Golf Instruction - Managing Your Game #3

Wednesday's Tip for Managing Your Golf Game
Control your focus – To play to the best of your ability, you must develop the ability to control your focus in the competitive environment. In many instances poor performance is a result of a golfer’s inability to control and maintain his or her focus. Keep in mind that focus and effort are not the same. Focus is controlling and directing your attention, while trying is controlling and directing your effort. Simply try to narrow the scope of your attention prior to and during the execution of the shot at hand and widening your focus between shots. The narrowing of your focus during the presentation and execution phases of the shotmaking process is commonly referred to as a “routine”. This routine is designed to direct your attention into the present task at hand. For most of the top players, the routine or process lasts approximately 30 seconds, start to finish.

• If a golfer shoots a 72 – game time during a round is 36 minutes
• If a golfer shoots a 72 – remaining time serves as a “time out”
• Top performers are able to narrow their focus for those 36 minutes and widen their focus for the remaining 3 to 3.5 hours.

REMEMBER – Manage your game time and your time outs for a successful round!