To think or not to think: that is the question

I hear a lot of golfers complain that “I was thinking too much on that shot.” Or “I was thinking of business and not on my golf shot.” Or “I wasn’t thinking when I pulled that club.” And “I ran that putt 10 feet too long because I went brain-dead.”

Yes, we all make occasional errors with our golf game. The types of mistakes and blunders cover an almost countless variety of descriptions and situations. That makes mistakes similar to bad luck – except when we mess up because it’s our own fault. And the problems often don’t have anything to do with our experience, or talent or swing method. It’s all in our mind. It’s what, when and how we think when playing golf.

Masterful golf is not for dummies. Bryson DeChambeau, nicknamed golf’s “scientist,” thinks he can control every variable imaginable, from equipment configuration, to air density to the coefficient of restitution (COR) of the flagstick. He tries to calculate every shot, every condition and every move when he plays; but he may be missing the Hogan type feel for the game. He graduated from SMU where he majored in physics. He’s smart, with an IQ of 121. Not Mensa material. You don’t have to be ultra-smart to properly think your way around the golf course. You just have to pay attention to details and know about the thinking equation.

You really can’t play good golf without making good decisions, and that depends on good thinking. I’m always reminded of that great Kenny Rogers’ hit “The Gambler:” “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” Those lyrics don’t mention golf, but they could: “If you’re gonna play the game right, boy, you gotta learn to play it right.” For golf you gotta learn when to think, when not to think, what to think, how to think.

Before we make a golf shot, we need to give some thought to the proper club selection. We need to think to aim correctly. Decisions, such as laying up or going for it, identifying where to best angle for position, noting the risk vs. reward factors, all require intelligent pre-shot thinking. Plus, we have to briefly think about variables that may affect the result of the shot: breeze, slope, lie, distance. But we can’t get so caught up in the variables that we forget to focus on the task at hand. Stepping into the stance, after preparing with your pre-shot routine, including practice swing and a simple swing thought, you need to turn your brain off. Let your body (specifically muscle memory), not your brain, swing the club. Thinking while you swing is like counting your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.

Finally, let’s talk about negative thinking, which may be the most destructive of all. Many golfers are unaware of their negative thoughts and how they interfere with good performance. OK, have you ever thought to yourself when standing over an important putt on the 18^th green, “I better not miss this one.” Negative thinking takes on an amazing variety of forms. And make no mistake, self-talk is just thinking by another name. Are your negative thoughts costing you strokes? If you are stepping into a shot where a penalty area (hazard) is in play, and say to yourself, “Don’t hit it in the water,” you just triggered your brain to program the worst case scenario. Our brain computer doesn’t process “don’t.” That is why great golfers first engage the right brain side, that deals with images, intuition and the now, before letting the left brain, which deals with problem solving, logic and the future, takes over. Giving the right side complete control during the actual shot making is the essence of the mental golf game. That is how you can make your thoughts work for you.

Charlie Blanchard is a licensed sports psychologist specializing in sports and leadership. Contact him at docblanchard71@gmail.com.