Power of the Mind in Golf

How powerful can the mind be?
I go back to a shot I remember vividly as if it happened just yesterday. It was this shot that got me thinking about how powerful the mind can be. Before this particular shot, I had never really paid any attention to the thought processes or how the mind can influence you and your shots. Obviously, I had an idea that the mind can play tricks, and sometimes how you feel in the moment can have an effect on what comes next. Never had I experienced the effect so clearly or with such a connection to it as I did on this day. This day marked a new beginning and era in my golf career.
The shot in question:I was standing over the ball about 80 yards from the pin, which was perched precariously at the front of the green. I had chosen my sand wedge as the weapon of choice. For me a full swing results in a shot of about 95 yards. As I was addressing the ball my thoughts wandered all over the place, but I remember the very last thought I had. “I wish I was about 15 yards further back, that would have been perfect”. As I began my backswing, that was my only focus, being further away. As I came down onto the ball, something strange took place, something I did in my swing, a movement that even Hank Haney would not be able to describe nor explain resulting in the ball popping about 10 feet up in the air. The ball landed on the ground and by some miracle spun back about 15 yards. Unbelievably, I now had my 95-yard shot. Mission accomplished, well sort of. It was then it hit me “wow, this is exactly the end result I was hoping for; it was exactly what I was focusing on doing.” “This is huge; can the mind really be that powerful?” I thought. Looking back on the shot and analyzing it brought me to the following conclusions:

Becoming aware of your internal dialogue is a must; it can bring new clarity to your golf game and your life. If you have never experienced your internal dialogue, give this mind drill a try;

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