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Golf Mental Game Articles

Science-backed guides on the mental game of golf from Sandy Dunlop, author of The Golfing Bodymind and founder of Better Game Golf.

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The Golfing Bodymind — Introduction · Sandy Dunlop's guide to why your mental game breaks down

Choking in Golf — Why It Happens and How to Stop

Choking in golf is the sudden, involuntary collapse of skilled performance under pressure. It is not a character flaw. It is not weakness. It is a predictable neurological event where the prefrontal c...

Choking in Golf18 min read3 Apr 2026

How to Stop the Yips in Golf

The yips are not a technique failure. They are a nervous system event — a freeze response triggered by the autonomic nervous system when the brain perceives a threat that doesn't actually exist. If yo...

how to stop golf yips18 min read30 Mar 2026

Golf First Tee Nerves — The Nervous System Explanation

Golf first tee nerves are not a character flaw, a sign of weakness, or evidence that you lack competitive fibre. They are a precise, predictable activation of your autonomic nervous system (ANS) — spe...

golf first tee nerves17 min read27 Mar 2026

How to Trigger Flow State Before a Round

What we're focusing on here is not just "warming up," doing a few stretches and hitting a few shots — but recognising that there is work to be done on the ideal state of mind you bring to the competit...

golf pre round routine mental19 min read25 Mar 2026

Golf Flow State: How to Get In the Zone

A golf flow state is what happens when mind and body are so fully integrated that you perform with an ease and efficiency you barely thought possible. It's not about being Rory McIlroy or Scottie Sche...

golf flow state20 min read22 Mar 2026

Why Your Best Golf Happens When You Stop Trying

Every golfer who overthinks knows the frustration: you sense something is wrong in your swing, you try to fix it, and things get worse. The path to an effortless golf swing is not what you expect — it...

effortless golf swing17 min read20 Mar 2026

Golf Zone vs Choking — What Separates Them

Understanding the difference between being in the golf zone and experiencing choking is essential for any golfer aiming for peak performance. The golf zone, often synonymous with flow or peak performa...

golf zone vs choking24 min read15 Mar 2026

How to Stop Overthinking Your Golf Swing

To stop overthinking your golf swing, shift your focus from conscious control to developing integrated, habitual movement patterns. Adopt a systems thinking approach that incorporates techniqu...

stop overthinking golf swing21 min read9 Mar 2026