MIND OVER MATTER

Michael Weston talks to renowned mind-game guru about the six inches between the ears and how amateurs can improve in golf's mental domain...

- Michael Weston

We've all hit the ball well on the range.

When we get to the golf course, however, so often it's a different story. This 'mystery' has always frustrated Karl Morris; in fact, the PGA professional became so tired of seeing golfers struggle to replicate their range form on the golf course, he turned his attention to the mental side of the game.

Today, Morris is regarded as one of the leading performance coaches in the sport. He's worked with over a hundred tour professionals, including Major Champions in the form of Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen and Graeme McDowell. He might not say so himself, but his work with former cricketer Michael Vaughan also played a role in England's Ashes success in 2005. More recently, his coaching has helped Ryan Fox, Harry Hall, Laurie Canter and Bronte Law.

In this fascinating interview, the brains behind The Mind Factor coaching system and workshops reveals a number of key learnings from the 30+ years he's spent studying psychology, working alongside some of the brightest scientific minds in sport. No matter what level you're at, there are serious gains to be had by taking the mental side of golf more seriously. The good news is there's now a genius way for us all to access Karl's help...

Can we start with an issue that troubles a lot of golfers... how should we cope with those dreaded 1st tee nerves?

Well, we're not aiming to get rid of or resist these feelings or sensations, because they're natural when something is important to you. The very fact that we label these '1st tee nerves' means that we perceive them as a bad thing - so we feel like we have to get rid of them.