A Malaska Golf Member has been having problems with the mental side of golf and reached out to Mike for some advice on how to get mentally tougher. The first topic Mike talks about is strategy on the golf course. He doesn't like words such as lay up, go for it, and play it safe. Mike had played with Jack Nicklaus in several events and recalled in one instance that on a par 5, Jack decided to hit a ball short of the green instead of going for it. Mike quizzed Jack as they were going down the fairway on why he laid up his shot. Jack replied that he didn't lay up. Bewildered, Mike asked what do you call it? Jack's answer was profound; he said that he just changed his strategy. Jack doesn't like to use words such as lay up or play it safe because those words mean there is danger out there. This leads to anxiety, and Jack wants everything to be positive when he approaches golf. Jack changed his strategy and was very aggressive about the shot he took. If you are over a shot and feel like you are not committed to hitting it, step back and assess the situation. Don't second guess yourself; just back away and aim at a target where you can be aggressive. For a par 5, when Mike is in the fairway, he asks himself, can he hit the ball over the green? If this is the case, then Mike isn't going to go for it unless it is a wide-open green. Mike looks at his lie and asks himself if he had 10 balls, could he hit 7 or 8 on the green? How many would get out of play if he missed the green? If Mike feels confident about his odds, he will probably go for it. If Mike isn't hitting the ball well and his lie is suspect, then it's not worth the risk. Mike then finds a distance to hit, usually about 100 yards, and then he can get onto the green. Approach the shots with a mindset of strategy rather than thinking of laying up or playing it safe. The key is to find a shot where you are comfortable. What is that shot? There is no right or wrong answer. Make a practice shot to get a feel of what that looks like and replicate that shot. The biggest problem Mike sees with players is they get up over the ball and start thinking about how they will make the shot. This is something you should have already figured out in your practice swings. It's about duplicating the motion once you decide to swing. Afterward, assess how well you did or did not hit the ball and learn from that. The key is to review what you had intended to do and get that mental picture before going on to the next shot. Mike reiterates that it is more about the process than the outcome. Once you start doing this, you will start playing better golf.