Whilst the statement “perfecting your game is 90% mental and the rest is in your mind” may raise a wry smile there is more than a grain of truth in it.

Lee Travino, you may remember, was as famous for his brilliant golf as he was for the way he talked and joked with the gallery and laughed his way around the championship circuit. When asked how he could perform so well amidst such self-made distraction he said “I’ve done all the practicing before the tournament and I only need to concentrate for 3 or 4 seconds before I hit the ball”.

Where does the truth lie? Do you need to concentrate 100% of the time or just for a few seconds before you hit the ball?

You’ll need to find your own level of mental preparation, of course.

As you go through the following 4 steps, which you are familiar with if you play the game, try to determine for yourself where you presently focus your thoughts and how your thinking  may be affecting your game:

Step 1.  Relax and Visualise.

Which brings us to the first step to perfecting your swing. What are you thinking about as you step up and tee-up your ball? No matter that you are a social golfer, you should take a few seconds, as you are getting ready to step onto the tee, to quieten down your mind and ask your body to relax.

Once the ball is up on the tee and you are jiggling your backside getting ready for your swing, your thoughts will go elsewhere so do the relaxation and meditation routine before that time.

As you prepare for the swing, visualise your body position and how your body will move smoothly through the swing. Finally visualise where your ball will land.
All this happens in seconds, but make a habit of entering the same state of mind for each shot, whether you are on the tee or fairway, and consistency will magically make its welcome appearance in your game.

Step 2.  The Stance.

It is to be hoped that you are aware that your stance, the way you line up with the ball, will change the distance and height of your stroke. As you prepare for your swing, you should take note of the position of your feet, the angle of the club and the angle of your body.

The angle of your feet to the line of the ball will influence the line of travel of the ball. Whether you are standing too upright or in too much of a ’sitting’ position, will change your stroke. Focus on all these things, one at a time. Stay calm.

Step 3.  The Grip.

Keep your hands firm but supple. If you are strangling the club in a white-knuckle grip, think again about relaxing. Your hands will betray your overall mental state.

Relax, grip firmly but not desperately, and you will swing smooth. Your grip can change the angle of the club head, which in turn has a powerful and direct influence on where the ball will end up.

Step 4.  The Swing.

As you do a practice swing, remember your lessons with the pro. Think about slowing down the speed of backswing, keeping elbow locked, cocking the wrists and gently start the downswing, swaying the hips through the movement.

Think about it. Unless you are a pro it will not just ‘happen’. You need to think with every shot. Remember that when you start your backswing you should sweep your club head low to the ground.  A slow, low,  deep backswing will allow you to focus more easily. Most beginners swing too quick and jerk the club back and then are not able to maintain a smooth swing. Jerking quickly through the backswing is likely to make you change the position of your head, either lowering it or lifting it, with disasterous consequences.

When you are at the top of the  backswing you will have shifted your weight onto your back leg.  All you need do now is to naturally, smoothly  unwind and swing through the ball.  If you have visualised your target you should be right on course.
If you try to hit the cover off the ball you will most probably hit a bad shot. The club is designed to work for you – let it do so. Don’t overswing or swing too hard.

Follow through the swing, ending at the top of the swing arc.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? If you’ve played even 1 hole of golf you’ll know it’s not easy. There is a lot of technique involved and a lot of the mental stuff too. One without the other will not allow you to improve much.

Try to bring more mental technique into your game with the aim of creating a calm mindset and a consistent setup before each shot.

Whatever our motivation may be, all golfers would dearly love to play better golf. Did you know that making a small improvement in 3 simple areas of your game can dramatically improve your score? You can learn those simple things here.

There are a number of very simple and free tips on how to improve your golf swing at http://www.golfswinglesson.net . Please check it out.