The 10 Commandments of Golf form a Test of your Ability to play the game to your Full Potential.
Every shot in your round presents you with a unique challenge.
How you measure up to the challenge will ultimately reflect itself in your score for the 18 holes. How many of the 10 Commandments will you break next time you play?
- NEVER PLAY A SHOT WHEN ANGRY
Golf is a game that can drive a sane person to distraction. It is natural to blow off a bit of steam after a bad shot rather than maintain a Zen-like calmness.
However, anger tends to feed on itself and being mad at yourself for more than 10 seconds is likely to poison your mind and harm your score.
- PLAY EACH SHOT AS A SINGLE EVENT
This is the most common piece of advice to golfers at any level. Your most important shot is always your next one. The only possible exception is when you are basing your shot on where you want to play from next.
However, once you have decided your lay-up target, you must still play the current shot as a single event.
- PIN-POINT A TARGET TO AIM AT
If you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing. Good golfers always pick out a precise target rather than hit in the general direction of the hole. Often they will pick out a spot on their line and focus on hitting their ball over their spot.
Another technique is to imagine a small hoop on your line and then try to hit your ball through the hoop.
- VISUALISE THE SHOT IN YOUR MIND'S EYE
Jack Nicklaus was a master of visualising his shot. Seeing the shot you want before you hit it prepares your brain for action. When I caddied I would ask my player to talk me through how he intended to play his shot.
Of course, you must visualise according to your capability, otherwise you are just fantasising.
- FOLLOW A CONSISTENT PRE-SHOT ROUTINE
It is very easy to just walk up to the ball and hit it. Certainly it will avoid any tension building up - a situation that can happen when you spend too long over the ball.
However, a better technique is to adopt a standard approach to each shot - the way good players manage their game.
- PLAY THE SHOT ONLY WHEN FOCUSSED AND READY
This advice is time dependent. Players on tour are allowed 40 seconds to play their shot to avoid receiving a bad time. All thinking must be done behind the ball.
As you step in over an imaginary line you leave behind the 'Think Box' and enter the 'Play Box'. Now your total focus must be on your target and pulling the trigger without delay.
- COMMIT TO EACH SHOT FULLY WITHOUT SELF-DOUBT
It is better to hit the wrong club with conviction than to try and adjust your shot mid-swing. Deceleration or speeding up your swing because you feel you either have too much or too little club usually ends in a bad shot.
A wrong club that is struck well is more likely to produce a better result.
- TRUST YOUR SWING
Tinkering with your swing should be left until after the round. It is very tempting to start experimenting if you are playing poorly, but it usually makes things worse.
This is because you are now in Practice rather than in Play Mode, and can become a victim of 'Paralysis by Analysis'.
- STAY UPBEAT AND CARRY YOURSELF WITH CONFIDENCE
This is especially tough to do when your game is off. Your body language shows outsiders the type of day you are having.
Maintaining a winning posture and a positive frame of mind when the wheels have fallen off is a test of true character.
- ACCEPT THE RESULT AND THEN FOCUS ON THE NEXT SHOT
The ability to accept the result of each shot no matter where it goes is the mark of someone who has conquered the vagaries of golf. You are going to get bad breaks – that is the nature of the game.
It is difficult to remain philosophical when luck is against you, but getting upset usually leads to a negative downward spiral.
The 10 Commandments should form the backbone of your golf strategy. Although separate, they are linked together.
Each of the 10 Commandments demands your full attention if you are going to get the best out of your ability - the ability to maximise your potential and enjoyment, and ultimately your score.
At the end of your round find some quiet time to reflect on how well you observed the 10 Commandments of Golf.
Become aware of where you failed, and where you need to do better on your next outing.
