Jeff Troesch, MA, LMHC
Mental Golf Expert
The Mental Game is devoted to golf sport psychology topics and issues. On a regular basis, we will select a topic pertaining to Sport Psychology and offer insights, research findings, information and answer questions from our readers. Whether you are a junior golfer looking to learn how to stay more relaxed and focused during a round, a parent seeking useful information on supporting and helping your golfer, or a coach exploring new and innovative practice techniques, this page is for you.

For more information on Jeff's programs, contact him at: jefftroesch@sbcglobal.net or 760-408-8480


How To Keep it Low

One Shot at a Time

by Jeff Troesch
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Over the past few weeks, I have had a similar conversation with four different players with whom I consult- One PGA Tour player, two Division 1 college players, and one high-level amateur. Each of them had the same question; “how come when I get my scores low in the round, I seem to give some strokes back before the end of the round?”

Indicative of my answer, when I asked the Tour player what he was thinking about early in the round that helped him get to -5 through nine holes, he said “just taking care of good preparation for each shot and being very target focused.” When I asked what he was thinking about when he saw his name atop the leader board and when he realized that he was “taking it deep”, he paused. He then said with a chuckle, “well, I guess I started thinking that it would be nice to ‘get it in the house’ at -5 and have a solid first round”. After that point in the round, he realized through our conversation, that he was playing more defensively, trying “not to hit bad shots”, was focusing on his scores, and was stressing his outcomes over his preparation.

As I said above, this is a phenomenon that has the potential to affect every player- from a Tour player to a high handicapper. The challenge when one gets out of one’s “comfort zone” with their score, is to continue to be disciplined enough mentally to acknowledge the outcome thoughts or score focus and still shift one’s attention back to the process and task of hitting golf shots. The phrase “one shot at a time” is an overused cliché in golf, but the reason that it is used so frequently is because it is the absolute essence of how to approach this game from a mentally disciplined perspective. Next time your scores are going low and out of your comfort zone, get back to the method of thinking and preparing that worked up to that point- and you might be surprised that you can take it even deeper!

Archive

    Pre-round Preparation
    Take Full Response Ability
    Fear is Normal
    Swing Thoughts
    Playing On A Team
    Avoiding the Big Number
    Missing Your Shots
    Playing at the "Next Level"
    Be Emotional on the Golf Course
    Full-Time Junior Golf Academies
    Create a Mental Checklist
    Line or No Line?
    Identify Your Tendencies
    How To Keep The Past From Repeating Itself
    Have a Play for Slow Play
    5 Keys to Mental Toughness for Junior Golfers
    Alternate Shot Mentality
    Perseverance - The Fifth
    You Can Achieve Anything You Want
    Pre-Shot Routine
    Confidence in Competition
    Are You Mentally Tough Enough?
    Match Play Thoughts in Stroke Play
    Where Do You Want the Ball to Go?
    Mental Exercise for Winter
    4 Easy Ways to Take your Golf Practice to the Course
    Are You Taking Enough Risk with Golf… You Won’t Believe the Reward
    Assess, Don't Guess
    Anticipate or Expect?
    Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should
    Tolerance for Frustration
    Golf Course Mental Preparation for Junior Golfers
    Think about Where not How to Hit the Ball
    How Do You Define Success?
    Getting the Most Out of Your Golf Lesson
    Good Mental Warm-Up is Essential for Peak Performance
    Challenges for Junior Golfers
     Helping Junior Players Take Responsibility
    Post-Shot Tip for Juniors
    Build a Callous
    Go for a Solid ACE
    Maintain Patience – The Fourth “P”
    Be Positive - The Third "P"
    Prepare for the Future - The Second "P"
    Be Present – The First “P”
    You Play Like You Think
    Go For What You Want
    Junior Golfers Should Shift Their Attention
    Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
    How Do You Respond?
    Are You a Scientist or a Judge When it Comes to Evaluating Your Golf Performance?
    Do You Have Passion for the Game?
    Remember Your Permanent Golf Traits
    How Does a Junior Golfer Learn Best?
    Stay Motivated to Play Your Best Golf
    Are You Fully Committed?

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