Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a weekend warrior, there’s no denying that the mental aspect of the game plays a big part, if not the biggest part, in determining your ability to score. And I’m not just talking about being smart here. Playing good golf requires not only the capacity to think in a logical manner but also the ability to tap into that part of the brain that controls our emotions, creativity and reflexes.

Golfers who play poorly are often accused of either thinking too much or not thinking enough. I believe the real issue is not the amount of thoughts you have, but the quality and timing of your thoughts.
Touring pros, for example, have a lot more things to consider than the average golfer, and yet still manage to perform under tremendous pressure. How? The answer lies in the pre-shot preparation. Following are some tips to help you develop an effective mental routine.

THINK OUT OF THE BOX
I don’t mean this in the figurative sense. The box I’m referring to is the three-dimensional space where you set up and hit the ball. All decision-making should be done outside this box, e.g. yardage calculation, club selection, starting target, finishing target, type of swing. Don’t enter this box until you’re 100% committed to the shot you’ve chosen to hit. I don’t know who said “it’s more important to be decisive than correct,â€