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I am a true believer that fear is the only factor that keeps people from achieving their goals; Whether it is on the golf course or in any walks of life.
When it comes to the game of golf, how many of us can handle the following situation?
You’re preparing for your tee shot knowing you’ve chipped every single drive that day. Low and behold, there is a pond to the right, and a group of trees below the left. You need a perfect hammock, or at least you are He thinks You need a perfect hammock.
When you stand over your ball, your mind starts racing. You have no idea where to align yourself. You worry about chipping, chipping, or sniffing. You play with different fists and other things that you wouldn’t normally be afraid of, and try to explode your driver without having the body control to keep your swing sequence intact.
This will not end well.
So how does a player lose that fear on the course and develop a strong mental approach? Top 100 Golf Instructors John Dunnegan has you covered! Take a look below.
How to eliminate fear on the golf course
You can’t avoid the unwanted thoughts that cross your mind on the course, but you are Can Train your mind to give yourself the best possible chance of success. This means learning how to swing freely – and accepting failure if you miss the ball.
For example, in the example above about water on the right side of the hole, stop yourself and think something like this: “The right is dead, so the golf course wants me to pick a new goal line.”
Naturally, you’ll want to pick a safe target on the left side of the lane and, without hesitation, stick to that marker.
Now tackle your ball, relax yourself and take an aggressive swing towards that reasonable target, confident that you are aiming correctly.
This deliberate process will help eliminate fear. It will relieve the stress of thinking “it’s not going well” – which is holding you back and causing you to swing poorly.
Instead, by choosing a new target line, penetration often results in a shot landing in the fairway (or at least not in the drink), because you’ve eliminated the threat you first spotted in the tee box.
While this is a good in-course approach, the principle begins in practice.
When you are in range before the round, you should train yourself to hit your shots at your chosen target. Imagine the holes you played where left, right, or short is an issue, and choose the right club to keep the ball on your right goal line.
To see the results you want, remember to choose goals that lie between the actual goal and the safe side of that goal. Then accept the challenge, stick to your goal and swing free.
Remember, you signed up for the challenge. Now the game has begun, let’s see what you can do!
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