If you are reading this article, perhaps you have an interest in the mental game. Maybe you have read my other articles and other books on the subject. You have a lot of information, but you know from experience that it is impossible to go out and compete when thinking about everything you have learnt. You would end up “thinking how to think!” What you must do is process the information and make your “Mental Game Plan”.
I believe you should be able to make your “Mental Game Plan” simple enough that you could write it on the back of a business card. Actually, this is what I suggest you do. Create your own business card and keep it in your golf bag or back pocket when playing.
When you have a bit of bad luck, hit a bad shot or cannot seem to get off the bogey train, it is sometimes difficult to think with logic in that pressure situation. We all start thinking or trying things we do not need to think about.
Having the business card and spending 30 seconds reading over your key mental thoughts can bring you back to the present again, regaining your playing focus.
Most of the time you will need this card when something bad has happened, but sometimes we can get too excited after a great shot. We start thinking about making a birdie or lifting the trophy, letting our mind drift into the future. We need calming down to bring ourselves back to the present. The business card will serve that purpose. Corey Pavin, in the 1995 US Open, hit one of his best 4 wood shots he has ever hit on the last hole, but the best thing he did was go down on his knees after the shot, close his eyes, and bring himself back to the present.