Going Mental is Not Good for Your Golf By Bob Fagan
I don’t care if one of my golf heroes, Ben Hogan, said that golf is 90 percent mental. He was wrong, or the context he was quoted in is either wrong or at best misleading. The golf pundits talk about the mental game continuously, and how “toughness” and concentration are so critical. I agree, but perhaps in a different context. While Tiger Woods is “mentally tough,” whatever that term really means, the real key to his success and Jack Nicklaus before him, is something else. Great golf, golf “in the zone” is not mental. It may be internal, but it’s maybe only 10-20 percent mental. So what is the key ingredient to great golf?
Every golf swing and every thought, the mechanical and mental parts of the game had to be validated at their very origin. What validates them? It’s the spirit. It is the spirit, the “Internal Game” that holds the key to great success. Your spirit and feelings are the glue that keeps your mechanics and strategy together. With this glue comes more acute awareness, the real factor that leads to improvement. And true awareness embracing the task at hand actually eliminates or at least minimizes thoughts or internal chatter – allowing you to simply play.
Have you ever played golf “in the zone?” Played out of this world where the game seemed so effortless? Many people do at one time or another, but it has been speculated that even Tiger Woods and other outstanding professionals enter that state only 1-2 percent of their play. Nevertheless, if you have played in the zone, you weren’t thinking, you were doing, playing to be more precise. You were likely so engrossed in the moment that you probably weren’t even aware of your exact score or were oblivious to any distractions. In other words, you were free of thoughts. Yes, remarkable golf is free of thoughts. The brain or ego likes to lie to us, embellish us with fears of the future, and shame and failure from the past. On the other hand, our heart, feelings and spirit never lie. Golf is such a slow paced proactive (rather than reactive) game that the mental game ends up as disserving “monkey talk” that more than likely hurts our golf.
Mental golf has a lot to do with strategy, but take a couple of playing lessons and you can easily gain most of the strategy you will ever need. When you tee your ball on the first hole, you need to dismiss the mental game and venture within. Awareness of yourself and your surroundings is the key to improved golf. The touring professionals are more aware and adapt quicker to themselves and their surroundings than the rest of us. They adjust their swing, key swing feelings, strategy, club selection, etc., according to this keen awareness. That awareness extends from the course and their own physical conditions to their internal emotional state. That’s the biggest difference between the top tier players and the physically talented ones who struggle on the developmental tours. At the professional level, not much can actually go that wrong with their physical games that small adjustments can’t fix. And yes, while I have witnessed some really questionable mental decisions from time to time, I maintain that more than 75 percent of the game is spiritual, emotional, or behavioral management.
Ever watch young children swing a club, putt, jump rope, or do the hula-hoop? Their coordination is usually pretty good. Watch them do the same thing fifteen or twenty years later, and the learned fears and mental interference has transformed many of them into real “klutzes.” This “mental approach” to the golf produces the same results. When you add terms such as “positive mental attitude” and “mental toughness” and begin to talk about the importance of the “mental game,” you create mental clutter that it is apt to paralyze a player (ever hear of paralysis by analysis?). It is no wonder golfers have not improved despite better equipment, more immaculate golf courses, and improved swing instruction. Even Hogan indicated that once you begin your round of golf, you “play golf by feel” eschewing the mental preoccupation attributed to him. If you attempt to think more than two thoughts while trying to hit a ball, you will probably not like the results.
Everyone whom I have ever met, golfers and non-golfers alike, upon quiet reflection, have the innate genius within them to know when things feel right and when they feel wrong. If we can tap into that natural ability within us and leverage it, perhaps we can all play better golf. I predict that relying more on our innate ability and genius to “play” will be a new shift in golf and sports instruction.
A year ago, I said as much to Jack Nicklaus in a private conversation. Twice he interrupted me to explain that no one had ever said what did to him, but he felt that way. Then he added that he thought I was on to something. I believe that Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are both testimony to this very fact. They have both built a safe cocoon free of thought to play in. Each would acknowledge that choosing the right strategy at the appropriate time is still always critical, but the ability to manage your emotions and behavior and to eliminate fear and develop faith and confidence is their key inherent advantage. “Mental toughness,” as some like to point to, has less to do with such success than your underlying spirit, which is paramount. Remember, you don’t work or think your way around a golf course, you play – and play in a relaxed, uncluttered manner. When you begin to adopt this playful approach, you may be on the road to an improved golf experience. Continue to make golf a mental game and you will inhibit your natural golfing ability.
Like I said, “Going mental is not good for your golf game!”
Bob Fagan is a former teaching and playing professional and was Executive Director for the Northern California PGA for seven years. He has been coaching on how to capitalize on the “internal game” particularly in the golf arena. Fagan has written and produced “Golf’s Higher Plane”, a DVD/CD/Ebook offering which highlights just how to play great golf naturally. Refer to: www.golfshigherplane.com.
Testimonials
“Rates a ‘10’ on the relevance factor. These are simple yet amazingly overlooked points. Golf’s Higher Plane nails it.” –
Andrew Slaughter
“Who is this Fagan guy and where has he been hiding? This is amazing stuff!
Clyde Barrett
“Golf’s Higher Plane” may prove to be the first true “Golf Classic” of the 21st Century – a must-read.”
Patrick Murphy
“’Golf’s Higher Plane’ should be required study for everyone looking to play competitive golf or simply improve their game.”
Terry Sawyer
“The best book I’ve ever read!” Easy to read…keeps your interest – great material to help improve my way of thinking!”
Carol Ladd, LPGA Member
“Love the message!”
Janet Coles, 4-Time to 2-Time LPGA Tour Winner
“Shivas Irons speaks through Bob Fagan.”
Ivan Rodriquez, Avid Golfer
"What better time than now for Robert Fagan's book ‘Golf's Higher Plane.’ This practical guide extends beyond typical golf instruction and its methodologies, it's a guide to attracting a more plentiful life. Ideal for today's golfer, businessperson, and those on a quest to living vibrantly."
Emmy Moore Minister, Northern California PGA Honorary Member & Golf Industry Consultant
“I love it, and I am a great believer in what you profess.”
Hollis Stacy, 3-Time US Women's Open Champion
“An ‘instant ‘Classic’ in the tradition of ‘Golf in the Kingdom’. Shivas Irons would be proud.”
Bruce Strickland