One of the primary challenges of the mental side of golf is learning how to manage the inner critic. The following are strategies that the Bad Golfer can use to reduce the influence of the inner critic. Anxiety fuels the inner critic. The Bad Golfer can starve the inner critic by reducing the jitters by practicing relaxation techniques. Selective memory .
Golfers are notorious for replaying shots in their minds.
The Bad Golfer often ruminates on episodes of really Bad Golf while the Good Golfer selective forgets bad shots. For example, Jack Nicklaus was once asked by a reporter about a shank he hit during a round. Nicklaus responded to the question by feigned ignorance of the missed shot. Professional golfers often imagine playing each hole of a course before playing a round of golf. Visualization of successful outcomes can also be incorporated into a pre-shot routine.