Playing stress-free golf and focusing on conservative targets can significantly improve your performance. Many golfers, including professionals, benefit from aiming for safer areas on the course and making aggressive swings toward these conservative targets. This strategy reduces the pressure of always targeting the flag or hole, helping you avoid tunnel vision and costly mistakes.
One important mental shift is recognizing that golf is not about being overly aggressive with high-risk shots but about playing smart. For example, David MacKenzie, a mental golf coach, suggests identifying your optimal target and then choosing a more conservative one that reduces risk while keeping you in control. The concept of “good misses” can help you stay present, as you aim not directly at the pin but at a safer area where you have a higher chance of success. This method leads to better decision-making, especially when hazards or tricky lies are involved (Will2Golf) (Instruction For The Mental Game of Golf).
A drill to help stay present and pick better targets is to play a round where you always choose a spot ~5 yards away from the flag. During each shot, focus on hitting towards this more conservative target and make a confident swing. This practice trains your mind to stay away from tunnel vision, and it reinforces a calm, stress-free approach.
Incorporating strategies like this into your game will keep you in a better mental space, allowing you to make more consistent, committed swings that lower your scores while reducing frustration on the course.
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