations
of what you think you’ll shoot and de-
velop a plan for the first hole.
With first-tee jitters usually comes
a feeling of discomfort. Change that
through proper breathing and a solid
preshot routine. If it makes you feel
more confident, hit a club (3-wood or
even a hybrid) that’ll have you playing
your second shot from the fairway. GT
body motion allowing them to be con-
sistent on these short shots.
Third,watchtheirroutines.Itmight
seem as though they take forever to hit
a shot, but they stick to a routine in
which they make a decision,set up and
fireaway.Mostaverageplayersjustguess
and rush their shots. Take an extra five
seconds to think before you hit it, and
you’ll notice a huge difference.
HOW TO BEAT
FIRST-TEE JITTERS
Golf is one of the few sports you can watch on television and
imagine hitting the same shots pros do. You might not hit it
as far or as consistently as they do, but you’ve had to get up
and down to salvage a par to beat your buddy.
Watching the best in the world can benefit your game if
you focus on a few key areas.
First, observe their swing tempo. Yes they hit it a mile, but
they look smooth and in control while they’re doing it. The
average player hits it shorter but with more effort and swings
out of balance.
Second, study how pros play around the green.As talented
as they are, they still keep it simple. For example, pros treat
chip shots like putts. They read the slope of the green and
plan for the break. They pick an intermediate target where
they want to land the ball, and then they visualize the ball
rolling into the cup. Their chipping motion has very little
Ideallyyoushouldn’t“think”
about anything when you
swing. I suggest you “picture”
or“visualize”or“imagine”your
target, but most golfers have a
hard time doing that.
Don’t use technical swing
thoughts like,“my right elbow
should point down at the top
of my swing.” This disrupts
yourflowanddisconnectsyou
from your target. If you have
trouble picturing your target,
use swing thoughts that focus
on tempo, balance or finish.
Keep your thoughts simple
and tailor them so you can
swing through the ball.
WHAT YOU SHOULD THINK
OF WHEN YOU SWING
WHAT YOU CAN
LEARN FROM
WATCHING GOLF
ON TV