Stop Thinking Start Playing.

We meet golf mind coach Andy Morrison, a man finding great success with his new approach to the mental game

- MICHAEL WESTON, MICHAEL HARRIS

Quite how many books have been dedicated to the mental side of the game is anyone’s guess – safe to say it runs into the thousands. You might have one on your desk or bedside table; perhaps there’s even one in the smallest room in the house. And we’ve all watched videos and pored over articles in a bid to find the secret to having a stronger mental game.

Often we’re encouraged to find a preferred state, do a ‘thing’, or adopt a process, whereby what you do is supposed to allow you to take control and master what is seen as a critical element of golf. It might be a finely honed pre-shot routine; a positive affirmation to tell yourself before or after each shot; a dot on your glove to look at in order to get in ‘the zone’; a certain number of seconds or steps to allow yourself to be angry after hitting a poor shot... or simply an urging to ‘think positively!’

If whatever you do is working and you feel you are in control of your mental game, then we’re pleased to hear that – you may wish to stop reading this feature.

However, if you’ve tried all of the above (and more) and they haven't worked – at least not consistently, or at crucial times – then read on, because there might be another direction to look in. Not only could this have a profound impact on your golf game, but also on how you live your life.

In our quest to shoot lower scores, it’s understandable that we look for answers and experiment with different strategies and techniques. However, this is where it can get messy, as golf mind coach Andy Morrison explains, for the mind is like a snow globe and if you shake it… well, it gets stirred up.