How to Mentally Play a Game of Golf

Video Transcript

"JOHNNY MILES: In this clip, we're going to talk about course management, overcoming anxiety, what to do under pressure situations. I'm on the 17th tee at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club. It's a 185-yard par 3. Very pivotal golf hole when they held the GTE Suncoast Classic here. This was actually the 18th hole that they played, and there was everything from 2's to 6's made on this par 3. It's all carry-over water to a pin that is upfront, okay? Well, depending on where you stand in the round, if it's a tournament round, or playing with your buddies, the worst thing you could do here is come up short. Unless you absolutely had to make a birdie, this pin being on the front of the green is a no-go pin. I've got 165 to carry on the front left and another 20 yards to carry in the back right. The pin is kinda front center, all right? And I have a ridge running from the back left of the green through the center. So yardage to the pin with the pin upfront is only 177. But what I'm going to do is I'm going to play 180- to 185-yard shot, because I want to take the water out of play in that ridge behind the hole will keep my ball from going over. Okay? This way if I miss this club a little bit, I'm still going to fly the hazard and I'll be chipping from front left, pretty easy chip up to that hole, and I've taken water out of play. Now, my miss here, I want to be to the left. So I'm going to hit a little bit of a draw. In your tee box, to help you hit a draw, you should probably get on the far-left side of the tee box to see the shape of the shot better. If you were going to fade it, you would want to get on the far-right hand side of the tee box. But seeing I'm going to hit a draw, I would come over here. Stand back here. I don't want to start this just left to the flag, so I pick my line, see the shot accordingly, make sure my miss is long not short."