by Aaron Hunt

Created on: November 15, 2008   Last Updated: May 26, 2010

Every golfer has had it happen. You feel and maybe even look like a pro on your practice swing and then hit an embarrassing shot once the ball is there. You might top the ball, chunk it, or completely whiff. Why does this happen? It's the idea of hitting the ball. On the practice swing, the golfer is just swinging the club. No pressure, no immediate feedback of right or wrong. When the ball is there, the goal has changed. It is now important to strike the ball with the club and send it towards the hole. But in reality, the golfer needs only to swing the club. The ball gets in the way of the swing and the club does all the work. The requirements of the golfer have not changed. Just swing the club.

Think about this idea. It's called the golf "swing", not the hit or strike. Swinging is fun, like a child in the local park. But in the game of golf, most of us take it much more seriously than a relaxing day on a swing. And there's the next reason the practice swing is likely to be better - you're more relaxed. Tense muscles can't make that nice smooth swing, and as we place the ball in the path of our swing, often we think about what we must do to swing the club properly. Or perhaps it's the thoughts of all the things that could go wrong, such as that four-dollar ball landing in the water or the woods, possibly lost forever. Or maybe it's just the two-dollar Nassau with friends or the idea of that first birdie. Whatever the source, most golfers let self imposed pressure affect their swing because they're no longer relaxed.

So what's the cure? Work on eliminating the factors that affect the mental part of the game. Every person will be different. Perhaps for some it's not to take practice swings. Others may take an abbreviated swing from behind the ball while looking down the target line, visualizing the shot.  Perhaps it means walking instead of riding in a cart. Enjoy the beauty of the course. A former colleague once referred to a golf course as "Mother Nature manicured". Spending less time addressing the ball will lessen the time to let the mind derail the shot. And if there's worry about losing an expensive ball, stop buying them - use something less expensive. Regardless of what else works for you, the most critical solution is to develop a pre-shot routine and perform that routine for every shot, on the course and at the range. Once a golfer commits to a routine, the mental signals allow muscle memory to take over and many of the mental pitfalls can be overcome.

Learn more about this author, Aaron Hunt.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.