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Improving focus starts in practice
 By Patrick J. Cohn PhD
Florida Golf News
26-Feb-01
What was I thinking?” you mutter in frustration after hitting a shot over the green. You lost focus for a split second and it cost you a shot, maybe two. Most players at one time, lose focus, become distracted, or are too stressed to concentrate. The ability to concentrate is critical to successful performance, and quality practice flows from high levels of concentration. Golf is challenging to a player’s concentration because you have to be successful at turning your focus on for each shot after several minutes of down time. Concentration is the ability to become immersed in a task without distractions, and it involves four key elements: (1) knowing what cues to focus on; (2) staying focused on those relevant cues; (3) the ability to shift attention; and (4) refocusing when distracted. A key to concentration is to know what’s important to focus on, and this starts in your practice. One must first identify the task-relevant cues and task-irrelevant cues in golf. First, what thoughts or feelings help you make a shot? Second, what are the distractions in your game? Below lists the task-relevant cues important to shot making:
| •Today’s game plan | •Wind direction and strength | | •Distance to target | •Lie of the ball | | •Club selection | •Type of shot (fade, draw) | | •Pin placement | •Target location | | •Visualization of the shot | •Practice swing(s) | | •Aim, alignment, set-up | •Affirmative self-talk |
The ability to focus starts with knowing what performance cues you should attend to, recognizing when you get off-task, and then refocusing after you realize you’re off-task. You can practice these skills on the range or putting green. First, define your preshot routine for all parts of the game. Next, recognize when you get off-task. Finally, refocus on the important cues for performing the next shot. Only the present shot matters in golf! This is the most basic notion I teach in sport psychology, but it's the hardest mental skill to do repeatedly. (This article was based on Dr. Cohn’s new book, Peak Performance Golf: How Good Golfers Become Great Ones.)
Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is a leading golf psychologist who consults with tour pros and amateurs. He is the author of The Mental Game of Golf and The Mental Art of Putting. He also is the leading talent in the video Make Your Most Confident Stroke and the audio Great Putting-Right Now. For more information, call 888-742-7225 or visit his Web site at www.peaksports.com.
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