First up I’d like to wish everyone the best for 2011 and hope you are excited to get back to the golf course for a new year.
Secondly, no, I’ve not gone crazy over the holidays and you don’t need to be telekinetic. Seeing a shot, picturing it, visualizing it in your head before you do it can seriously affect the outcome. From driver to putter, this works!
Make it part of your pre-shot routine – Spend a few extra seconds to really visualize the shot you want to hit. Be accurate, be precise, be realistic. Avoid doing this whilst still walking up to your ball as you should fully assess the situation before deciding on what shot to play.
Make it magical – When you are visualizing your shot, be imaginative in the way you imagine it! Perhaps the driver you are about to hit will travel so fast it will leave a smoke trail behind it. Maybe your 12-foot putt is a Hollywood blockbuster and it will roll in in slow motion. Be creative to make it come to life.
Third person shooter – Try having an out-of-body experience. Picture yourself playing the shot how you want to play it. Then step into yourself and play it!
Be as detailed as possible – Try to include as much detail as possible when you picture your shots. How will you swing? How will it feel? How will the ball fly? Where will it land? Where will it bounce? Include as much as possible to make the picture come to life. How does the breeze feel? The texture of the grip in your hand? The smell of the fresh grass?
Give this visualization technique a try. You may be surprised at how it increases your focus, scores and enjoyment of the game.
Happy Golfing!
Photo Credit: Photo by Simon Doggett at Flickr Creative Commons