Golf Tips - Recent Threads

Mental Aspect of the Game

Austin S — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:36:02 GMT

I have set a goal for myself of qualifying for a USGA sanctioned event by the time that I am 35 (I turned 30 this past October). The last time I played in an actual competitive round was my qualifier for the Texas Golf Association Mid-Am in 2022 and before that it would have been when I was in high school. I shot a 77 (par 72) for my practice round four days before. Morning of, I was feeling great and hitting great on the range. The minute I stepped up to the first tee I was like a deer in headlights and felt like I had never swung a golf club before. It was so bad I opted for a No Card. What tips and advice do you have on managing the mental aspect of the game and maintaining confidence from the work you've put in leading up to that moment?

RE: Mental Aspect of the Game

KHur — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:37:13 GMT

This.

My best rounds are sadly when im just having fun.

RE: Mental Aspect of the Game

KHur — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:36:25 GMT

[quote user="robert w"]Austin, congrats on following your goals! Half the battle is putting in the hard work on the range and the course to get your game to the level that you are comfortable with. The other 1/2 is mental and that affects both pros and amateurs alike. I too had a similar experience getting to the tee and forgetting how to play golf. I try to win the mental game by playing 1 shot at a time. It is so easy to get caught up in a bad thought or play a bad hole and let it destroy a good game. Sounds like you have the game locked down, just play more relaxed and accept that everyone will have a bad hole once in a while. Keep following your dreams and keep it in the fairway!

[/quote]

Your photo is upside down and its funny because it's kind of how I feel the world seems when im actually playing competitively even with friends. Left is right, up is down, what is what.

RE: Mental Aspect of the Game

J22abe — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 04:06:47 GMT

I have found when I get so frustrated, down a few beers, give up, and stop caring I start stringing together a bunch of pars and start playing better....
So my advice is don't care about your score. Focus on the shot at the moment and nothing else.
Plus the cart girl is still going to flirt with you after you top your driver 75 yards... so YOLO!

RE: Mental Aspect of the Game

Chuck Zirkle — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:47:36 GMT

I have though about wearing shooters ear plugs to just make everything go away. They are small and not that noticeable.

RE: Golf Cart Fans

Chuck Zirkle — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:44:23 GMT

I bought a mini air cooler off Amazon. Some are advertised referred to as Portable A/C. Plug it into the USB driver in the golf cart. Fill it up with cold water/ice, the fan blows cool air in the direction you need. Also need a bungee cord to attach it to the windshield. Best I have found for this high eat index in the lowcountry of S Carolina. Glad I saw this post, time to get it ready. Charleston being on the ocean, that heat index does get well over a hundred in the dreaded months of July and August. Nothing like Memphis though. After living there for ten years this was a welcome relief, if there is such a thing in the South. Not enough to move. Go vols.

Golf Cart Fans

Jason P — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:36:52 GMT

I see a lot of people using the Ryobi fans here in Alabama. with a couple bungee cords they rest them on the windshield (folded down) and they work very well. I am curious if anyone has other recommendations for fans possibly with a built in cooling element. Also, looking for recommendations for attaching to the cart in the most convenient way. Summer is upon us and it gets brutal. Heat is part of it and always will be, but we have 100+ days with humidity down here and I am looking for a little relief. Thanks!

Range Session Routine

Tyler C — Thu, 28 May 2026 18:43:05 GMT

Hey All!

I am trying to be better about practicing this year and I was wondering if anyone had a range session routine that has worked for them. There is a lot of info out there but I just want to be more intentional with my time on the range so it can translate to the course!

Thanks!

RE: Range Session Routine

Clinton M — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 02:50:39 GMT

go to the range when it is nice weather

RE: Mats vs grass

Don O — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:40:46 GMT

While no mat gives equal feedback to turf., putting an outdoor range mat on concrete is it’s own problem Set on a gravel base, the mat isn’t as hard on ball strikes. Just a lot softer on clubs. Elbows, and wrists.l

Mats vs grass

Chris H — Mon, 18 May 2026 21:21:54 GMT

Very frustrated with my local ranges using mats, the bounce I get really doesn’t allow me to gauge how well I’m really swinging. It often makes me take bigger divots/hit the ball far out on the course. I have taken the approach to not even warm up before a round at the range in order to play better. Anyone else taking this approach?

RE: Mats vs grass

Lance P — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:15:33 GMT

In my case, hitting off mats kills my right elbow and that's a pain I can do without!.

RE: Mats vs grass

ToddL — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:16:43 GMT

I'm going to take a contrarian perspective here...Up in the Northeast, simulator golf in the bad weather has become very popular. With the emergence of RCT balls, you can "play" golf year-round. Accurate feedback is now available with these balls. This would not be possible without the use of the mats. The technology and use of the mats have just added to the length of our golf season here in the Northeast.

Agree on checking the shaft periodically to ensure that you have not bent them. This should be done periodically anyways - when you change grips is a great time to do the checkup. It is like rotating the tires on your car - something you do to be sure that the car is operating properly.

RE: Mats vs grass

Jacob G — Sat, 30 May 2026 02:57:17 GMT

I Agree with you, I am not a fan of mats.
If you can I’d look at other ranges around you to see if you can find one that offers grass. I’m lucky enough to to have a few courses with grass ranges.

RE: Mats vs grass

RSharples — Thu, 28 May 2026 20:42:07 GMT

It seems that in the US, it’s far more common to get a grass range at a course than here in the UK.

RE: Range Session Routine

RSharples — Thu, 28 May 2026 20:39:20 GMT

Depends what the session is for. Drilling something new from coach, making sure that whatever it is you’re working on is being worked on. If it’s pre round, I’d start 8i, then 9, pw, 50 before working my way back down the bag. Getting a feel for the shape of the day.

RE: Mats vs grass

golfinnut — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:59:45 GMT

This is why I have a loft/lie machine ;) I check them more often than not.

RE: Mats vs grass

golfinnut — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:58:02 GMT

You never see the Pros hitting off of mats. All that needs to be said.

But then again the divots that Pros make are so much more uniform than the random 'canyons' that are left by amateurs. Golf course Superintendents hate to see that

RE: Mental Aspect of the Game

Sandro B — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:53:58 GMT

What I'd say from my own experience, and honestly this goes beyond golf into pretty much every area of life where you have to step up and perform, to me it comes down to preparation. If you truly put in the work without cheating yourself in the process, that alone builds real confidence.

For me personally, stress and nerves almost always came from things I didn't do, corners I cut, preparation I skipped. When you know deep down you've done everything you could, there's not much left to fear.

Keep grinding toward that qualifier!

RE: Practice vs Playing

Sandro B — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:14:49 GMT

Something I started doing is heading out to the course late when it's quiet and playing multiple balls, setting up different scenarios around the green, hitting various approaches, hitting two or three balls out of a greenside bunker or from a tough lie in the fairway and redoing them, practicing awkward lies on the putting surface, that kind of thing

Practice vs Playing

LBorders — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:33:21 GMT

Interested to learn how often you all practice (swing mechanics and chipping) versus playing the course.

Last year I committed to playing the course much more rather than range sessions. I feel it helped my game because it gave me real game scenarios rather than plunking balls down range endlessly.

Let’s hear your logic?

[View:http://www.titleist.com/discussion-images/jpg//teamtitleist/cfs-file/__key/acushnet-telligent-discussions-attachments/discussions-10-00/gzrxywpuh8dxyr08juqi:550:0]

RE: Mats vs grass

Jason P — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:07:00 GMT

I play the Robert Trent Jones courses in Alabama every weekend. The Oxmoor Valley range is bad to say the least, likely 100 ft drop downhill range and matts only unless its a weekend and it hasnt rained that month lol. I hate the mats!

RE: Mats vs grass

Sandro B — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:06:22 GMT

One thing I used to do was place a ball under the front edge of the mat, so the hitting surface sits slightly above ground level. It kills a lot of that bounce and gives you more direct feedback. When I'm really grinding and hitting a ton of balls, the extra give also feels easier on my wrists and joints compared to turf.

RE: Mats vs grass

Eric H — Thu, 28 May 2026 11:54:23 GMT

Mat's are sometimes necessary but unfortunately they just are not as fun to hit off as real grass!

RE: Mats vs grass

Mike D — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:25:39 GMT

I remember years ago someone asked Arnold about mats. He said no way, they give you bad feedback.