Golf is a mental game.  This is described in my blog “The Mental Game”

I have previously suggested ways to win the mental game in my previous blogs “You Must Believe in Magic” and “Golf’s Secret Society.”  This is another suggestion on how to win the mental game.

Pros talk about being in the zone.  Being in the zone is a vague concept that is hard to describe.  Being in the zone is elusive and may never happen for the average golfer.  Thus, being in the zone is not attainable; it just happens.  The average golfer cannot aspire to be in the zone.

When you watch a better golfer with a consistent swing, you are watching a golfer who is in the Golf Universe.  I could say a different world, but being in a different world is to not be on this planet.  But the good golfers are on this planet, but I believe they are in a place where the rules are different.  This is how they become good golfers with consistent golf swings.

The Golf Universe is a parallel universe where the rules are different.

Embracing and accepting the concept of a Golf Universe is extremely difficult.  The rules are not logical, not natural, and very difficult to accept.  Most golfers will not want to enter, some golfers will try to enter but will not stay, and the golfers that enter will not be able to follow all of the rules.

When you are in the Golf Universe, the “real universe” becomes external and becomes secondary to the Golf Universe.  Your focus in the Golf Universe is about trying to play golf by obeying the rules of the Golf Universe and everything else is not important.

Here are the rules of the Golf Universe that must be obeyed:

• Must be calm – You must adopt a calm attitude before starting a round of golf.
• Must be rhythmic – Rhythm is the most important aspect of the consistent golf swing.  Please refer to my blog post: “Rhythm”
• Must use the fingers correctly – The fingers control the club. Please refer to my blog post: “How to Use the Fingers”
• Must use an efficient motion – An efficient motion is simple, precise, and repeatable. Please refer to my blog post: “Feel an Efficient Swing”
• Try to repeat the same swing – The focus is to develop a swing you can repeat the same way every time.  The key word is “same”, not approximate or almost.
• Must use an effective swing thought – Use a swing thought that will block distracting thoughts that come from the “real universe.”  If you do not consciously put an effective swing thought in your mind, you will be distracted.
• Must develop a consistent pre-shot routine – A pre-shot routine is a ritual that can be repeated the same way every time. The most important aspect of the pre-shot routine is to remind you to use your swing thought.
• Use vertical body motion to move the club towards the target – This concept does not seem logical, but is the most efficient way to move the golf club towards the target.  Please refer to my blog post: “Focus on the Snaps”
• Not about hitting the ball – In the Golf Universe, the objective is to ignore the ball and execute the same swing over and over. This is not natural in the “real universe.” In the “real universe”, everyone is trying to hit the ball. In the Golf Universe, the ball is there to indicate the quality of the swing.
• Don’t try to hit or help ball – Trying to help or hit the ball is a major distraction from the “real universe.”  This rule is the most violated rule in the Golf Universe.  If an effective swing thought is not used, this rule will be violated.
• Do less to get better results – This is not logical, but in the Golf Universe using a shorter back swing or using less than your maximum swing force will produce better results.
• Trying harder never works – This is an absolute in the Golf Universe.  Trying harder never works.
• Doing extra credit fails – In the “real universe,” doing the extra credit problem in a test will give a better grade.  Also, doing a little extra, going the extra mile, or add a little more is rewarded. In the Golf Universe, doing a little more is deemed a failure.
• Must value the short game over the long game – In the “real universe” everyone is trying to hit the ball as far as possible.  In the Golf Universe, more time is spent developing short game skills: chipping, pitching, and putting,
• Must value patience over results – Golf is a long journey with many detours. Instead of always worrying about the score, the focus should be about learning to play the game and obeying the rules of the Golf Universe.  This all takes time and patience.
• Must not fall into “traps” – Golf has a lot of “traps” that can cause the golfer to stop obeying the rules of the Golf Universe. The most common traps are focusing on trying to hit the ball farther, ignoring the short game, always making swing changes, and “I got it now.”

Being successful in the Golf Universe requires the golfer to obey all of the rules in the Golf Universe.   Just obeying ONE rule is very challenging. That is why being able to play consistent golf is so difficult and challenging for the average golfer.

Even if you obey all of the rules in the Golf Universe, the chance of executing a perfect shot is less than ten percent. The best outcome that can be achieved is to develop better misses.

If you want increase your chance to become a good and consistent golfer, you must enter the Golf Universe and obey the rules of the Golf Universe.  Developing a consistent golf swing is a long journey, but the journey can be shortened by entering the Golf Universe.