Playing with Problems

Yesterday was Wednesday, just another workday for me, but also a weight training day.  I lift weights every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I strongly suggest you get on your own weight training program.  The mental side of golf is all about confidence.  I found out that one of the best ways to gain confidence is by hitting the gym on a schedule.  Not only will you look better, but you will feel better, and that is key to taking strokes off your game.  You would be surprised as to how many people think that golfers never really do anything physical.  But I'm sure you fellow golfers know how tiring it is to spend an entire day on the course.  By starting your own weight training schedule, you will hit it further and increase your confidence in your game.  You don't have to stick to something very strict, but a schedule is always nice.  Here's a program that's something like what I do in the gym.

Now back to the confidence.  After my workout yesterday, my entire body was physically tired.  I still decided to go out to the course and try to play a few holes.  When I started hitting a few balls to warm up, I realized I could hardly swing the club.  I was almost afraid to continue for fear of developing bad muscle memory, but I played on anyway because I really had nothing better to do.  I ended up playing fairly well, with a 9-hole score of 36 (even par).  Even though I had a hard time swinging the club, I still played well because I had confidence in what I was doing.  If I hit a bad shot, or if I didn't make very good contact, I didn't let it worry me at all.  Instead I just kept my composure, laughed it away, and kept focus on the next shot.  Through my experience, I have found that the best way for me to stay focused and play better golf is to focus on the next shot.  As soon as I hit the ball, I quit thinking about that shot and focus on the next one.  This has been the key to helping me stay on track and not get any bad emotions floating around.  This tactic lets you keep your mind focused on the task at hand, but it also lets you forget about anything that previously happened in your round.  I suggest you try this tactic.  It will be hard to get used to at first, but if you stick to it you will notice you're having more fun and playing better golf.