Over the Green

There are plenty of golf psychology books on the market and I’m sure each in its own way has a place for those golfers who want to score better through better self-management.

“How Great Golfers Think” by Bob Skura has a refreshing approach. Skura uses a narrative about four average players and though very different, in handicap and ability, sharing the desire to improve at game they love. Along with the four golfers in his tale he uses the device of a mentor to do the teaching or maybe more properly the “enlightening” and to communicate the psychology and principles of improvement.

Most interesting to me was the recognizing of emotions you are feeling in different circumstances, say in the club championship versus playing a casual round, plus how those emotions may potentially impact your shot selection, swing and overall performance.

Four principles (complimenting the four players in the story) are addressed starting with the requirement a player have a positive view of himself and his abilities, i.e. positive self-image. Then Skura moves to how you should train yourself to actually swing like your practice sessions on to course. Thirdly the technique most every good players uses of visualizing the shot and then allowing your body to execute the swing required without over analyzing and over thinking.

Lastly Skura addresses the famous (or infamous depending on your experience) zone. That fabled “see it – hit it – watch it” time when your physical, intellectual and emotional factors all come together. He relates the mental skills needed to find and keep your performance at the maximum level…in the zone.

“How Great Golfers Think” is available online for $21.95

Generally I am dubious of so-called ‘golf training aids.’ To me they are either too complicated, useless or both and some seemed to have been designed by Torquemada or the Marquis de Sade. With that all in mind I took the David Leadbetter SwingSetter Pro out to the range. More…