Train the Mind to Win the Game
/Golf isn't just a physical challenge, it's a mental battle. What separates elite players from the rest is often what goes on between shots, not just during them. At Dennis Sales Golf Academy, we don’t leave mindset development to chance. We train it with the same purpose and detail as we train swing mechanics and scoring skills.
Below are 8 foundational mental game principles we instill in every golfer we coach:
1. Embrace the Present Moment
Let go of past mistakes and future worries. Whether it’s the first tee or 18th green, being fully present allows your preparation to shine. Trust the work you’ve put in, this shot is all that matters.
At Dennis Sales Golf Academy, we coach players to develop “reset” strategies between shots. A quick breath, a visual trigger, or a specific phrase can help you clear your mind and start each shot fresh no matter what happened before. This is the foundation for real consistency under pressure. Staying present is a skill. The more you practice it on the range and during practice rounds, the more automatic it becomes when it counts most.
2. Simplify Your Swing
Overthinking kills performance. We train players to let go of constant technical thoughts and instead rely on trained feels. Your swing should be a reaction to the task, not a list of swing thoughts.
Key during training is finding simple solutions to help a complex task become an athletic reaction, not an overly technical checklist during play. Elite athletes often describe being “in the zone” as a state where they hardly remember performing, they’re just reacting. This comes from having a clear mindset and, most importantly, from simplifying what they’re doing under pressure. For golfers, that usually means one simple tempo cue and one swing thought, nothing more.
3. Stick to Your Routine
A reliable pre-shot routine centers your mind and primes your body. At DSGA, we build custom routines for every player to help them stay confident and locked in, especially when pressure hits.
Routines are key! The ability to shift from the analytical side of the brain to the athletic side is essential for peak performance. We teach players to identify the different stages of their routine and where their mind should be during each phase. During practice and training, we help golfers dial in their routine keys so that execution becomes automatic under pressure.
Stick to your routine religiously, and it will become a powerful tool to calm your mind and elevate your game.
4. Use Positive Self-Talk
Your inner voice matters. Replace negative chatter with affirmations that build confidence. We teach players how to reframe doubt into belief, one shot at a time.
This is a huge one! We have to find the good that comes from the bad. Every golfer has certain mindsets and thoughts that let them play their best. The best players have mastered this trick—most golfers don’t realize how critical it is to recognize and harness what we call the “Champion Bubble” thoughts. At Dennis Sales Golf Academy, we teach our players to develop their own “Champion Bubble” thought-control concept, a true game changer for mental performance!
Be your own biggest supporter, and believe in your abilities.
““Ask yourself how many shots you would have saved if you always developed a strategy before you hit, always played within your capabilities, never lost you temper, and never got
down on yourself.””
4. Use Positive Self-Talk
Your inner voice matters. Replace negative chatter with affirmations that build confidence. We teach players how to reframe doubt into belief, one shot at a time.
This is a huge one! We have to find the good that comes from the bad. Every golfer has certain mindsets and thoughts that let them play their best. The best players have mastered this trick—most golfers don’t realize how critical it is to recognize and harness what we call the “Champion Bubble” thoughts. At Dennis Sales Golf Academy, we teach our players to develop their own “Champion Bubble” thought-control concept, a true game changer for mental performance!
Be your own biggest supporter, and believe in your abilities.
5. Visualize Success
See it before you swing it. Train your brain to picture the perfect shot, feel it in your body, and then trust that image through the swing. Visualization is a cornerstone of every elite performer’s mental game.
This is really hard for many golfers for a number of reasons. First, most don’t fully grasp how crucial mindset is to performance. Second, they often don’t see the ball flying the way they want, which can make it harder to picture success. True visualization means seeing the full flight of the ball in your mind with vivid detail: the ball flying toward a specific spot on a tree, curving to the middle of the fairway, landing, and rolling out toward your target. If you struggle with this, here’s a cue: The higher your tension, the less you can visualize. If you can’t see the full shot in your mind, it’s time to reset, start calming yourself using yoga breathing techniques. Only then can you access your best mental rehearsal.
6. Breathe and Relax
Tension kills tempo. Deep, intentional breaths are part of our training process to help golfers reset, refocus, and stay loose under pressure.
At Dennis Sales Golf Academy, I teach my players to use FocusBand technology and yoga breathing techniques to help them fully relax. These breathing strategies are game changers for the mental side. I also highly recommend golfers take classes to learn deep yoga breathing. These skills directly translate to better performance on the course. Why is it so important? Because tension kills our ability to perform the fine motor skills that golf requires. Tension clouds your thinking and makes it much easier to get distracted.
Control your breathing, control your performance.
7. Accept Mistakes
Golf is a game of misses. What matters is how you respond. We help players analyze without judgment, extract the lesson, and move forward with confidence.
A key to acceptance is also understanding what a good shot really looks like. The vast majority of players I work with have expectations that are simply too high, which only makes acceptance harder. That’s why I love using stats from Arccos Golf to show players what’s actually acceptable at their handicap level. Most golfers are shocked when they see the data and say, “I had no idea!” Facts help control emotions. Emotional reactions to shots that are actually acceptable only add unnecessary stress and hurt scores. Real acceptance is built on perspective and knowing the facts can calm your mind so you can focus on the next shot.
“Success depends almost entirely on how effectively you learn to manage the game’s two ultimate adversaries: the course and yourself.”
8. Enjoy the Process
Golf is supposed to be fun. We never lose sight of that. Progress, challenges, camaraderie it’s all part of the journey. Play with purpose, but enjoy the ride.
This is truly what I love about the game. The process is the process, it must be followed, no matter what happened in the past or what fear you have about the future. Embracing this truth and committing to execute your process at a higher level on every next shot is vital to your ultimate performance and improvement. The journey is where real growth happens, so enjoy it and trust that results will come.
Ready to Train Your Mental Game?
If you’re a competitive golfer looking to level up, we’re here to help. We’re currently accepting two more tournament golfers in May who are ready to become more consistent, structured, and confident by mastering the mental game.
Contact us directly to start your personalized program.
Let us help you go from playing tentative to playing fearless.
Train your mind like you train your swing. Book your New Student Assessment at Dennis Sales Golf Academy - Argyle’s top-rated indoor golf training center.