Finishing off in style!

The Scene

Fifteen holes played with three to go and you’re 4 shots under your handicap, having played beautifully all day. Standing on the 16th tee you glance up at the out of bounds running down the right hand side and think to yourself just try and scrape a par, before the par three 17th whose bunkers always grab your ball, and the water in front of the green on the 18th that catches you out every time. Finishing off those last few holes of a round and seeing your handicap goals achieved can sometimes be the toughest part of a game of golf.

Have a break

With one sixth of the course left to play the 16th tee is an excellent time to take stock of your round, so grab that energy bar from your bag, and use the snack as the trigger to get your mental plan in place for the final push. Having a strong mental game is the key to ending your round in style, and that means having a clear mind and strategy. Standing on the 16th tee take a moment and use a simple breathing and visualisation technique to get you focused and ready for each shot of the final 3 holes.


Have a plan

Looking away from the 16th tee slowly take a deep in breath and imagine yourself standing over your ball as part of your pre-shot routine. Now slowly exhale, and use the start of the out breath to visualise the flight of your ball from the tee all the way to moment it lands in the fairway and rolls to the position you are aiming for. Repeat the deep breath and this time in your mind visualise your second shot as your breath out, focusing your mind on the flight of the ball, and continue until you’ve played the complete hole in this way, replaying the hole or shot in your mind if you don’t have a clear strategy or your breathing is not calm and relaxed afterwards.

Finish in style

With each shot you play on the way to the 18th green, don’t worry if a shot is not exactly as you planned, but take a moment to repeat the breathing exercise and visualise the shot you are faced with each time and for every remaining shot of the hole. Using this simple technique the final 3 holes will no longer hold any fears, and you will be cool, calm and you well on the way to achieving your goals of cutting your handicap. Let this breathing and visualisation technique become part of your routine each time you play over the next month, and let us know how you get on!