Mental Game Coaching
by PGA Coach, Bob Miller

A mental system in golf provides a competitive advantage by reducing decision-making errors, organizing your thought process, and considering factors such as lies, conditions, and yardage. Commitment to decisions is important, and doubt should be avoided while trust is embraced. The subconscious mind should be allowed to take over, and mental consistency should be achieved before technical consistency. Preload, or the mental preparation in the pre-shot routine, should involve a slow swing, feeling the shot, imprinting the move, and focusing on tempo and rhythm while committing to the shot. The mental game is broken down into three parts: the point of initiation, alignment, and focus. A system should be defined and followed, and mastering a process step by step is important. Staying focused on the process rather than the score or results is crucial. The basic pre-shot routine involves gathering information, getting distance, calculating playing yardage, and considering how the lie affects the shot and aiming point. It is recommended for a right-handed player to step into the shot with their right side first, adjust their stance accordingly, and pick an intermediate target.