Improving Your Focus While Playing
By Jack Moorehouse
Have you ever said to yourself "I didn't focus enough on that shot?" I have. So have many of the players who take golf lessons from me. We've all lost our concentration on the course at one time or another. Lack of concentration causes poor play. If we could instantly improve our ability to focus on the job at hand, we'd improve our golf scores and golf handicaps almost as quickly.
But we can't improve our concentration overnight. It takes time and practice. Fortunately, there are things you can do to improve your ability to concentrate. It doesn't matter how old or young you are or whether you're a man or a woman. We can all improve. But you must work on it, just like most things in golf. If you're serious about improving your golf game, you'll work on learning how to focus better. The more you improve this ability, the better your golf scores and golf handicap.
Understanding Concentration
There are two basic styles of concentration in golf. Some players, like Ben Hogan, focus intensely for the entire round. They blot out everything else and focus on what they're doing exclusively. If you go near them, they'll probably bite your head off. Other players, like Lee Trevino, concentrate only on the shot at hand then relax their concentration until the next shot, which is Trevino joked around between shots. Neither style is better than the other, although the Hogan style is difficult to maintain for 18 holes without a break.
Regardless of which style you prefer, you must totally focus on execution when it's your turn to putt. A loss of concentration can cost you strokes. Good concentration involves several elements. These include (1) knowing what cues to focus on; (2) staying focused on those relevant cues; (3) keeping a narrow and external focus; (4) knowing how to refocus when distracted; and (5) controlling your thoughts. In putting, the relevant cues are things like speed, break, distance, and reading the green.
Destroyers of Concentration
Unfortunately, events on the course tend to destroy our concentration. Many of these events are self-induced, like fear, doubt, and worry. You can deal with idle chatter when putting, but it’s hard to stop thinking about three-putting once you start, no matter what your golf handicap. A pre-shot routine works wonders, as I've stated in my golf tips. When you have a routine it becomes a matter of keeping your mind locked into the relevant cues without letting things like doubt, fear, and negativity creep in.
What other things tend to destroy our concentration? Outside distractions, like noise or visual events, like someone walking in the background when you putt, are attention killers. So are anger, anxiety, boredom, and low-self confidence. They tend to sap our concentration.
Sometimes, we just blank out. We don't realize what's happened until after the shot. By then, it's too late. Fatigue is also a factor. A player who attempts to concentrate for the entire round may have trouble focusing during the last few holes, if he or she gets tired. Any of these things can destroy your confidence while on the course.
Golf Tips for Better Concentration
Given these distractions, what are some of the things you can do to improve your concentration while on the course? One thing to remember to stay focused on the present and the task at hand, which I've written about before in my golf tips before. Don't think ahead about the results of the shot or what happened on the last hole. Stay focused on the present.
In addition, try thinking one shot at a time. Never mind about the shot over the lake coming up on the 10th hole. Work on staying focused on the shot you need to make right now, on what you need to make the shot. It's something I remind players about when giving golf lessons. Also, focus on your preparation. A good routine fills your mind with positive thoughts. Also, stay relaxed while you wait your turn. Be ready to putt when it's your turn, but don't over analyze and over read your putt.
If you have trouble focusing after a long delay and it's your turn to putt, rehearse your putt. Imagine the line of putt given what you have seen thus far. Take a couple of practice swings and then "see" the ball rolling along the line into the hole. Also, try using a physical trigger, such as placing your ball on your ball mark as a cue to start focusing. Put your ball on your mark, then turn your mind to preparing for and executing the shot.
Off the Course
In addition to these on-course tips, try off-course exercises to improve your concentration. For example, all good players have a warm-up ritual they follow before teeing off to help them get focused. Many hit a few warm up shots with each of their clubs. A warm-up routine helps a player get his or her mind focused on the match, like a runner stretching before a race.
Also, try practicing like you play. Each time you hit a putt on the course, it has a different speed, length, and visual look. Instead of hitting five putts from the same spot on the practice green prior to playing, try hitting five putts each from a different location. Doing so helps you concentrate better when you play. That's because it is more specific to what you do during actual play.
We all tend to lose focus when we're on the golf course. Even players with low golf handicaps have to fight this demon. Don't beat yourself up over it. However, now that you understand what concentration is and how you can improve yours both on and off the course, you will be better prepared next time you play.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
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