Mind Games

"Baseball is ninety percent mental, the other half is physical."


- Yogi Berra




Like most of Yogi's quotes, this reference to the mental aspect of baseball seems misguided at first, yet makes sense the more you read it. In the end we understand exactly what Yogi means to say, it just takes a while to get there. Funny thing is, Yogi could just as easily been "talkin' golf".

All the sports we play have both a mental and physical component. But, the physical part is more easily explained. Body mechanics and kinetics can be analyzed on video or computers and corrected with lessons, coaching and practice. It's the mystery-shrouded mental part that I find so fascinating. How can a Manny Ramirez hit .178 during the month of April and then tear it up in July? How can a Davis Love win a tournament one week and then miss the cut the next week? It's all between the ears.

As golfers, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our physical approach to the game and there is a universe full of equipment and gadgets to help us reach our full potential. There are clubs whose hinges break in three or four places, weighted clubs, plastic hoops that guide our backswing, set-up alignment aids, videos, computer programs, etc. Think Rene Russo in Tin Cup. Then there are the technical advances in clubhead design, shaft characteristics, and the balls themselves that constantly push the laws of physics to the max.

But, in the end, I wonder if the real key to improving our golf game -regardless of our physical abilities- resides in our golf bag or, as I suspect, inside the gray matter we call a brain. I'll provide an example. How many times have you hit a bad shot and immediately thought to yourself "Why the hell did I just hit that? I wasn't anywhere near ready to hit a shot!!!." You might have been talking to your golf buddy about "Dancing With The Stars" or thinking about getting the lawn mowed before it rains but you certainly hadn't given any thought to the task at hand...hitting the green from 130 yards away. Before you know it you're scrambling to make bogey and you have no one but yourself to blame.

Here's another one. I really like playing at Spring Meadows in Gray. It's one of my favorite courses in the area. But, I start thinking about the 15th hole - a devilish Par5 dogleg left- while I'm still in the shower. I haven't even left the house yet and that hole already has me by the Callaways! I've never scored better than a double-bogey on that stupid hole. It has ruined many a good round.

Well- no more! You know why? Because last week I decided to change my mental approach. Instead of cowering in fear trying to finesse a draw around the trees or laying up with a three-wood, I decided to stand up to Mr. 15th Hole and cut the corner with my driver. Guess what?

I ended up going through the dogleg by a couple of feet into the first cut. An 8 iron put me in the next landing area and another 8 iron put me 15 feet from the pin! I missed the birdie putt but I felt like a million bucks walking off the green with my par. The curse was lifted!

Same guy...same clubs...different outcome. The only thing that was different was my mental approach. So forget all the gadgets. If you want to lower your score, spend some time trying to analyze how you might start "thinking" your way around the course. You can still relax and have fun but be focused and ready before you hit your shot.

There's a multitude of books and websites that'll help you get your brain ready for your next round. Here's a link to get you started.

http://www.iseekgolf.com/golfpsychology/5795-rid-your-game-of-mind-bumps

If any of you fellow golfers out there have any stories about overcoming your golfing demons please share them here. I'd love to hear from you.

See you on the course!



Colonel Bogey