Welcome

Welcome to issue number 20 of The 3 Minute Golfer. This FREE, weekly publication is here to help every golfer improve their mental game and their personal wellbeing.

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In this issue:

• Looky…The Sneaky Peaker

• Wellness Tip – The Virtues of Maintaining a Health …

• Mental Demons Q+A

• In Person Events - Book The 3 Minute Golfer

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Looky…The Sneaky Peaker

Ever done this? You slice your drive out of sight, take another ball, and vow resolutely to wait…just a second…before looking up at your next shot. Yet, as soon as you feel the clubface meet the ball, your neck swivels uncontrollably, your eyes dart skyward, and the poor ball ricochets off the toe. If you’d have just kept your head down and swung through, you could’ve been celebrating your best shot for the day. Instead, you’re now searching for two balls in the rough while muttering something like…“Why do I always look up?”

Introducing the Looky mental style that is found in the golfer whose mind needs instant gratification. If you recognise yourself in that description, then you might be a dyed-in-the-wool Looky. And hey, no judgment, we’ve all been there. Everyone has been a Sneaky Peaker at some stage in their golfing career.

At the heart of the Looky phenomenon is the need for either instant gratification or sheer fear. According to psychologists, we humans crave immediate proof of success and failure. The minute we perceive contact with the ball, our brains race ahead to confirm, “Did it go straight?”…“Is it heading for the bunker?” 

If you have a Looky mindset then your desire for quick feedback can overshadow the actual mechanics of your swing, effectively sabotaging your shot before it’s finished. This is tied to something called attentional focus where your focus of attention shifts too quickly from internal (the swing mechanics) to external (the flight of the ball). Researchers have found that focusing on the form and tempo of your shot, rather than where the ball goes will most often lead to better performance (Wulf, 2013). Yet, for the Looky, there’s a near-irresistible impulse to break that focus and sneak a peek.

Why Is It So Hard to Resist Looking?

Fear of the Unknown…Every golfer has an anxious moment when the club meets ball because it is a half second of the great unknown and the human brain seeks certainty almost more than anything else…and this is even more so for the Looky mind because your anxious brain wants to see the outcome immediately.

Overthinking…This can cause the sensation of “choking under pressure” (Beilock & Carr, 2001). By front-loading the result…the ball flight, you disrupt your motor process…the swing.

Golf Is Emotional…Golf isn’t just a game…it’s personal. Every shot feels like a piece of your identity. The immediate urge to confirm a good or bad shot is completely normal. It’s akin to checking your phone the second it dings…you just need to know.

The Adrenaline Rush…As always, any rush of adrenaline in your swing, caused by the anxiety surrounding your shot, will spike your arousal level…causing you to hurry your swing and lift your head too soon. Striking a healthy balance in that sweet spot of “anxious enough to concentrate but calm enough to stay smooth” is the challenge.

Pro Tips to Tame the Looky Beast

Use a “Count and Contact” Routine…Give yourself a short internal count like “One…Two,” with “Two” being the point of ball contact. The key is waiting until after “Two” to look up. It’s simple, rhythmic, and it puts in a small roadblock before your eyes start to wander.

Add Practice Drills…Before your shot, try two slow practice swings, focusing only on how your arms are positioned or how the grass brushes the clubhead. No ball to worry about yet. This grounds you in the present moment, reminding you that process trumps outcome (Kabat-Zinn, 2013).

Use Trigger Words…Pick one or two short words like “Eyes Down” or “Stay Down” and whisper them during your backswing. This keeps your mental chatter from running off to other thoughts (Singer, 1986).

Visualise Your Finish…Instead of trying to see the ball fly before it does, imagine your perfect finish pose. Arms extended, balanced follow-through, your body’s momentum pulling you to that classic golfer’s finish position. Lock in that vision and let the ball flight handle itself.

Accept Imperfection…The biggest emotional meltdown for a Looky is the shame of a bad shot. But in golf, you’re always one shot away from redemption. Embrace the misses…they’re proof you’re playing the game that defies perfection, even for the greatest golfers. 

Catch Yourself…If you catch yourself becoming a Looky, remember you’re just a normal person whose brain wants to see the payoff early. The first step to making a change is to consciously accept that you have developed the habit of taking a sneaky peak.

See the References Here.