Instruction
The Mental Game: Training vs. Trusting
Do you stand over EVERY shot running down a mental checklist of the 24 basic swing components and their variations? I promise you that tour players don’t, which is why they are able to look and swing so confidently.
Regardless of your skill level, here is the key to lower scores. Know how to train your golf swing, and then know how to trust it.
The concept of training vs. trusting is not a new one. It’s the basis sports psychology and motor learning concepts (how your mind and body learns, develops and refines a complex motor pattern of movement). Sports psychologists have known for a long time that at the top levels of professional golf, it’s not as much a golfer’s physical abilities as his or her mental skills that separate the best of the best. Unfortunately, most golfers NEVER leave the stage of training on the golf course. That means that they will never free up their bodies to accomplish the swings that their bodies are truly capable of!
The Training Mentality
The Training Mentality is a hypersensitive level of awareness dedicated to a particular facet of your present stroke pattern that is incorrect or faulty. It could be caused by a lesson from a teaching professional, a fellow golfer’s comment about your swing or maybe even your own internal feelings of what is causing your swing to do weird things. Therefore, you will now enter into the training mode where you are very cognizant of what you feel and sense in your golf swing. Staying in the Training Mode means only one thing — every time you step up to the ball either on the range or on the course your thoughts are zoned in on your mechanics. You are paralyzed by over-analysis!
As things progress further you continue to focus more heavily on this aspect of your swing. You practice on the range longer, and stand over every shot consumed with 400 swing thoughts — not a very nice way to spend the day! Now, I am NOT telling you to overlook what you feel and hear, but you must know when to turn those thoughts off and on. When you are in a lesson or practicing a particular swing mechanic, you must be very focused and over-sensitive about the move you are trying to change. After all, it is the training mode.
After a lesson, my students are highly focused on changing their faulty move(s) when I show them how it will improve their game. But I prescribe a different approach than most teachers to help my students improve at the quickest pace thanks to my knowledge of the training vs. trusting mindset. I like to have them leave the Training Mode on the range and here’s how!
- You MUST change visual perceptions into physical feelings through mirror work. Use a mirror to compare your old move to the new one. What do you feel? This is what you are looking for on the range. If you hit 10,000 balls right after your lesson without gaining this feeling of old versus new, how many repetitions are going to be correct? What mirror work does is establish a new “feeling” so on the range you can make a high number of CORRECT repetitions, not just a bunch of swings.
- After you establish the correct feelings of how the new move is to affect you sensations, then start with SMALL swings and work your way up. Take it from me, you cannot fix swing flaws effectively with a driver in your hand right at first. Use your wedge and partial swings. When and ONLY when you can do it every time with a wedge should you move up to a less lofted club. Don’t beat your head into the ground. Start slow and do it right, because one more ball you hit incorrectly is just one more you will have to hit correctly to rid yourself of your old habit!
- Now that you have worked yourself up to full swings, it is time to go to the course. For all those people who must think about something over the ball (we’ll get to that trusting mentality shortly) this will help you. Take two practice swings per shot on the course thinking about all the mechanical thoughts you need to on the first one. On the second one, think of only the feeling and visualization of where you want the ball to end up (not where you don’t want to go). On the third swing, stand over the ball prepared to hit it with a free mind and TRUST it and let it happen!
These are the stages that I tell all my students to go through from the best professionals on Tour to the beginner golfer. It never varies. How can you trust your swing when it causes you to hit shots all over the place, you might ask? Well, that is an interesting point, but let’s discuss it in our Trusting Mentality section.
The Trusting Mentality
After training and focusing extra hard on changing a swing flaw, there comes a time when you have to trust what you have done on the range and in front of the mirror! You must allow your body to react in the new manner naturally. That is why you practice and pay attention to the new feelings your swing gives you. You take these conscious feelings and manipulations of new swing motions and through lessons and proper practice (described above) you MUST move them into your subconscious. Then you can play the game as it was meant to be played (without 4,000 swing thoughts).
Unfortunately, most people never achieve this trusting mindset because of their over-analytical state. When people ask me to describe this sensation to them I usually cite two impacting examples:
- If I put a 10-foot 2-by-6 flat on the floor and told you to walk across it, you would have no trouble at all. If I placed it 50 feet in the air, all of a sudden after years and years of walking you would suddenly forget how to put one foot in front of the other! Why does this happen? People lose the Trusting Mentality necessary to walk across that plank. By thinking about how to walk, people interfere with their bodies’ natural homeostatic mechanisms that they use for balance. Guess what happens next? Another one bites the dust. It is the same on the golf course — after working on a new motion in the Training Mode, allow yourself to slip back to the Trusting Mode when you are on the course. You do this in stages by using small partial swings with a high percentage of successful repetitions, building your way slowly up to full swings. My theory is that if you cannot hit small shots the proper way, then it will be impossible to move hit larger shots the proper way. Start small until you are successful in implementing the new move! If the ball goes sideways, it only tells you that you need more practice on the range and in your mirror. You cannot expect to have any shot consistency if your mental checklist includes several hundred things!
- My final example of trusting comes from everyone’s experience of hitting balls or putting while talking with one of your friends. It’s then that something weird can happen. Every shot is effortless and pure. Why does this happen? For a brief time, you are allowing your body to do what is natural for it to do, propelling the ball at your target without allowing your mind to tell you how to do it! Your body knows how to swing if you will let it work thought-free. It’s just your mind intercepting the muscles’ natural motions on the big shots (you know, trying to kill the ball for no reasons whatsoever), the stigma of trying to hit long irons in the air off a tight lie, trying not to chunk the ball into the pond on No. 8, and so on. This trust must be gained slowly and in stages; if not you will never reach the level of shot purity that you can. That is a promise from me!
You don’t have to “be the ball,” but freeing your mind of swing thoughts after working on a new swing motion can result in the same level of golf nirvana.
If you don’t believe in this idea, I will give you one test. Hit 50 balls with your 5-iron and consciously think during the swings about your mechanics and how to make your swing correct during that full shot. I bet you hit 80 percent of those balls horribly unsolid and offline.
Now, wear your iPod and playing soothing slow music and hit the same number of balls allowing your mind to only do one thing be free of any thoughts. I’ll bet you hit a far greater percentage of those shots better and tension free! Any teaching professional will tell you that they do not want you to focus on too many things on the course. That is what the range is for. The practice facility is a conscious place for thought and swing mechanic experiments. The course is for getting the ball into the hole however it takes regardless if it’s pretty or not!
I teach my students to identify their problems and solve them objectively though mirror work, follow-up lessons and proper efficient practice. My goal is not tie my students’ minds up in knots on the golf course, because if you do, it is you own fault. I firmly advocate keeping the mind free and thinking simple on the golf course. Leave mechanics on the practice facility and for your mirror!
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Pingback: Mastering the Mental Game: Elevate Your Golf Skills – linkedgreens
Josh
Oct 1, 2013 at 8:30 am
When I am working on my swing, I like to hit balls with my back to the sun so that my shadow is in front of me!! It is like using a mirror, but you can check body mechanics on the range!! Also when working on swing mechanics on the range I typically will hit 5 shots with whatever drill or swing thought and then back off go through my routine and hit one shot with nothing in my mind. When you do this and that one shot is a perfect shot you gain instant trust that what you are doing is working!!
I like to be my own ipod on the course. When I am playing my best I have one song stuck in my head singing it over and over while playing any shot. Makes the game more fun and less stressful!!!
Great article
Zeeraq
Sep 25, 2013 at 12:03 am
Good article, but a lot of it taken out of Bob Rotella’s book, “Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect”. Down to the plank in the air. I do love the iPod idea though, I’ve been doing it for a year now and it REALLY gets you in a clear, empty state of mind. The mirror’s a great method as well.
For those who liked this article, I highly recommend Rotella’s book. I spent a year choking and believing I wasn’t cut out for the big stage until I read that book. Needless to say, times have changed 🙂
Kenny
Sep 24, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Great article….so know i can play with music ….and not listen to my playing partners…
naflack
Sep 24, 2013 at 12:56 am
i like having 1 swing thought, that works for me.
i have learned however that it is often easier to concentrate on the swing thougt than to concentrate on the aspects of the shot.
i can tell im doing this because ill be hitting quality shots but scoring poorly.
careful with those swing thoughts, even if they work for you they can take your concentration away from some of the required aspects of shooting good scores.
Joey
Sep 23, 2013 at 4:54 pm
Fantastic article. I’m one of the worst for over analysis, I can play at a high level, often playing to a single digit handicap.
When I’m thinking, I play into the 90’s, it’s so frustrating. I appreciate the advice!
AJ Jensen
Sep 23, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Great article. So much goes into analysis, so little addresses application. This article was a much-needed emphasis on letting go of analytical thinking during play.