Effortless Golf

There’s a danger we treat fear completely as a bad thing in golf psychology. Now I know this goes against a lot of what I’ve been saying, but I’m talking here about the thin end of fear – nervousness. For many people, nervousness is the buzz of competition, whether we’re competing with other people, ourselves or the golf course we happen to be playing.

For many people the buzz is part of the enjoyment. Perhaps that’s what Mark Twain was referring to when he wrote that “Golf is a good walk spoiled” and HRH Princess Anne meant when she said “Golf seems to be an arduous way to go for a walk. I prefer to take the dogs out.”

Personally, I feel that if I’m not nervously shaking when I get near the end of a seriously good scoring round or close game of match play then I might as well give up golf and go and do something else that excites and inspires me. Jack Nicklaus knew that if you didn’t feel nervous at the end of a tournament you’re trying to win then there’s something wrong with you – he thrived on it. It’s said that he stopped winning golf tournaments when he no longer got so nervous in competition. And you don’t have to be winning to get that feeling, just competing hard in some way. If you watched the duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson during the last round of the 2009 Masters, you’ll know just what mean.

The important thing to remember is to channel that nervous energy into an enhanced state of focus using self hypnosis with deep breathing is one of the best ways I know for doing just that. Alternatively, you could follow the instructions in my article entitled Balance Your Golf Mind and Body for Better Golf – Focus on your Hara. Now anchor that feeling and add it to your unconscious golfing resources. Now you can access the great feeling, that Jack Nicklaus loves so much, whenever you want it or need it.

Like so many of the things I have learned as a golf psychologist, I do so wish I’d known about all this wonderful NLP and golf hypnosis a long time ago when I got so nervous at Hexham, playing with Tony Jacklin at Brookmans Park and whenever I seemed to be on the first tee anywhere!

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Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book “The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf” and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes. Visit his website www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on getting the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from your golf. Sign up there for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine for your free 25-minute “Your Own Virtual Caddy” golf hypnosis MP3.

I can remember the first time I ventured out onto a golf course and tried to hit the cover off the ball on the first tee. My memory of that inauspicious debut was a skewed shot which disappeared into the bushes to the right and became just another lost ball statistic. My basic golf swing technique for starters was crappy but more importantly, I didn’t really understand the mechanics of the golf swing.

The end result of that very first game was a large triple figure score and about fifteen golf balls which never saw the light of day again. Oh, I can laugh about it now but if you want to know what epitomised embarrassment I’m here to tell you it was yours truly on that fateful day.

Can you as a novice draw similar comparisons? Well, if you haven’t mastered the basic golf swing yet and you plan on improving your driving, chipping and putting then read the rest of this article.

Physics And The Basic Golf Swing

Before you can even think about using brute strength in you swing you need to understand golf isn’t really a game about power. It’s more timing and that’s why it’s a good idea to examine your clubs closely. Notice how each one is designed just a little differently than the other. The three iron has a more flatter blade than the nine iron. The three iron is designed for hitting the ball longer distances while the nine iron is designed for more up and under.

Getting into the habit of using the appropriate club for the appropriate play will get you forming good basic golf swing habits. It’s a similar story with the driving woods. In most cases, you’ll have a selection to choose from. I have four and my favorite is the fairway wood. It’s designed to be used as the follow up to the tee shot on a long range hole and used correctly, is very effective in getting a clean, crisp shot away without forcing the shot with unnecessary power.

Golf Exercise

Believe it or not, one of the keys to maintaining a good basic golf swing is fitness, or being golf fit if you like. Identifying your golfing muscles is important and if you are not sure, ask an experienced golfer. No, it doesn’t mean you need to spend five days in a gym building up to Mr. Universe levels. Simple golf stretch exercises; some involving use of a club and others just basic body stretches. You’ll be surprised how effective muscle conditioning will help your basic golf swing movement.

Enlisting the services of a short term coach is a great way to learn the basic skills. It’s like building a house; get the foundation right and you have something to build on. A coach will quickly pin point your problem areas and address them quickly. Ask at your favorite clubhouse the next time you’re there.

The basic golf swing in many ways is like a player’s “holy grail.” Once it’s mastered, you can then plan for bigger and better things, including the odd power drive off the tee!

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Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. If you are a golf novice then you need to read this report on the basic golf swing before you play another shot! Also, read the latest news and reviews in golf swing techniques at:www.golfinfoline.com

Ever wondered why you’re the greatest golfer in your world at the driving range but when it comes to playing a round you can’t get it done? If this does happen to you then I’m willing to bet that your swing turns distinctly average on the course. If this sounds like you then its probable your mindset isn’t in the right place. Lets take a look at some of the problems this presents and what you can do to get the best out of yourself on the course.

A big problem for every golfer is nerves and lack of confidence on the first tee. For amateurs this is generally the only time an audience is in attendance as the tee time queue builds up. As a result you often see out of character mis-hits off the tee due to pressure of being watched by people they don’t know. To help reduce ths anxiety it is as simple as doing some preparation.

Turn up to the course early and do some stretches. Get loose so your swing is less tense. Hit a few balls at the range and get comfortable with your swing. Focus on the club you will use from the first couple of tees. Get your putting stroke in rhythm on the practice green. The confidence you will gain from a solid first hole will provide a great platform for the rest of the day.

Lack of commitment to your swing usually results in a poor shot. So when you step up to the golf ball mentally commit to the shot. If you second guess whether it was the right club selection or you think the aim might be off you’re asking for trouble. Make your decision and then commit to the shot. You’re better off hitting a good golf swing that was too much club than topping the ball 20 yards because you didn’t commit. It was a technical mistake you can learn from.

If you have trouble with your swing thoughts, i.e. you get easily distracted mid swing, formulate a simple phrase to focus on that gets you through your swing. It could be as simple as counting. For example, count 1 for your back swing. At the top of the swing count 2 and then 2 again. Count 1 on the downswing. This helps with rhythm and pushes out distractions. Experiment with this and see what works for you.

If you find yourself with a shot that requires clearing water or a bunker do not visualise the ball going into these traps. Your brain cannot distinguish between reality and what you think. By doing this all you are achieving is training your brain to instruct your body to get the ball in the sand or water. Visualise the shot you want and then allow yourself to hit it.

Now lets face it, golf is a difficult game and there will be times you go through a bad patch. Its how you deal with them that determines whether a bad day turns into an horrific day or whether you end up salvaging your round. There is simply no point in being negative. Its not going to improve your game. It will only make your game worse. Work on turning your negative self talk into positive self talk.

After a bad shot take time out and take a couple of deep breaths. Let it go and move on. If you become tense and angry your swing will speed up and your play will become even worse.

Accept that mistakes will happen – try and watch some pro golf on TV. We all think that these guys are perfect on the course but what you will see is that many of them make mistakes and mis-hit the ball. Their true skill lies in forgetting about the previous shot and making the absolute best of the next one even if it is a bad lie or in the rough.

Finally, never give up. The front nine may have been awful but there is still another 9 to go. Many a bad round has been turned around after 9 so why should yours be any different? Everyone, has tough times on the course but the best way to deal with them is to learn from your mistakes, stay positive and stay relaxed. You can’t expect your game to be turned round if you’re angry, tense and lacking in focus.

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Michael Lewis has put together a complimentary report that will help you improve your putting quickly and easily. To reduce your golf scores today download the complimentary report instantly at www.easyputtingsecrets.com

Golfers experience fear in many different situations, be it when you are standing on the first tee, or holing out on the eighteenth green, or when you are thinking about driving the golf ball inside a line of trees or pitching a ball over water. The golfer’s fears can relate to what other people think, or a lack of belief in your own golfing ability. Some of us find that the putter or the wedge takes on the feel of a snake or an octopus in our hands. Some of us freeze; some sweat and some move more quickly…Some stop playing golf.

Golfing fears range from global to specific. You play golf, or any sport, from the platform of you the person. You play your golf within the constraints of your physical body, your mind and your emotions. Mind works on body and body works on mind. How many times have you thought, or said out loud, “I have a mental block with…”? A negative thought creates a blockage in your physiology – this is FACT. Every thought you have has energy, and the neurotransmitters in your brain take the thought information to every cell in your body.

It has been shown that to repress anger for twenty minutes will suppress your immune system for up to eight hours. EIGHT HOURS. So when you are standing over the golf ball, it is worth remembering that just thinking “I’m going to duff this one” actually has the power to trigger off a PHYSIOLOGICAL response, whereby the neurotransmitters in your brain transport that information to your cells…and you know the outcome. It is inevitable – you have programmed your body to duff that shot. And saying “don’t” doesn’t work either. By this I mean “Don’t duff this one” or “don’t go in the bunker”. In such a case the words are saying “don’t go there” but the emotional energy is going DIRECTLY there.

Where there is a conflict between your will power and your imagination your imagination wins. Your mind is exquisitely talented. You can be standing on the tee with four hundred yards of fairway stretching in front of you, with a bunker that’s just two by two, and actually manage to get the ball into that bunker just by THINKING “don’t go there”. Every thought has energy. The level of energy depends on the emotional value attached to the thought. The more intensely you experience the emotion, the more pronounced the result. Your thoughts create your emotions and direct your actions.

Everything starts with a thought. And you can choose your thoughts, although you may not have realized this. It always amazes me how many people acknowledge that they have a MENTAL block with putting, or chipping or their driver, and yet proceed to tackle the problem from a physical perspective – either buying a new club, consulting a different coach, or just standing hitting ball after ball on the practice range – rather than asking themselves how they could change their thinking. And as Einstein pointed out, if you keep on doing the same things over and over again, you can hardly expect the results to change. The fact is, if you have a mental block all you have to do is to explore your thoughts and choose to change them.

What I suggest to successful golfers, and what works for them, is to develop as many mental skills as you have shots. In your mind now, count the number of clubs in your golf bag and the different types of shot you can hit with each one…just make a quick calculation and you will realize how many mental skills in golf there are that you can choose to learn. As you practice your mental golf skills you get better at them.

If you are building strength in the gym, the number of repetitions and the weights you use will determine the result. If you are learning a new shot in golf the number of times you practice it will determine its effectiveness and consistency. The same applies with the acquisition of mental skills for golf. To go to a hypnotherapist or golf psychologist and then not practice the skills decided upon is like having your golf lesson and never practicing. And I’m sure you have met as many people as me who say “that didn’t work”, when the reality is they didn’t give it a chance to work. The teacher can only ever be as good as the student. The teacher can only guide, the student learns.

So many people simply say “but I can’t do it”, or some equivalent negative. And if you think you can’t, you can’t. You don’t even get past go. But if you are willing to approach the situation from a different perspective…a whole new golf game can emerge for you.

It is well known that children “have minds like sponges”, that they find it easier to learn and that it gets increasingly more difficult to learn as you get older. This is because up until the age of 7, during the imprinting period of development, the subconscious mind is completely open to suggestion. And from then to the age of 12, the modeling period, the conscious mind is forming, and after that the conscious mind filters everything before it is assimilated into the subconscious.

Whatever beliefs you have, they are just beliefs, nothing more. There is no need to be held back by limiting beliefs. You can choose to change beliefs no matter how deep rooted they are. Just as you go for a mechanical lesson from your golf professional, you may need a little help or direction from a golf psychologist, but all beliefs can be changed.

You have a body and a mind that has a similar physiology and neurology as the best golfers in the world. Athletic literature is full of examples of athletes who have excelled because of their internal desire, rather than the physical attributes such as size, strength, power or speed. There are tall golfers and short golfers, male and female golfers, young and old golfers. It is not age or body shape that prescribes ability. It is your MIND that makes the difference. What the mind can perceive, the mind can believe and the mind can achieve.

You have the ability to play golf well. How good you get will depend on what you want to get out of the game. It is your choice – you can be as good as you want to be. The most important thing is to set your own goals, and enjoy your golf – it’s a game and should be fun. Unfortunately many people overlook this fact, and allow worries and fears to get in their way. Fear is something that we learn through experience. Fear of embarrassment and fear of failure result in many adults not even attempting to learn a new task. Returning to the subject of children, we are not born with fear. Think about when a baby learns to walk. How many times does that baby teeter along and then fall, and then try again, and fall over again and try again, until eventually they can walk? If that child was worried about embarrassing him or herself, would they have learnt to walk? A baby will persevere time and time again, and has absolute trust that they will be able to learn that skill – otherwise they would not learn that skill.

The most important factor to grasp here is that what other people think doesn’t matter…but what you think does. What the mind can perceive, the mind can believe and the mind can achieve.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.

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With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, and a great passion for golf, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading golf psychologists. You can get a free hypnosis download from www.RoseannaLeaton.com and view the GolferWithin golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis downloads.

Fear on the golf course can come in many shapes and sizes and it can result in a multitude of problems ranging from lack of enjoyment, through poor scoring and frustration to outright anger. Most golfers will have experienced fear on the golf course, either personally or from watching a playing partner.

As an amateur golfer, although my golf is very important to me, my livelihood does not depend directly on my ability to score well. However, I can think of many times, especially in my younger days, when I was uncomfortable, nervous, scared and downright terrified on the golf course.

You may have read on another of my articles. entitled Channel Your First Tee Nerves into Unconscious Golf Resources for Better Golf, about my nerves on the first tee in the Golf Illustrated Junior Vase at Hexham in the early 70s. When the starter announced on the loudspeaker system that they were expecting great things from me after my hole in one there the previous day, I could hardly stand up, let alone hit a good drive down the middle.

I’ve experienced similar feelings when I’ve arrived on the first tee and found I was playing with some or other golfing celebrity. I’ll never forget Bill Shankland, my then golf coach, asking me to stand in for him in a game in late-June of 1970. Bill explained that he was injured and could I take his place in a friendly fourball the following day. He went on to explain that there’d be no pressure as I was playing at my home club and partnering the club pro, Colin Christison, a man I’d played with many times before. Bill also mentioned that one of our opponents would be Ian Connelly from Welwyn Garden City, later to become Nick Faldo’s first coach and someone I also knew. I was a bit nervous plying with two pros I’d watched playing in the Agfa tournament at Stoke Poges, but I knew them both and felt I could handle it.
The next day, I got to the club and as I joined my playing partner Colin walking to the first tee, I noticed that there was quite a crowd of my fellow club members behind the tee. I nearly collapsed when I walked through the crowd and Colin introduced me to our other opponent. It was Tony Jacklin, back in the UK to prepare for the British Open after winning the US Open a few weeks earlier. I was terrified and it took a lot of quiet calming words from Colin to get me through the first nine holes. I started to enjoy the experience as I loosened up on the second nine.

Like most people back in the early 70s, I had no knowledge of golf psychology and the best advice available was to pull yourself together and get on with it. That was difficult and the effect didn’t last!

I’m sure that I would still be very nervous if I found myself unexpectedly playing with a US Open Champion. The difference is now that I have the means to relax myself using a variety of golf psychology techniques and really get the most from the experience. I’d probably play my normal game.

So what techniques would I use? Well the quickest technique would be to use my finger-thumb NLP Resource Anchor that would both relax me and get me into a confident and resourceful state. If I was still nervous, I could use self-hypnosis, some simple deep breathing exercises or, even better, the Balance Your Golf Mind and Body for Better Golf – Focus on your Hara technique from another of my articles.

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Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book “The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf” and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes. Visit his website www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on getting the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from your golf. Sign up there for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine for your free 25-minute “Your Own Virtual Caddy” golf hypnosis MP3.

Let’s see how we can apply this technique throughout your game. OK, you’re standing on the first tee, choosing your line and there’s a persistent thought of “don’t hook it into the trees”. What usually happens when you’re thinking this? Yes…golf balls always do what they are told; you are thinking about hooking into the trees and you do exactly that. Yes, I know, I can hear you saying “BUT I thought DON’T hook into the trees”. Your inner mind does not pay any attention to the “don’ts” of this world.

Whatever you are thinking about you are giving energy to, and energy is transmitted out into the atmosphere and attracts exactly what you are thinking about into your life. This is the law of attraction. Put another way, as you are thinking “Don’t hook it into the trees” you are at the same time inadvertently creating a picture in your mind of the ball going into the trees and also attaching a lot of energy to that picture because you feel a bit agitated about it; and so the ball goes into the trees. In fact, the ball went exactly where you inadvertently planned for it to go. This is how talented your mind is. If you ever doubted the fact that 90% of golf is played in the mind, this phenomenon is undeniable proof!

What can you do to stop this happening? You can recognize that you are thinking about hooking into the trees, create a picture of it intentionally, then move that picture to one side, shrink it, drain the color out, crumple it up and put it in the bin; and then, create a big, bright, clear picture in your mind’s eye of the golf ball landing where you want it to, sitting up nicely on the fairway.

You can also use this technique of “binning the negatives” when you have played a less than perfect shot or missed a putt. Create a picture of it and bin it. Then re-run in your mind’s eye the perfect shot, or the perfect putt. This is a great post-shot routine to adopt, and extremely effective, because your mind will only be recording good golf shots, thereby making the likelihood of great shots more compelling, whilst at the same time literally erasing poor shots from your mind. Thus your golfing confidence builds more quickly and easily than ever, and as the title of Dr Bob Rotella’s book states “Golf is a game of confidence”.

Getting back to your New Golf Season’s resolutions and making them probable instead of possible, you should now have a clear, in-focus, bright and compelling picture of you achieving your golfing goals. This is vitally important because whatever you imagine you can create. The next question to ask is what do you need to do to get to that point? What do you need to do physically and also mentally? From a mental perspective, the consistent application of the “binning the negatives” technique will transform your game, not to mention your life in general. You will be focusing on what you want to happen, rather than what you don’t. You will be aware of choosing where you want the golf ball to go and intentionally sending it there. You will now be in control of your thoughts and their resultant effect on the golf ball.

It’s also worth examining your thought processes whenever a shot doesn’t quite work out. Ask yourself were you thinking clearly and precisely? Did you picture what you wanted? Or was your focus drifting off at a tangent? Or did you simply stand up to the ball and hit it without planning? Or did you stand over the ball for ages with a myriad of thought competing for your attention? I’ll wager a bet that 90% of your “bad” shots are caused by “bad” thoughts. Check this out for yourself. If your own statistics reflect this percentage, then it follows that you have the ability, you have the talent, to hit this percentage of your “bad” shots perfectly simply by being aware of your thoughts and choosing to think clearly. That’s got to be an easier way to get your handicap down than changing your swing, don’t you agree?

Your subconscious mind will always work towards a goal that has been visualized in your mind’s eye. Your energy is being directed towards it, whether that goal is long term (as in your New Golf Season’s Resolution) or short term (your next shot). You have the ability to use your mind to achieve your golfing goals easily and effortlessly. You also have to plan in a physical sense towards your goal; you’re not going to improve without playing, so you have to put the time in as well. You’ll not put time in unless you find that its fun, so make sure that it is fun.

Golf is a game, it’s meant to be enjoyed. You, and nobody else, are the creator of your destiny and the master of your golf game, so long as you choose to be. You will find that hypnosis downloads or golf hypnosis cds will help you immensely in mastering your golfing mind and taking control of your destiny.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.

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With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading golf psychologists. You can get a free hypnosis download from the website and view the golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis downloads.

Thinking of having a great round on the golf course can be a lot of mental work. The most important part of having a great round on the golf course begins with a few thoughts. Question is where and how many?

Preparing your mind for a great golf game can be quite time consuming and unhealthy, depending on where you start your mental game. Triggering your thoughts for a great game of golf should not be in the car on the way to the golf course. If you’re approaching a curve ahead of you going downhill on a slippery roadway, and you see a sharp curve ahead of you. Do you start thinking on how you are going to fly the trap on the first hole? Trying to dream up a great game of golf in a coffee shop can have your lips seared with hot coffee as well. Thinking of sinking that long 30-foot putt on the first hole, while having dinner out with your wife or girlfriend, could have that same coffee all over your lap.

Trying to conjure up a great game of golf, while doing other things at the same time. Does not work! No matter how good you are! For some of us trying to play a golf hole in our mind is our way of preparing ourselves for the game to come. Thoughts on visualizing how you plan on conquering the fifth, or seventh golf hole that you always seem to have trouble with, could have you playing it over and over again in your mind, until you get it right. I think it gives us the self-satisfaction before we approach the notorious golf hole, that in our mind we have conquered the golf hole the night before. Have you ever lost sleep the night before trying to conjure up a great round of golf for the next day?

The thoughts of having a great round of golf, and a good game plan, should start on the first tee box, looking down the fairway and visualizing the shot at hand. If you start thinking of anything other than where you want the ball to land on your shot at hand. You will find yourself scratching your head, and thinking of where you went wrong.

Thoughts on a good game plan should be on your immediate task at hand. Most of us have been told to play one golf shot at a time. I think the same would apply on playing one golf hole at a time, taking one curve on the roadway ahead of you at a time, and taking one sip of coffee at a time, and leaving your golf game plan thoughts at home when you go out for dinner. Do not attempt to take your golf game plan and wife, or lady friend out at the same time.

Find tips about putting grip and putting drills at the Putting Tips website.

Do you warm-up before you play golf? More importantly do you warm-up correctly?

In all sports, it is essential that you warm up properly to attain the best performance. If you go to any professional or even amateur sporting event, you will see competing athletes doing pre-game warm-ups. Golfers, especially those in the professional level, are not different from them. When tour professionals are about to begin their first tee, they would have made full warm-ups to be able to make their best swings.

However, most amateurs have their “warm-ups” done by racing from their autos to the golf shop and check in, then dashing to their first tee, in just about five minutes. Most of the time, this is followed by an unsteady and inconsistent play for the first holes, ending up with another lackluster golf round. The result: Disappointing golf scores.

Here are some tips to improve your golf score:

1. First, go to the golf course as early as possible. You need time in taking care of your matters in the golf shop, in using the restroom, changing clothes and shoes, among others. It is crucial that you do not feel pressured or rushed, allowing you to get warmed up at a relaxed pace. Remember that your warm-up time sets your mood and tempo throughout the day, so just relax and move slowly. A minimum of an hour or two before you begin hitting your first tee would probably help you get a nice and relaxed warm-up.

2. Start your warm-up routine on the putting green. By starting your warm-up on the putting green, you will be ready for the speed of the greens. More importantly, you will start up your day with a nice, deliberate, and smooth tempo.

3. Spend about 10 minutes or so trying to hit the chips around the green using a tee as your target. First test the greens’ firmness to see how much or less the golf ball will roll. In general, the ball tends to move more on hard greens than the soft greens. In addition, there are various kinds of rough which make the ball move differently when it touches the green. Spending some time around the green helps you visualize some shots on the green during your round, and also, the spots where you are landing the golf ball on the putting surface.

4. Next spend about 20 minutes on the golf range. Make sure you properly stretch before hitting any golf balls. You want to start hitting half-wedge shots and progress up to your driver hitting 3 or 4 balls with each club. I personally start off with my sand-wedge, 9-iron, 7-iron, 5-iron, 3-iron, 3-wood, and then my driver, which turns out to be about 30 golf balls. Remember the reason for hitting golf balls is to get your body warmed up. You’re not there to practice your golf swing so don’t get a large bucket and pound out 100 golf balls before you play.

5. Next go back to the putting green and putt for 5 to 10 minutes. Take 3 balls and from 3 feet and hit them until you make 3 putts in a row. Repeat this from 6 feet and then from 10 feet. Don’t worry if you don’t make it through all the distances in the 10 minutes because the importance is getting your confidencence up on making putts.

Remember: If you do not get enough warm-up, you should not expect to have an optimal performance, and consequently, a good golf score. So do yourself a favor and make the warm-up a regular part of your golf game to give yourself the best possible outcome at the end of the day.

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Don Smith is a single dad and avid amateur golfer of over 30+ years. He manages a very informative golf school web site called U.S. Golf Schools. His golf blog “To Golf Or Not To Golf” has golf tips, product reviews, etc…

When it’s time to warm up, some golfers think they need to hit the driving range with everything they’ve got. In truth, warming up to make your game as effective as it can be means that you work on a variety of swings and become familiar with the conditions.

For example, you golf differently on a windy day than if the air is still. You probably play at least a bit different on days when the temperature is raging than when it’s cool. Here are some tips from those who hit the courses on a regular basis.

Driving is a good way to start, but start slowly. Choose a short iron for your first few drives, giving your muscles a chance to loosen up and to get the feel for the day. Work up to longer drives, but remember that the goal isn’t only to see how far the ball will go – control is more important than distance and this is your chance to gather your skills to exercise that control.

Don’t just drive. Some people make the mistake of thinking they’ve completed an adequate warm up once they’ve managed to make a few successful drives. Take time for some chipping and putting as well. Make the most of your swing and any recent lessons you’ve had. Remember that a round of golf is much more than teeing off.

One of the most important warm up tips is to get your mood and emotions under control. Smacking your frustrations out on a golf ball probably isn’t going to help your game at all – though it might arguably be good for your frustrations. Take time to gather your calm, focus on your game and let the day’s troubles fall away. Your mood – especially if it’s a bad mood – can greatly impact your game.

Another mistake many people make at the warm up session is to start practicing. This isn’t the time to try out new clubs, new swings, or new information. This is a time to play your best game, just as you’ll be doing shortly – at the first tee. It’s okay to put in a few practice swings if you’re working on something you want to put into play for this game, but don’t get caught up in a practice session. One of the purposes of a warm up time is to build your confidence. You can’t do that if you’re continually making errors. Use the techniques you’re most familiar with and be ready to congratulate yourself on all your successes during the warm up.

If you are doubtful about the need for a good warm up period, just think back to a recent game of golf that you didn’t warm up for. How was your first tee? How was the fourth? Did you spend the rest of the game making up for some poor strokes early on? The warm up is a chance to make those mistakes before they’re being engraved on a score card.

Take time to make yourself confident and you’ll play a confident game.

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Lee Collins is an avid golf enthusiast who has improved his golf game tremendously in a very short time using the “How to Break 90 in 3 Easy Lessons” system available only at www.easygolfinstruction.com.