Is your preshot routine inconsistent? Are you overcome with doubt, indecision, or distraction during your routine? If so, read on…

As you know, I’m a huge advocate of preshot routines in golf. As a matter of fact, I did my Ph.D. dissertation on preshot routines in golf when I was studying at The University of Virginia in the late 80s.

Why are routines so important? How you think during your preshot routine is critical to the success of a golf shot.

Most golfers assume a preshot routine is about the physical behaviors they do… A practice swing and how many looks and waggles you take prior to the shot.

But what you think during your preshot routine (mental routine) is the most critical aspect of your routines.

What are the objectives of a good preshot routine? I tell my golf students that a good preshot routine helps you stay focused in the present, make solid decisions, and harness a healthy dose of confidence when it’s time to execute the shot.

The 2009 US Open champion, Lucas Glover, discussed another role of your preshot routine - to deflect pressure or help you focus well when trying to finish off a good round.

When his nerves kicked in during the Open, what did he do to stay calm? He took comfort in his preshot routine…

“It was just deep breaths and just fall back on my routine. Preshot and pick a good target and just hit it. No swing thoughts under pressure, because there’s too much going on. You just pick a target, lock in on it and go. If you hit it there, fine. If you don’t, run up there and hit it again.”
~Lucas Glover

I love this quote from Glover because he talks about three critical components of a solid mental game:

1. Use your routine to focus when under pressure.
2. Don’t over think the shot with too many swing thoughts.
3. Don’t get bent over the results of one marginal shot.

Many golfers I know would play a lot better if they would head these three messages.

If you want to learn my top secrets to a focused and pressure-deflecting preshot routine, I suggest you grab your copy of “The Golfer’s Mental Edge: An 8-Week Plan for Ultimate Golf Confidence” CD program–

The Golfer’s Mental Edge

In my new golf confidence program, you learn my top eight lessons I teach my personal coaching students including how to develop a mental preshot routine!

Your Golf Confidence Coach,

Dr. Patrick Cohn

p.s. You can begin the program right away because you can download the audio portion of the program immediately. But we’ll send you the CDs and workbook as well:

The Golfer’s Mental Edge

 Dr. Patrick Cohn, golf psychology expert and author of the “Golfer’s Mental Edge” CD program, teaches amateur to tour professional golfers how to improve their mental game of golf.

In this week’s golf psychology session, mental game of golf expert and author of The Mental Game of Golf, Dr. Cohn, helps golfers learn how to use imagery prior to shot making.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

*Download The Golf Psychology Podcast #110  (right click and “save as” to your computer)

Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast via iTunes

 Download a free golf psychology report to improve your preshot routine.

Check out The Golfer’s Mental Edge CD and Workbook Program.

Do you want more information on mental toughness for runners, duathletes, triathletes, track and field and endurance athletes? Great! We need your help please. Running expert Dean Hebert (Running Rx) and I are collaborating on mental training materials specifically designed for endurance athletes!

But, our first step is to get your input on what aspects of the mental game of running YOU want to learn more about and HOW we can help you. So, if you have just a couple minutes (really – it’s pretty short) please click here to take our mental toughness survey for running and triathletes.

I like to check in with you and other readers to ask a few questions about your mental game. This way, I can help you better with your top mental game challenges in track and field, running, or racing.

But to help you better, I need your input! I need you to complete a short survey about the mental game challenges you (or your athletes) face in track and field.

Your answers will give me the input needed to bring you the most relevant and practical information about how to improve your (or your athletes) mental toughness.

The survey should only take two minutes of your time to complete. Here’s the link:

Runner and Triathlete Mental Toughness Survey

For giving Dean and myself two minutes of your time to tell us your mental training needs for running, we have a special bonus for you after you complete the survey. Running expert Dean Hebert and myself have recorded a special audio program for track and triathlete competitors titled:

“Five Mistakes Runners Make with Their PreRace Mental Preparation”

Complete the mental training survey for runners and grab the MP3 file:

Runner and Triathlete Mental Game Survey

Thanks for Your Help,

Dr. Patrick Cohn

p.s. Please forward this link to your fellow athletes or coaches so they can take the survey too!

 Dr. Patrick Cohn, golf psychology expert and author of the “Golfer’s Mental Edge” CD program, teaches amateur to tour professional golfers how to improve their mental game of golf.

In this week’s golf psychology session, mental game of golf expert and author of The Mental Game of Golf, Dr. Cohn, helps golfers improve their focus at the end of the round.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

*Download The Golf Psychology Podcast #109  (right click and “save as” to your computer)

Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast via iTunes

 Download a free golf psychology report to improve your preshot routine.

Check out The Golfer’s Mental Edge CD and Workbook Program.

The top players on the PGA and LPGA tours think the same with their mental game of golf…

I was reading the post-interviews for the McDonald’s LPGA Championship yesterday and found a quote highlighting the concept I shared with you yesterday.

The tournament champion, Anna Nordqvist, reinforced what I said in my last email about focusing on the process and not results:

“I try to focus on my own game and keep doing what I’m doing, and then at the end, the results, there isn’t anything I can do about it. Just give it my best and then we’ll see at the end,” said Nordqvist.

The players on tour who are winning each week know how to think when they are in the lead on the final day.

It’s no coincidence that both winners on the PGA and LPGA Tour are thinking well - you must think well to play at your peak!

Want to learn all my secrets for thinking well on the golf course?

Until midnight Thursday you can get my entire “Golfers Mental Edge” 8-CD and Workbook program for HALF OFF!

Here’s where you can grab your copy for half off:

The Golfer’s Mental Edge

I’m holding this inventory reduction sale as a way to say *Thank You* for being a loyal subscriber to my golf psychology tips.

Here’s where you can grab your copy and get half off:

The Golfer’s Mental Edge

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Try My “Golfer’s Mental Edge” CD & Workbook System for 50 Percent off and Get “Drive for Success Goal Monitor program–Gratis!

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The last copies are flying off the shelf - only 15 units left. Half-off sale ends Thursday at midnight.

Your Golf Confidence Coach,

Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

p.s. If you’d like to tap into my 20+ years of experience helping golfers improve their mental game and succeed today… and save 50%, then go here now:

The Golfer’s Mental Edge

You must prevail with one very important inner battle if you want to play at your peak each day…

Do you find it hard to stay in the moment during an important match? Does your mind race ahead to thinking about holding the trophy after the round (or running away to hide after they post your score)?

Our minds are constantly in conflict on the golf course. What’s the inner conflict? Present versus future thinking.

Our minds are wired to think ahead… about the possibilities of a good score or a bad score. Golfers like to extrapolate their scores during the round…

“If I make three more pars, I’ll break 80 or 70.” What’s the inner battle?

In golf, you have to focus on the current shot and the correct way to execute the current shot - the right focus to have.

But the mind wants to wander to the outcome of the round or tournament. I call this the consequences of your good play (or poor play) - the wrong approach to take…

“What if I play well?” Or “I don’t want to embarrass myself today. I need to shoot a respectable score.”

As a matter of fact, one of my past students, Brian Gay, was asked if he thought about qualifying for the US open if he won the Saint Jude Classic (after his 3rd round this past week).

He said he has enough to think about:

“Not until you mentioned it. No, not really, not when I’m out [on the course] I don’t think about it. I would love to play in it, but I’ve got enough work to do here to not have to worry about that. So, nothing I need to think about,” said Gay.

Brian ran away with the tournament by 5 shots.

OK, how do you overcome this inner battle? Mental discipline? Mental focus? Determination?

To win the inner battle and stay focused on the present, you first must let go of caring about results from the picture.

The more you care about results, the harder it is to focus on the process or in the present moment and the more anxiety you’ll feel about obtaining a specific result.

Even if you let go of caring, no one is perfect. You’re human. Your mind will wander to the future to score or winning or whatever.

The most important skill you can learn is to refocus your mind when your mind wanders to the future or thinks too far ahead.

You refocus by first recognizing your mind is racing ahead.

Then, you have to pull your mind back to the current shot. You do this by knowing exactly what thoughts, feelings, and images help you execute good shots. Execute is the key word here.

If you want to learn all my strategies I’ve taught to PGA Tour winners and 1000s of other golfers, I suggest you run over to peaksports and get your copy of “The Golfer’s Mental Edge.”

As a way of saying thank you to my loyal readers, you can get my new golf confidence CD program at half-off only this week until Thursday!

The Golfers Mental Edge

Your Mental Game Coach,

Dr. Patrick Cohn