Habit 2: Visualize Success (See It Before You Hit It)
If you walk up to a golf shot with a mind full of mechanical swing thoughts or fear of failure, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. The best players do something different: they visualize the shot in vivid detail before swinging. Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest ever, famously said, “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head… It’s like a color movie.” Jack would see the entire shot – the ball flight, the landing spot, the feel of the swing – all in his mind’s eye first. Only then would he step up and hit the ball.
When Jake first heard this quote, he realized he never truly visualized shots; he was too busy thinking “don’t shank it” or recalling the last bad swing. With Coach Price’s guidance, he started incorporating visualization into every pre-shot routine. Now, as he stands behind the ball, Jake imagines a sort of Shot-Tracer in his mind: the ball taking off on his intended line, drawing or fading as planned, and settling near the target. He even imagines the feeling of a pure strike. This practice was a game-changer. Suddenly, indecision and doubt over the ball were replaced by clarity and confidence – his brain had essentially “run the play” already, so his body could execute more freely. In fact, sports psychologists note that the brain can’t always tell the difference between a vividly imagined action and a real one; mentally rehearsing a shot primes your muscles and nerves to perform it.
It’s not just theory – Jake saw the results. His commitment over the ball improved, and those big misses caused by uncertainty virtually disappeared. And visualization isn’t just for physical shots. Jake began visualizing success in other areas: before a big client presentation at work, he’d sit for a minute and visualize walking into the room with confidence, delivering a great pitch, and impressing the client. It felt a bit odd at first, but it dramatically reduced his nerves. As Sir Nick Faldo (six-time major winner) puts it, “Visualization is the most powerful thing we have.” In Jake’s experience, he couldn’t agree more – it’s like a free performance enhancer for both golf and life.
Coach’s Tip:
Start small. Before your next shot on the course, stand behind the ball and take 5 seconds to play a “movie” of the shot in your head. Be as detailed as possible (see the ball flight, the apex, the landing). Then step up and swing, trying to recreate that movie. Do this consistently and it will become second nature. If you’re visualizing and still find negative images creeping in (like a water ball), pause and reset the picture to a positive one. Remember, what the mind sees, the body tends to follow. This habit will sharpen your focus and boost your confidence because you’re giving your brain a target to hit, not a hazard to avoid. As an added bonus, it makes golf more fun – every shot becomes an exercise in creativity and imagination, rather than fear. See it, then be it!
