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Don't forget the mental side

May 27

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5/27/2009

I read an article the other day about tournament preparation. It was interesting in that it focused on the fact that there's no difference between competitive and recreation golf, the only thing that changes is your mental outlook.

Very true.

That got me thinking about all the tour professionals out there that spend a lot of time working on the mental aspects of their game. It's not quite like Roy McIlvoy in Tin Cup; the world's best work with sport specific doctors to make sure they're in the right frame of mind when the money's on the line.

At this week's Colonial, one of the top names in sports psychology is working the driving range. Dr. Lanny Bassham works with guys like Rory Sabbatini (last week's TOUR winner), Justin Leonard, Ben Crane and Jerry Kelly to prepare them for the rigors of tournament golf. The funny thing is that he doesn't play the game.

That's right, Dr. Bassham says that playing golf would destory his ability to coach professionals in the mental aspects of the game. He'd be too close to it. So your next question is, 'what does he know.'

Well, Bassham knows plenty. He's an Olympic gold medalist and 18-time world champion in Rifle Shooting. From his failures and successes, he developed a system called Mental Management that can help athletes in just about any sport achieve their ultimate goals.

Now most of us will probably never sit down with Dr. Bassham and work through the demons that haunt our golf games. We can, however, benefit from his wisdom by reading his books and participating in seminars. For those looking to take the next step with their games, it might be a good way to get started.

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About the Blog

Kris Fay
Golf Writer

In addition to owning Northwest Golf Adventures, I've been writing golf and travel articles since 2000. My main focus has always been golf in the Pacific Northwest, but I've had stories appear in association magazines across the country, several national publications and on radio and television. I'm always looking for great stories to write about!

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