Golf lessons as easy as texting a pal.
TLDR
Dr. Bob Rotella teaches that golf success is mental, not mechanical. Focus only on what you can control, replay your best shots, visualize success, accept bad shots, and manage expectations. Confidence and mindset matter more than a perfect swing.
Legendary sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella reminds us that golf isn’t about flawless swings — it’s about mastering the mental game in golf. The best players separate themselves not with mechanics, but with mindset. If you want to cut down scores and avoid the dreaded double bogey, it starts between the ears.
You can’t control bounces, wind, or bad breaks. What you can control: your pre-shot routine, your target, and your attitude. That’s where championship golf lives.
Rotella teaches golfers to build confidence by remembering their best shots, not their worst mistakes. Keep your personal highlight reel running in your mind, and you’ll swing freer.
Before each swing, picture the ball flight you want. Mental rehearsal leads to better execution. If you can see it, you can swing it.
Golf is a game of misses. The faster you accept them, the quicker you recover. Consistency isn’t about perfection — it’s about moving on.
Even pros don’t hit every fairway or green. Every round will test you, but improvement comes when you adjust your mental approach, not when you chase perfection.
🐟 Golf Tuna’s Takeaway:
Dr. Bob Rotella’s wisdom is clear — golf isn’t about perfect mechanics, it’s about smart thinking. Build confidence, visualize your success, and don’t let one bad shot sink the ship. Remember: mindset is the strongest club in your bag.
The Ryder Cup proves that winning in golf isn’t only about ball striking. It’s about psychology, pace control, and clever concessions. Luke Kerr-Dineen highlights how pros use subtle tactics to gain an edge in match play - lessons you can use in your own weekend matches.
The Ryder Cup is golf’s ultimate pressure cooker. Every shot matters, every decision carries weight, and the smallest psychological edge can turn a hole or even an entire match. In this episode of The Game Plan, Golf Digest Senior Editor Luke Kerr-Dineen unpacks the mental strategies that Team USA and Team Europe use to outthink and outplay one another. These aren’t just for the pros at Bethpage Black. If you want to sharpen your own match play golf strategy, these lessons will help you win more head-to-head battles.
Deciding when to give an opponent a short putt is more than etiquette. It’s a tactic. Conceding early can build goodwill, while forcing a nervy tester can rattle confidence. The Ryder Cup shows how this delicate balance plays out at the highest level.
Offering or accepting a “good good” - when both players agree to concede - is another mind game. Sometimes it smooths out the match, sometimes it forces your opponent to think twice. Used well, it can tilt momentum in your favor.
Match play isn’t just about shot execution. It’s about rhythm. Changing the pace - speeding up or slowing down - can disrupt an opponent’s comfort zone. The Ryder Cup pros use timing as a weapon.
Physical presence matters. From standing in sightlines to confidently walking the fairway, the way you carry yourself can influence how your opponent feels. Gamesmanship often happens without swinging a club.
At the Ryder Cup, subtle mental tricks and small annoyances are part of the arsenal. None of it breaks the rules, but all of it pressures your opponent. Think of it as psychological fencing with golf clubs.
🐟 Golf Tuna’s Takeaway:
Match play is as much mental as it is physical. Luke Kerr-Dineen’s breakdown shows that Ryder Cup stars don’t just hit great shots - they win the mental battle. Whether it’s conceding putts, controlling pace, or playing small head games, the smartest golfer often beats the most skilled.
TLDR
Double bogeys don’t come from one bad swing - they come from bad decisions after the first mistake. Play smart, avoid hero shots, respect hazards, and accept bogeys when needed. Course management and a calm mindset keep your scorecard clean.
This breakdown is inspired by Golf Sidekick, the master of simple golf course management and smart decision-making. Here at Golf Tuna, we tip our cap 🎩 - his advice on avoiding doubles is pure gold. We’re just serving it up with a little extra flavor.
A single bad swing doesn’t have to sink your hole. Too many golfers try the miracle recovery and end up with a big number. Instead, punch back into play, accept the bogey, and move on.
Whether it’s a trusty 7-iron or a safe bump-and-run, know your strengths. Trying a flop shot you’ve never practiced is like ordering sushi at a gas station - it won’t end well.
Water, bunkers, trees, deep rough - they’re all scorecard killers. Golf Sidekick preaches it, and he’s right: aim for safety first. Bogey golf beats double bogey golf every time.
One bad drive is fine. Chasing after it with another risky shot? That’s how doubles happen. Take your medicine and keep the round steady.
Golf isn’t about anger or panic. Stay calm, breathe, and swing with commitment. Cooler heads - like cool water for tuna - keep scores low.
Up-and-downs save strokes. Practice your chips, bunker play, and lag putting. The difference between bogey and double is often just one clean pitch or one confident putt.
Three-putts hurt more than bad drives. Roll that first putt up close and keep the hole tidy.
Golf Sidekick always reminds us: golf is chess, not checkers. Don’t just focus on this swing - leave yourself in position for the next one.
Indecision is poison. Once you pick a shot, commit with confidence. Half-swings and last-second doubts are double bogey fuel.
Sometimes bogey is the win. Forget ego. Walk away, smile, and keep doubles off the scorecard.
🐟 Golf Tuna’s Takeaway:
This is why Golf Sidekick is so good - he makes golf simple. Avoid the ego shots, respect your limits, and play smart. Bogey golf can feel like par golf if you manage the course the right way. Doubles? That’s just old canned fish we don’t need on the menu.
In Bad Golf My Way, the late comedy legend Leslie Nielsen serves up one of the funniest takes on the game ever filmed. Using slapstick and satire, he paints golfers as modern-day knights charging into battle, armed with drivers instead of swords and putters instead of shields. It’s not just entertainment - it’s a reminder that golf is as much about laughter as it is about pars and birdies.
Nielsen likens golfers to warriors, riding into battle against hazards, bad lies, and their own nerves. It’s a tongue-in-cheek look at how dramatic we make a simple game with a small white ball.
From skins games to side bets, Nielsen pokes fun at how money changes the mood of a round. Golf isn’t just about score - it’s often about pride and pocket change.
Every golfer knows “that guy” who plays down their ability until money’s on the line. Nielsen takes this golfing quirk and turns it into comedy gold.
The more we think, the worse we swing. Nielsen nails the absurdity of filling your head with too many fixes and tips while standing over the ball.
Whether it’s a match against friends or the final hole with money on the line, Nielsen shows how pressure makes even simple shots feel like life-or-death moments.
The biggest lesson? Don’t take it too seriously. Golf is hard, unfair, and sometimes ridiculous - but laughter is the best recovery shot in the bag.
🐟 Golf Tuna’s Takeaway:
Leslie Nielsen reminds us that golf is supposed to be fun. The gambling, the bad swings, the sandbagging - it’s all part of the circus. Instead of letting the frustrations turn bogeys into blowups, follow Nielsen’s lead: laugh, reset, and keep the game light.
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