08/31/2026
This Week’s Golf Tip: Stop Aiming at Trouble
Golfers have a fascinating habit.
There's water on the right, so what do they stare at?
The water.
There's a bunker guarding the green, so what gets their undivided attention?
The bunker.
There's one lonely tree that shouldn't even be involved in the shot, and suddenly that tree becomes the most important object on the entire golf course.
Then comes my favorite:
“Whatever you do, DON'T hit it in the water.”
Congratulations. You just gave your brain a beautiful picture of exactly where you don't want the ball to go. 😆
And here's another one I see all the time.
You come to a hole with water, reach into your bag and pull out that old crappy ball you don't care about losing.
Think about what you just did.
Before you've even hit the shot, you've given yourself permission to hit the ball in the water.
You planned for failure instead of planning the shot.
Now your attention is on the water, you're holding the sacrificial golf ball, and your brain has been given a very clear message about what you're expecting to happen.
If your brain is busy working on negatives, you're giving yourself permission to produce a negative result.
Instead, give your brain a job it can actually use.
Don't aim away from the water.
Pick a spot in the fairway.
Don't think “Don't hit the bunker.”
Pick the section of the green you want to hit.
Don't stand over the ball thinking “Don't go right.”
See where you want the ball to finish.
Want to see how powerful that is?
Don't think about a pink elephant. 🐘
Too late.
Your brain works much better with a destination than a warning.
So keep your good golf ball in play, pick your target, see the shot you want to hit and commit to it.
Don't give yourself permission to fail before you've even swung the club.
And if you absolutely insist on carrying a crappy water ball...
At least don't introduce it to the water before you hit it. 😂⛳
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