Flamin' and Arcade Myself!

The game of golf is one of the most mental games in the world. It is one of the few sports where you control when you make a play. The ball just sits there on the fairway or green and it is up to you to take as much or little time as you want to hit it. Most other sports you are forced to make a play due to pressure from the competition. Learning how to master the mental game is perhaps the key to unlocking your unlimited potential as a golfer.
The best players in the world have learned to master the mental game of golf and that is what makes them great. Positive thinking and confidence are critical in becoming a great player. Of course, you will need to still practice regularly on the mechanics in order to maintain your skills. However just working on mechanics alone will only get you so far at the game of golf and you will reach a plateau.
In order to break through that plateau you must develop the ability to maintain and build confidence regardless of what happened on the last shot good or bad. Maintaining confidence is a great challenge however there are many things you can do to become a more confident player.
The first step is to see yourself as a great player. You need to remind yourself regularly of all the great shots you have ever hit and all the great putts you have ever made. Take a few minutes out of each day to think about your top five greatest shots ever and also see yourself playing well in the next round you will be playing. Be realistic, so every now and then you may picture yourself missing a green or fairway but then also picture yourself recovering and making those shots back in the next few holes.
The way you think as you are about hit the ball is very important. You must learn to trust your mechanics and in your ability to execute mechanics without consciously thinking about it. Instead you need to stay focused on the targets you select and block out other thoughts. A good exercise to help you to develop this focus is by concentrating on the tip of a pen. Try only to think about the tip of the pen and nothing else. If other thoughts enter your mind then return your focus back on the pen.
Learning about proper course management is also essential in order to play better golf. Many times you will be tempted to hit shots that are too difficult based on your current skill level. You must resist this temptation and hit the shot you know you can hit and that you have hit before several times in practice.
Sometimes laying up on a par 4 can often be the best option in order to shoot low scores. Rely more on your short game to help you make pars and as your long game gets better you will inevitably make more birdies. When picking clubs make sure that you select a club that you can comfortably swing to get the ball to the hole, if you have to take an extra club if it means being able to make an easier swing.
Do not get caught up in what your playing partners are doing and try to match their distance. Also remember that golf really is an individual sport so do not try to beat your playing partners but rather focus on playing the course and shooting the lowest score possible on that day. Use some of the mental strategies to help you lower your golf handicap.

If you are just learning how to play golf then you must first understand the critical importance of the short game and how it can help you learn and improve at the game very quickly. Most amateurs spend way too much time hitting their long irons and driver and not nearly enough working on putting, chipping and wedge play. Here are some tips regarding the various aspects of the short game that can help you to shoot lower golf scores quickly:

Putting Tips:

Putting can really make a big difference in lowering your golf scores and making the game more enjoyable. There are many putting styles that you will see even the professional golfers using so the key is to pick one style you like and stick with it making only minor adjustments here and there to improve it. Do not get caught up constantly changing your entire putting technique just because you did not make a few easy putts the last round.

One of the biggest keys to succeeding in putting and never getting the putting yips is to realize that putting is very much a mental game. Confidence is a critical factor and you need to always believe that the putt will go in the hole every time you hit the golf ball with your putter. Do not aim for a 3 foot circle with long putts because this will only increase your margin for error. Always focus on making every putt.

What you think about before you hit each putt is the most important element to consistently good putting. It may be best to simply keep your mind quiet and just look and react to your targets trusting that your mind and body will send the ball the right distance and direction.

Chipping And Sand Shot Tips:

You should always spend some time during each practice session hitting chips and sand shots around the green. Look for the worst possible lies and hit from them because then hitting from the fairway on the course will seem easy by comparison. When hitting chip shots you want the ball to be back in the stance aligned with your right foot and you want to use an open stance where your feet point to the left of the target.

With sand shots you want the ball a little further up in your stance still using an open stance and you should aim to hit a spot a few inches behind the ball so you can use a cushion of sand to lift the ball out of the bunker. Be sure to accelerate on the downswing otherwise you risk hitting it fat.

Wedge Play Tips:

Do not underestimate the importance of good wedge play as it can setup easy birdie opportunities for you on the course. Hit many wedge shots from various distances from 40 to 135 yards. The key to developing feel is simply practice so there are no shortcuts here. You should hit at least half of your practice balls with the wedge. Remember that the full swing is simply an extension of the shorter ones so if you can hit the wedge well then you will be a much better striker with your longer clubs like the driver. Follow some of these short game tips to help you play better golf.