Make it Look Easy
A Mental Game Strategy for Experienced Golfers
Let me start by saying that this approach works most effectively for golfers with years of experience and some degree of skill. It can apply to beginners as well as a more general mindset to keep as they develop their game, but it won’t have the full effect. You must possess enough confidence to reap the benefits.
Over many years and countless rounds of golf, I’ve observed many types of players at almost every level of ability. Everyone’s game is different, unique. Swings vary almost as much as a snowflake or fingerprint. Short game methods and putting abilities are all over the map. These days, I am almost always the most skilled player in my group. But that wasn’t always the case.
During my formative years on the course, most of my friends were at a similar skill level. I always expected to play better than them (and better than I usually ended up playing) but that was not a common occurrence. I did notice a theme. When I expected to play well, I didn’t deliver. And when I didn’t have many expectations, I played my best.
There are many different names and faces to this phenomenon. My conclusion is simply that when I make the game look easy, I’ll play my best.
Take a player like Freddy Couples, for example. His swing is one of the smoothest I’ve ever watched, and it looks truly effortless. Anyone on the planet can see that. Now look beyond the silky smooth swing. Watch what he does before each shot, after the shot, between holes. He walks at a relaxed pace, does everything smoothly, stays calm after a good shot, bad shot, or anything else that comes up. He exudes confidence and calm.
The secret is that playing the game this way creates and feeds a cycle. He makes each shot look easy, which builds confidence that the next shot will be just as easy.
By making the shots and the process look easy, he is making it easier to execute his game to the best of his ability. This feedback loop can be derailed by a poorly executed shot, a bad break, or any combination of things that don’t go according to plan. Professional players have much fewer of those things during a round and have an easier time maintaining that fluid execution. However, you too can use this cycle to your advantage.
Just like anything else in life and in golf, this takes practice. Yes, you should practice making golf look easy! The only thing more impressive than hitting a drive down the pipe, sticking a wedge close, chipping to tap-in distance, or holing a putt? Doing it nonchalantly, with the appearance that it took no effort and was the inevitable outcome of your effort.
Whether on the range or the practice green, practice with a casual and relaxed energy. Channel your inner Ty Webb out there and have some fun with it. Nanananana!
How to Start the Cycle
One of the reasons I say this strategy is easier for more experienced golfers is that they will naturally hit more good shots. Making a poorly executed shot look easy isn’t very impressive and doesn’t feel very positive. With the right mindset, all you need is that first good (or better yet great) shot of the round. I know what you’re thinking: easier said than done. You’re not wrong. However, you can set yourself up for success here in several ways. Use what works for you.
In my experience, there are a few ways to get this cycle going. First, set the stage for hitting a good shot as early in the round as your first tee shot. If at all possible, hit some range balls before your round. If the course you plan to play doesn’t have a driving range, try to find one that’s on the way. Failing that, keep a handful of crappy balls in your trunk.
Maybe the course will have some area to hit a few shots out into the woods or somewhere safe. A guy I played with in San Francisco would regularly do just that. He’d hit three or four irons from the grass next to the practice green out to an empty practice area on the course (as long as it was safe).
Second, play smart but not overly conservative out of the gate. Do you really need to hit a driver on the first hole, or will a 3 or 5 wood still give you a short iron approach (assuming it’s a par 4)? Making a routine par to start, even with mediocre shots, can serve this purpose well enough. If you’ve gotten into trouble, perhaps making a bogey with either a great chip or making a solid putt can be just the ticket. If you walk off the first or second green with par or even a great bogey save, you did it.
Channel your inner pro with a relaxed, casual stride off the green with a nonchalant putter twirl or ball juggle, letting whatever playful motion feels right take over. Just make sure every action appears entirely smooth.
Third, and most important, is not to panic if you don’t find the cycle right away! It might take a couple holes (or many more) to find something to use as your catalyst. I’ve had rounds where I’ve hit good shots and gotten terrible breaks, or the wind is howling, and it’s hard to feel comfortable, or the pace of play is so slow you feel like there’s no flow to the round.
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Don’t fret. Trust that the very next shot you hit will be the one that settles you into the round, because there will be one. Focusing on the positive and picturing it happening is the most reliable way to realize a good outcome in golf. Be patient, give yourself grace. It will come if you let it.
Keep it Going
Once you’ve hit a shot or finished a hole that launches you into the cycle, you’ve done one of the hard bits. Now you just have to keep that going. Feed the cycle by making the transition from one shot to the next look, and therefore feel, easy. Walk with smooth, easy strides. Have fun with the game. Juggle a ball while you’re walking. Think smooth, relaxed thoughts.
Hit a good tee ball? Go for the quick tee pickup. Hit it real good? Don’t watch where it went.
Pured your approach shot? Nothing’s stopping you from a good ole club twirl! Maybe holding that finish until the ball lands is more your thing. If it feels good, do it.
Similar to the third aspect I mentioned in the approach to getting into the cycle, don’t panic if something goes awry. It will almost definitely happen. A tee shot may find the hazard or you might chunk a chip, three-putt a green or commit any other sin of golf. Use calm, smooth energy to move through that mistake, and assume that you’re just as likely to execute an excellent shot to right the ship.
Making that bounce-back look easy is an absolute round saver and feels amazing to boot.
I hear so many stories of rounds starting well and going south on the back nine, or the last handful of holes. That used to happen to me too. Over the more recent years, as I’ve realized the importance of this mental strategy, most of my rounds tend to finish much stronger than they start. It’s not uncommon for me to shoot 4 to 6 shots better on the back nine, unless I start pretty strong in the first place.
Putting it into Practice
As I was pulling into the parking lot at my local course recently, it occurred to me that I should test this theory before I share it with you. I enjoy playing this way, but does it actually help me play better?
My previous round had not gone according to plan, and the reality was that I didn’t handle it well. You know that bit about taking your own advice? Yeah, I sort of slept on that one. In hindsight, I could see that I had veered far from finding and riding the cycle I’ve been talking about. This round, I decided I would keep this singular mantra in mind from the first tee.
I was playing with a friend for the first time, so obviously I wanted to play well. A random single joined us on the tee to make a threesome. Our 6:20 am tee time was probably the earliest I had played in a decade, so I had that working against me (no, I’m not an early morning person). I put all of that aside and committed to making this round look easy.
The first hole is a significant dogleg right, uphill. Without a warm-up, my drive leaked right of my target and was completely blocked out. Not a good start. But I saw a small window at the corner, stayed smooth and calm, and hit a crisp punch cut 5-iron that passed under the tree limbs, hit the slope short of the green and disappeared up the hill, directly in line with the pin. I figured it would have caught the rough short or skidded over.
Walking casually up to the green, I was pleasantly surprised to see my ball about 6 feet past the pin, leaving a flat birdie putt. When it was my turn to putt, I executed my brief routine, drained it in the centre of the cup, gently retrieved my ball and declared “birdie.” I think we were all a little surprised. Most importantly, the cycle had already begun.
I rode that cycle all morning, tying my low round for that course and a very consistent performance, including all pars on the back nine. At the conclusion of the round, all I could think was how well the approach served me. It worked.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, the better the player you are, the easier it is to follow this approach. The good news is that even if you are a beginner, or lack the confidence to truly utilize this mindset, all it takes is practice. Practice sessions are the best place to test this out, play with it, and feel comfortable hitting shots with the intent to make the process and the shot look easy.
Taking this approach achieves what a lot of common wisdom suggests. Just listen to announcers during any PGA Tour broadcast, and you’ll inevitably hear how the best players in the world stay calm and collected. They don’t get flustered when they hit a poor shot or get a lousy break. They certainly make it look very easy.
It’s a lot easier to get up and down from a tricky spot when you've already made a handful of mid-range putts and aren’t putting pressure on yourself to pitch it super close to save par. It’s also a lot easier to make tough putts when you know you’ve made some already and you’re confident your next hole, next shot, will be played well. It’s all a cycle, one that is simply easier for them to start and maintain.
Just remember that pros aren’t the ones who get to have all the fun. Yes, fun! This game is frustrating as hell, but that isn’t why we love it. We love it because it’s challenging and fun. When you make the game look easy, even for just part of your round or practice session, it doesn’t get much more fun than that!
If you enjoyed this article, check out my next article, Driving Range Mats Can Hurt Your Game in an Unexpected Way! If this helped you or you have feedback, leave some claps and a comment below or share with a friend!
