May 1, 2024 7:49 am

Stay in the Moment

This is one of the great pieces of advice for sports people. In football it is always, take one game at a time and in golf it really is take one shot at a time. I have certainly many times been guilty of thinking “all I have to do is to par this hole ….” And this is normally the precursor to some awful disaster. Similarly, if you are involved in competitive golf, especially the match play format, letting your mind wander is the easiest mistake to make. Thoughts of “I just need to halve this hole….” are generally not helpful.

What makes golf so prone to this lapse in concentration is the time between the shots. I think only snooker and darts allow the player so much time to mess with their own head. My advice is while walking between shots, keep your mind off the game, other than concentrating on the shot you are about to face. Anything will do. The football on Match of the Day, the jobs that need doing around the house. Literally anything. Then when you get to your ball, game face on and just shut out the future and the potential ramifications of the shot. Stay in the moment and play that shot as if it was your last.

Categorised in: Tip of the month, World of Golf London