Golf Tips for More Golf Confidence

Confidence will go a long way on the golf course. When you're playing well, your confidence will usually soar but it's when you're not playing so well that you need that confidence more than ever before. This can be a real internal struggle for many golfers, no matter what your experience level. If you can learn to channel that confidence when and where you need it, you will see an improvement in your golf game as well as in the enjoyment you get while on the course.

Not everyone is born with the natural ability to will confidence whenever they want it. Golf can be a tough mental game but with the right focus and these tips, you can channel your mental energies in the right place and gain more golf confidence.

Draw from past successes: Think of the best shot you've ever made, that eagle on the trickiest hole at your local course or the best game of golf you've played. Remember that straight, long drive you shot down the middle of the fairway? To gain confidence on the course, you need to draw from your past successes. If you think negatively, your shot will reflect this. If you expect failure, that is exactly what you will get. If you don't have strong golf successes to draw on right now, then you can use other areas of your life as inspiration.

Train your body and mind: Proper training will help you gain confidence at every shot but proper mental training will give you the focus you need. You can practice all day long every day but real training requires you to have goals and plans to reach those goals. Each practice or training session should have a purpose to it.

Have a solid pre-shot routine: Your pre-shot routine is like a rehearsal. It will become second nature, like habit and you will not have to think or wonder what you will do each time you approach your shot. Your pre-shot routine will build your confidence in every situation.
Give yourself a break: Sometimes you just have to remember that you're human. Whether you are playing for fun, in a tournament or as practice, remember that you will make mistakes sometimes but this is how we learn. Allow yourself to be human and continue to have fun on the course. Don't beat yourself up over every shot that doesn't go as planned.

Lisa is a recreational golfer, wife of an amateur golfer and mother to three young golfers.