Can I Control The Outcome of My Shot?
One of the few things that you cannot control in golf is the outcome of your shot. Many of you are thinking about outcome instead of thinking about what you can control.
Simply said, this is the habit of concerning yourself more with the results of your shots than with the process of execution. Many of my junior golfers have a name for this, the call it “brain farts.” Sorry for the bathroom humor, but that’s what they call it. Their minds become totally preoccupied with outcome thoughts and they are totally engulfed before they know it. Once this happens, it is virtually impossible to play their best golf.
This is an easy trap to fall into since scores are cumulative over 18 holes. Players become consumed with this because once the round is over the score becomes a historical moment of their skills. What is the number one question asked by your friends, family, teammates, coaches…. when you come off the course? “What did you shoot?” It is difficult to get away from outcome thinking, however you can learn to manage it and even use it to your advantage.
Outcome thinking can come in various forms. It can be from the total score, it can be on a specific hole such as par 5′s and it can even be the second round after a great first round. In any of these cases the same method should be used to overcome them all and that is to focus intensely on your pre-shot routine.
One of the worst places that this kind of thinking can occur is on the greens. It can either be trying to over come poor ball striking or even come after outstanding ball striking. Either way it is self induced pressure to make a putt go in instead of focusing on a good line and rolling the ball along that line. This kind of thinking can easily lead to three putts and make it difficult to get out of a putting slump.
Remember, you cannot control the outcome of your shot or score. However, you can prepare yourself to play shots to the best of your ability.
Ben Crenshaw was once asked how he played so well under pressure. He said, “I do everything in my power to make a good golf swing, then I leave the rest up to fate.” “I hit it, go find it and then hit it again until I get it in the hole. It is as simple as that!” It truly is as simple as that!
Now go make some birdies.
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