Did you know that it’s impossible to get maximum performance on the golf course without mastering the mental side of golf?

Many beginners may not realize that golf is just as much a mental game as a physical one. That being said, you don’t want to be on information overload while standing on the tee box.

Though there are plenty of golf coaches that teach swing mechanics, there just isn’t much information available regarding golf psychology. To help with this problem, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best golf books that address the mental side of the game.

Pick up a few to start shooting better scores and hitting longer drives!

1. Mastering Golf’s Mental Game: Your Ultimate Guide to Better On-Course Performance and Lower Scores

This masterpiece is written by a sport psychologist named Dr. Michael Lardon, who works with a ton of PGA Tour professionals. Lardon helped Phil Mickelson win the 2012 Open Championship by giving his mental game a much-needed tuneup. You’ll get the same tips that helped Mickelson become one of the best left-handed golfers of all time.

In this book, also available as an audiobook, golfers can learn about Lardon’s Pre-Shot Pyramid and Mental Scorecard. Both of these tools have helped countless amateurs and professionals. This is simply a must-read for any serious golfer.

Rating on Amazon: 4.6 (over 270 reviews)

2. Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game

This book has been around for 20 years and was written by another highly respected golf psychologist named Dr. Joseph Parent. Vijay Singh has credited Dr. Parent with helping him have clear thought on the golf course. Parent is not just another PGA coach but also a Buddhist instructor.

Zen Golf will help golfers deal with frustration, which can be an unwelcome distraction during a round. Many folks are shocked at how much more enjoyment they experience on the course after learning to deal with this one negative emotion. Having more fun and shooting lower scores is every golfer’s dream, and this book will help achieve both.

Rating on Amazon: 4.7 (over 1,500 reviews)

3. Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect

This book from Dr. Bob Rotella gives golfers some fabulous tips to improve their mental game. Learn how obsessing about your swing mechanics can keep you from shooting your best score. Dr. Rotella provides practical info on how to put more joy into your golf game.

PGA Tour fans will especially appreciate the Foreward of this book, written by 2011 Open Championship winner Darren Clarke. Some folks think this is the best golf book on the market for improving their mental habits on the course. We can see why because Dr. Rotella is one of the best sports psychologists in the industry.

Rating on Amazon: 4.7 (over 3,300 reviews)

4. The Mental Game of Golf: Strategies for Improving your Confidence, Focus, Stress Levels, Resilience & More

Here’s a new option for folks that want to improve their mental approach to golf. The Mental Game of Golf was released in January of 2022 and was written by a mental game coach named Jermaine Harris.

Harris teaches golfers how to deal with nagging mental issues such as low confidence, nerves, anger, and fear. The Mental Game of Golf will show you how to shoot low scores even if your swing isn’t quite right. This is a massive advantage on the course!

Rating on Amazon:  4.6 (20 reviews)

5. The Little Black Book on the Mental Side of Golf: 41 Mental Tips From a Golfer Who Regularly Shoots His Age!!!

Are you not much of a reader but still wanting to improve your mental approach to golf? This book is the perfect fit for you! It’s only 67 pages, but it is jam-packed with great information to help you shoot lower scores and gain more confidence.

Dr. Len Fellez authored this short book and has helped players on four tours (PGA, LPGA, Champions, Nationwide). Learn the importance of staying positive in between shots and how writing out goals can improve your game. Golf is a game of confidence, and this quick read will help you pick yourself up mentally after a big miss.

Rating on Amazon:  4.8 (9 reviews)

6. Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game

In Fearless Golf, Dr. Gio Valiante will teach you the same principles that Davis Love III and Justin Leonard used to become world-class PGA players. This book will teach you how to overcome all of your fears on the course. You’ll even get never before seen quotes from PGA legends like Jack Nicklaus and Ernie Els.

Fearless Golf teaches golfers how to reach their full potential by letting go of an obsession with results. This will free up your mind and your swing, resulting in lower scores.

Rating on Amazon: 4.4 (over 350 reviews)

7. Mental Toughness Training for Golf: Start Strong Finish Strong

To play your best golf, you need a certain amount of mental toughness. Dr. Rob Bell will teach you all of the dos and don’t of mental toughness in this book. Learn how to add some pressure to your practice sessions so that you aren’t in shock when it happens during an actual round.

Dr. Bell has worked with PGA Tour pro Scott Stallings and has led a ton of different research studies on “the yips”. This book is only 132 pages, but it’s packed from cover to cover with helpful information. Both amateurs and professionals will benefit from this nice and easy read.

Rating on Amazon: 4.3 (over 110 reviews)

8. Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game

This book will help you block out all distractions and increase your confidence on the golf course. Rick Sessinghaus is an expert in performance psychology and he teaches golfers how to embrace pressure instead of caving under it. By reading this book, golfers will learn how to incorporate pressure into their time on the driving range.

Sessinghaus will help you rediscover why you play golf so that you can get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of it. You’ll also learn how to set goals and properly motivate yourself before your rounds and practice sessions.

Rating on Amazon: 4.5 (over 100 reviews)

9. Fore the Mind – The Mental Program for Golf

Out of all the golf books on our list, this one probably has the catchiest title. Troy Bassham tells a compelling short story about a golfer named Kevin, who mysteriously starts getting golf lessons in his golf bag. It’s kind of neat that Bassham uses this unique story-telling approach!

Bassham’s Mental Management System has helped some of the top PGA Tour pros, including Jerry Kelly and Fred Funk. Fore the Mind is a must-read for golfers who want to improve their mental approach to the game. We can’t say enough good things about this no-fluff page-turner.

Rating on Amazon: 4.6 (over 50 reviews)

10. The Four Foundations of Golf: How to Build a Game That Lasts a Lifetime

This book isn’t exclusively about the mental aspect of golf, but it has several chapters that address various mental techniques that golfers can use to increase their performance. Jon Sherman will teach you how to manage your expectations so that you can shoot lower scores and have more fun. Sherman is a player-coach who knows how important it is to swing without thinking.

If you’re tired of your poor mental approach keeping you from playing your best, this may be the ideal book for you. Sherman will teach you how to remain calm on the course, even during the most pressure-packed situations. Get a much-needed confidence boost by reading this book!

Rating on Amazon: 4.8 (over 460 reviews)

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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To master your long game, you’ll need to work on your driving to improve your range and accuracy. In this blog, you’ll find 10 handy golf driving tips and guidance on how to practice each one at home.

How to practice driving for golf

1. Perfect your grip

You can’t drive successfully without holding your club properly. Using the wrong grip is usually the culprit for slices and hooked shots. 

How to do it

Hold the club with your lead hand (left for right-handers) so that the grip sits diagonally across your fingers. Both of your thumbs should point down the shaft. Place your trailing hand so that your palm covers the lead thumb with your fingers wrapping around the grip. Use a neutral grip.

Practice at home

Use a spare club to rehearse your grip if you have a spare few moments. Focus on doing so correctly and building muscle memory so the correct grips grow to feel natural.

2. Use the right stance and ball position

Using the proper stance provides stability and allows you to put power into your golf swing. Correct ball placement also helps ensure solid contact. 

How to do it

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your weight evenly distributed between both feet. Your back should be straight with a slight tilt from your hips. Your arms should hang loosely from your shoulders. Position the ball in line with the instep of your lead foot. Of course, the club you’re holding will also affect your drive, and using a more forgiving driver will come in handy here. 

Practice at home

You can practice your stance and ball positioning with a club and a ball to ensure it becomes second nature. Alignment sticks can be a big help with this. 

3. Tee the ball high

A higher tee encourages an upward angle of attack, which helps with clean hitting and maximising the distance you generate from the force you use.

How to do it

Position the tee so that half the ball sits above the top edge of your driver. Roughly three-quarters of the ball should be above the club’s head as it strikes, allowing you to sweep into the ball with an upwards motion without the driver making contact with the floor.

Practice at home

Whilst this is most effectively practised at a driving range, you could use foam or plastic practice balls to rehearse your tee height and swing at home.

4. Master your backswing

A smooth backswing is essential for generating power and maintaining control throughout your drive.

How to do it

If you’re a right-hander, keep your left arm straight, and your wrists relaxed as you move through your backswing. Rotate your shoulders fully, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper body and your hips. Try to avoid over-swinging, though—you can stop when your club is parallel to the ground.

Practice at home

Practice slow-motion backswings in front of a mirror (in a room with plenty of room) to check your form. You could also record yourself going through the motion to work on perfecting it.

5. Focus on a controlled downswing

A powerful drive comes from a well-timed downswing that maximises energy transfer from the club to the ball.

How to do it

Your downswing comes from your core. Start by rotating your hips toward the target, following with your knees, then your arms. Keep your underarms relatively close to your body and tuck your trailing elbow in. Keep your lead shoulder down and make sure your hands and arms stay relaxed so you don’t skew your release.

Practice at home

As well as watching your swing by recording yourself at home, you can also use resistance bands to strengthen your hip rotation.

6. Improve your follow-through

You don’t want to ruin all that work on your backswing and downswing by not following through properly. A good follow-through ensures you complete your swing with full power and balance and strike the ball cleanly.

How to do it

After impact, allow your arms to extend naturally toward the target. Finish with your weight on your lead foot and your chest facing the target. Your back foot should be on its toe, with your hips fully rotated.

Practice at home

Use a slow-motion drill to exaggerate your follow-through position and improve your balance. Speed up the motion once you’re sure you’ve got it right to make sure it becomes a natural motion for you.

7. Focus on a consistent tempo

A smooth, consistent tempo throughout a swing leads to better contact, and the Holy Grail of driving—better reliability. 

How to do it

Count in your head during your backswing and downswing to establish a rhythm. Most professionals recommend a 3:1 count for a drive, counting three on your backswing and one through your downswing.

Practice at home

Try using a metronome app or a swing tempo trainer to develop a steady rhythm.

8. Use your legs effectively

Your legs might stay reasonably still during a drive, especially compared to your upper body, but they provide balance and generate a portion of the power of your swing. Using your legs effectively can help you get more distance out of your drives and will aid in controlling your swing.

How to do it

Start with a slight bend in your knees. Push off your trailing foot during the downswing to transfer energy to your lead side. Shift over to your front foot during the downswing to add momentum. Maintain your balance throughout the swing and aim to move smoothly.

Practice at home

Use step-through drills where you step forward after impact to emphasise weight transfer and leg engagement.

9. Work on your core strength

Your core muscles play a significant role in generating power and stability during your swing. The stronger your core, the more strength you’ll be able to generate throughout a round on the links. The more you can engage your core muscles during driving, the more stable your drive will be and the more power you’ll be able to put into it.

How to do it

Focus on engaging your abdominal muscles as you rotate your torso. Avoid overusing your shoulder and arm muscles, and let your body’s rotation drive the swing.

Practice at home

Improve your core strength by exercising at home, including doing planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball rotations. When you practice your swing, focus on feeling and engaging your core muscles.

10. Incorporate visualisation into your game

Visualisation is a powerful mental technique where you mentally rehearse an action and its consequences, such as visualising your swing and the flight of your ball along the fairway.

Whilst it might sound like wishful thinking, visualisation really works and is practised by professional golfers and athletes from other sports, too.

How to do it

Try visualising your ideal drive before stepping up to the ball. Focus and try to make your visualisation as real as possible. See your ball landing on a specific target. This can feel odd at first, but the more you do it, the more natural it’ll become.

Practice at home

Spend 5-10 minutes each day visualising perfect drives and imagining yourself performing confidently on the course.

Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care

Developing a consistent drive can take a lot of time and perseverance. If you’re mastering your long game with the help of these golf driving tips, you may also want to consider protecting yourself with specialist golf insurance.

With Golf Care, policies include Equipment Cover up to £7,500, Public Liability of up to £10m, and Personal Accident Cover up to £50,000. Get a quote online today.

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One of the best things about playing golf with a group of buddies is the fun betting games you can play against each other. One of the most entertaining golf games is Wolf, which can be a refreshing break from standard stroke play.

If you’ve never played Wolf before, you’re in for a treat! Let’s go over the rules and basic strategies of this incredible game.

How to Play The Wolf Golf Game

Wolf is a type of match play where each hole is worth a set amount of points or dollars. Because of this type of scorekeeping, no person or team is ever really out of the match. There are many variations of Wolf, but let’s cover the basic rules first.

1. Decide The Wolf Rotation

Line up your crew on the first tee box and toss a tee into the air. Whichever golfer it points to gets to be the wolf on the first hole. Continue throwing the tee until the rotation is set. This will remain the same until the end of the round.

2. The Wolf Tees Off

After hitting his tee shot, the first player gets to decide if he wants to play as the lone wolf or with a wolf partner. If he chooses the partner route, he’ll then watch the second golfer tee off.

After that shot is completed, the wolf must decide whether to partner with that person or to pass and watch the third player hit. If the wolf doesn’t like the tee shot of the third player, he’s automatically paired with the fourth player.

3. If Partner Format is Chosen, Each Team Plays Their Best Ball

You know what Best Ball means if you’ve ever played in a golf scramble. If not, it simply means that you and your teammate will hit your shots and play whichever ball is the best.

4. The Team or Player With the Lowest Score Wins the Hole

So, if Team 1 scores a 3 on the hole and Team 2 scores a 4, Team 1 is declared the winner, and each player will receive 1 point. No points are awarded if there is a tie, whether in team format or lone wolf format.

5. Lone Wolf Holes Are Worth Triple

Now, before you get cocky and choose to go lone wolf each time you can, remember that each lone wolf hole is worth triple the points. This means that if the lone wolf wins, he’ll receive 3 points while his other non-wolf partners will get 0.

However, the inverse is also true. If the lone wolf doesn’t win the hole, the other three golfers get 3 points while the wolf gets 0. In other words, going the lone wolf route is a huge gamble.

How Many Players Do You Need to Play Wolf?

The Wolf golf game is typically played with four golfers, but some variations allow for three golfers to play. All that’s needed is a few modifications to the rules. With three golfers, there’s no predetermined order for who’s going to be the wolf.

After all golfers hit their tee shots, the one with the second longest drive automatically becomes the wolf. The other non-wolf partners become the wolf hunters. The rules are slightly different for par 3 holes, however, as the wolf is awarded to the player that is the second closest to the hole.

The scoring system for a threesome is also a bit different. After all three golfers have finished the hole, the wolf’s score is doubled and then compared to the combined score of the wolf hunters.

The team with the lowest net score wins. If the wolf wins, he gets two points, but if the non-wolf golfers win, they get one point each.

Players can also decide if they want the points to carry over in the case of a tie. For example, let’s say the wolf and the wolf hunters tie on the second hole. Those points will carry over to the third hole and make it worth double the amount.

3 Tips to Help You Win at Wolf

Now that you know how to play Wolf, the next step is to learn how to win! We’ve compiled this list of 3 tips to help you win more often at Wolf. If you take these tips to heart, you’ll win more bets on the golf course.

1. Play with Confidence

Playing wolf on the golf course is a lot like playing poker at the casino. The golfer who isn’t afraid to take big risks exudes lots of confidence. This can psych out the other golfers in the crew and make them even more nervous.

One way to show confidence is to announce yourself as the blind lone wolf before you even hit your tee shot. This is known by many in the golfing world as the wolf hammer, and it carries a 4x multiplier of points instead of just 3x! This will shake your buddies up and let them know that you aren’t messing around.

2. Team Up with a High Handicapper

This tip only applies if you are playing Wolf with full handicaps involved. When that rule is instilled, it makes a lot of sense to team up with a high handicapper because they’re given at least one stroke per hole.

That means if the high handicapper scores a 5 on a hole, their score is actually recorded as a 4. This can make it easier for you to rack up points, especially if you happen to hit a poor tee shot as the wolf.

3. Don’t Take The Game Too Seriously

This may be the most important tip of all. While there’s nothing wrong with being competitive, remember that Wolf is supposed to be much more fun than regular stroke play. You aren’t playing for millions of dollars like on the PGA Tour, so just lighten up and have a good time out there!

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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Ping’s s259 wedges replace the s159 line with six grind options, refined shaping and Hydropearl finish for more consistent spin and turf interaction.

Gear: Ping s259 wedges

If you’re looking for something to mix up your standard fourball round and add a bit more jeopardy to proceedings, then a wolf golf game might be for you.

In wolf, each hole is different. Your group of four is separated into two teams, with one player designated the ‘wolf’. Their role is to determine the teams and decide whether to partner up or take on the other three players on their own.

One of wolf’s best characteristics is that it keeps a round fresh from start to finish. No two holes are the same, with teams and stakes constantly changing.

Some people will play a wolf golf game for cash, others for points. Whatever you choose, you’ll be sure to discover a new way of playing golf, and it just might become one of your favourites.

How to play wolf golf

As mentioned, wolf golf is played with four players, all of whom should be numbered. This determines the order in which each will become the wolf. For example, player one is the wolf for the first hole, before player two is the wolf for the second, player three for the third, and so on. Once everyone has been the wolf, the rotation begins again. 

The role of the wolf

It’s the wolf’s job to decide who their partner for the round will be. There are multiple variations to the game, but typically, the wolf will tee off first. From there, they have a small window to decide which player, if any, will be their partner.

After a player tees off, the wolf must decide whether they will partner up with said player before the following player tees off.

So, once player two tees off, the wolf must decide whether to partner up with them before player three begins their turn. If they decide not to join up with player two, the same process begins again between players three and four. The reason for this is so that the wolf can’t just wait for the best shot and pick them as their partner.

If the wolf then picks player four as their partner, players two and three would join together and make up the other team. 

The lone wolf

However, the wolf may instead opt to go it alone and partner up with no one, becoming the lone wolf in the process. This increases the stakes, meaning the wolf will either win double points or be forced to owe double points to all of the opponents.

The wolf can even take this a step further by becoming the blind lone wolf. This is when they declare their solo status before anyone has teed off, including themselves. Then, points would be tripled instead of doubled.

It’s important to remember that all of this is only the case for one hole at a time. Each hole makes up its own mini contest, keeping the game fresh from start to finish. 

Points scoring in a wolf golf game

The exact figures for points (or cash) available in a game of wolf golf can vary.

As a general rule, each hole is decided in accordance with the better-ball scoring format, whereby the team’s score for a hole is decided by the best score from one of its players.

For example, if players one and four were in a team together and player one finished with a birdie while player four finished with a bogey, the team’s score would be a birdie.

If a team wins, both players would earn one point (or, for example, £1 if there was money involved). The other team would win nothing or be made to give the cash in the event of betting. However, if the lone wolf won, they’d win two points. If the blind lone wolf won, they’d win three. In the event of a tie, the points or money would carry over to the next hole.

This is just one variation. In others, the lone wolf could win as many as three or five points. Another great aspect of a wolf golf game is that you have a lot of freedom to score it however you’d like.

Ultimately, the winner of the entire game is the player who has accumulated the most points (or cash) across 18 holes. 

Why play a wolf golf game?

Wolf golf adds a different dynamic to standard fourball or foursomes rounds.

By making each hole a distinct contest, you’ll find yourselves gripped by all 18 competitions. Everything is different from hole to hole: the score, the stakes, the winner, the teams, and even the number of players on each side.

There might not be a more constantly refreshing system by which to enjoy a round, which is what makes wolf a one-of-a-kind game.

It’s all about freedom and choice, too. You can choose whether to play for cash, a prize, or simply pride. You can choose by which system you award points, and you can choose exactly how a hole plays out when you’re the wolf. No two groups will ever play an identical game of wolf, and that’s one of the things that’s so great about it. 

Final thoughts and tips

In a wolf golf game, it’s important to be strategic as well as bold. For example, while you have a limited window to pick a partner when you’re the wolf, it would be ill-advised to dive in and pick someone without properly considering your options. Sometimes, it is genuinely advantageous to play as the lone wolf, so don’t rush into picking a partner just because you feel like you have to.

It’s also important that everyone understands the rules before you begin. For a format which has so many different scoring systems and ways of playing, there is potential for arguments and disagreements if everyone’s not on the same page beforehand.

Remember, wolf golf is all about having fun in a friendly setting. Don’t feel the need to play in any way you’re not comfortable with, and have a good time with your friends. You might just find you want to return to a wolf golf game time and time again!

Now you know all about wolf golf, read up on match play and stroke play golf, too. 

Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care

However you play the game, you may want to think about protecting yourself and your gear with specialist golf insurance.

Through Golf Care, policies include Equipment Cover up to £7,500, Public Liability of up to £10m, and Personal Accident Cover up to £50,000. Get a quote online today.

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