Our previous article looked at ways to maintain focus throughout a full, 18-hole round of golf. Keeping focused during a round of golf, especially if you begin to feel tired can be tough but there other, specific moments in a round of golf, where focus is important.
One of these moments is before playing each shot. Even if you have allowed your mind to wander right up until you are looking down at your golf ball, you can get back into the groove buy focusing on your shot from this point onwards.
You may be thinking about your pre-shot routine at this point but pre-shot focus starts before your pre-shot routine kicks-in to play.
As soon as you walk up to your ball, you can begin focusing on the shot and the best way to do that is by asking yourself a series of questions.
Firstly, assess how your ball is lying. Is it on the fairway and lying flat? Is it in heavy rough? Is it on a slope and sitting up nicely? There are many ways your ball could be lying but by taking just a couple of seconds to think about it, you can adjust your club selection and shot set-up.
Next, have a look around you at any potential hazards. This does not include those where the ball is going to land, it only includes those which will impede your swing, such as trees and overhanging branches.
Having completed the above, you can now look at the target and decide where you want to hit the ball. Are you going straight for the hole or does the pin position mean you are better off aiming for the middle of the green? Should you aim for the middle of the fairway or will you have a better angle to attack the green by leaving the ball on the right side of the fairway?
Again, this all about asking yourself a few questions and getting your mind focused on what you are trying to achieve with the shot.
Now you need to consider the distance you must hit the ball to find your target. Is the weather going to have an impact on the flight of the ball? What condition is the green/fairway and is the ball likely to roll on or stop quickly? Thinking about these things will help you to select the correct club for your shot.
Finally, what line and shape is the ball going to have in the air having made a successful connection? Thinking about this will get you to visualise the shot and have you thinking positive thoughts before striking the ball.
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