Playing Better Golf by Getting Out of Your Own Way

Before working with a new student, I always ask them to think back to their best-ever round and describe what their attitude was like that day. One recent answer from a 14 handicap student stood out:

“Shot 6 over, wasn’t paying much attention to the score – just playing each hole as it came and enjoying hitting good shots and being out in nature.”

Simple. Honest. And incredibly revealing.

So many of our best rounds happen when we’re not trying to manufacture a mindset or force a result. Instead, we slip into a more natural way of playing—one where the score doesn’t dominate our attention, our thoughts aren’t racing, and we’re actually immersed in the experience right in front of us.

When you look closely at this student’s answer, you can see some key ingredients to performance:

• He wasn’t thinking too much.

• He wasn’t trying to control every shot.

• He was absorbed in the round itself.

• And he was grateful for being outdoors, hitting the shots the course was asking him to, and simply playing golf.

  
  

This is the paradox we all run into: Golf gets easier when we stop trying to control it.

A quieter mind leads to a freer swing. Presence leads to better decisions. And genuine appreciation—being glad to be out there rather than grinding for a number—often unlocks the level of golf we’ve been chasing.

The Takeaway

If there’s one message to pull from this, it’s that gratitude and presence aren’t just “nice” mental states—they directly support better golf. When you appreciate the experience and stay connected to what’s happening in front of you, your mind settles and your natural ability comes through.

Your best swings live inside that quieter space. Gratitude opens the door. Presence keeps you there.