As many of you know, I am an avid golfer. I began playing the game when I was four years old. When I got to be 9 or 10 years old, I would go to the golf course everyday during the summer months and spend 10 to 14 hours a day playing and practicing the game.

As I got older and became more involved in my work, I played less and less. Still, I was able to keep my scores in the low to middle 70′s for many years. Granted, there were a few years where my scores leaked into the 80′s, but fortunately for me I was able to regain my form and get my game back down into the 70′s.

Recently, I took a few private lessons to change my swing. The new swing is still a work in progress. However, what has helped me the most was the change in mindset when I play. I’d like to share them with you to help you lower your scores:

Mindset #1 – From tee to green, the game is about accuracy, not distance. In other words, I’ll gladly take out my four iron and hit it off of the tee box when I encounter a narrow par 4 or par 5. As a matter of fact, I’ll hit four iron + four iron + pitching wedge to give myself a chance at birdie on these par 5′s. Of course, my playing partners sometimes shake their heads or call me names when I do this. However, at the end of the round when we’re adding up scores, they tend to be a bit quiet. So, play for accuracy from tee to green! If this means you have to take one more club and swing easier, then so be it. If this means you hit an iron off of every tee box, then so be it. Let your partners laugh at you and call you names. Wait until you’re at the 19th hole and are tallying up the scores!

Mindset #2 – From 100 yards in, the game is all about distance control, not accuracy. So, forget about your alignment for a few months. Focus on placing the ball pin high or just below the hole so you’ll have an uphill put that breaks towards your heels.

Mindset #3 – Always swing within yourself. What does that mean? It means to swing the club so that you’ll always remain in balance. It also means to swing each club with only 60-70% speed and power. While you may not hit your normal distances all of the time, you will be accurate more often because you’ll hit the ball in the center of the club more often.

Mindset #4 – When practicing at home or at the driving range, practice your basics. What are your basics? Here they are:

1. Set up
2. Alignment
3. Balance
4. Good tempo
5. Solid contact

Notice I said nothing about ball flight or distance. This is by design. These elements will help you to become more consistent on the golf course.

***With these four mindsets, plus one more I didn’t mention, I was able to take four to seven strokes off of my game in less than 60 days!

One final note:

Growing up as a kid, I had an uncle who played golf with me from time to time. From driver to pitching wedge, he would hit a 10 to 30 yard slice. It was fun to watch him get up to the first tee box and aim 30 yard left of the fairway. People always thought it was strange. He would hit the ball and sure enough, it would end up in the fairway much of the time. Long story short, he shot in the middle 80′s. Every now and then, he would shoot in the high 70′s.

I wrote all of that to say this:

The curvature of your ball has nothing to do with the scores you shoot. The biggest factors in the scores you shoot are mindset and solid contact. If you focus your practice sessions on these two aspects of the game, your scores will lower.

Hit ‘em straight,

Roy