If you’re like most golfers, chances are you get distracted and lose focus when you’re practicing. Trust me, I’ve been there myself more times than I can count. But if you’re serious about improving, you need to learn how to focus during each session to achieve your golf goals.

Don’t get me wrong, staying focused on today’s world is harder than ever. According to a story in Time Magazine, a study found, “People now generally lose concentration after eight seconds, highlighting the effects of an increasingly digitalized lifestyle on the brain.”

For context, a goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds! Thanks to smartphones, our attention spans have shortened so it’s up to you to retrain your brain. Here are three easy ways to improve your focus during golf practice. 

1. Use Music To Focus

Music is one of the easiest ways to focus on a single task. 

To improve focus, start by creating a golf specific playlist of songs that motivate you. The music is your choice; for some, it might be rock, rap, or other music genres. 

Personally, I have two playlists; one playlist is for speed training sessions as I like getting pumped up like Bryson to hit bombs. The other playlist is instrumental music without words or binaural beats (this is my favorite) to focus on my session. 

Another strategy is to listen to one song on repeat for your session. According to Inc., “When you're listening to a song on repeat, you tend to dissolve into the song, which blocks out mind wandering (let your mind wander while you're away from work!).”

As someone who needs to write to build my business, focus isn’t easy. But listening to one song is a game changer and the act of putting my earbuds in has become a trigger to focus. 

2. Take Regular Breaks 

While music can help you stay focused, another great tip is to take strategic breaks on the range. According to Very Well Mind, the benefits of taking regular breaks include reduced stress, clearer thinking, and increased productivity. 

Decide after 10 golf balls, half the bucket, or 20 minutes into putting, to take a strategic break. This is a good way to recharge, evaluate your session, and lock in for the remainder of time.

You can also try out the Pomodoro Technique where you work in blocks (for example 25 minutes of practice, 5 minutes of rest).

3. Have a Plan 

The final way to make the most of each practice session is to make sure you always have a plan. It’s so easy to lose focus when you’re on the driving range or short game area without a clear action plan. 

Chances are, you’ve experienced this in other areas of your life too. For example, let’s compare two workouts at the gym; one with a plan, one without a plan.

• Gym Workout #1 (No plan): You stroll into the gym, not sure what muscle groups you’re working, your total time, or if it aligns with your goals. You decide to warm up by shooting some baskets, walking on the treadmill, or doing random ab exercises. Then you wander around for the next 45 minutes, scrolling through your phone, barely working out. You leave feeling discouraged and aren’t closer to reaching your goals.

• Gym Workout #2 (Planned out): Driving to the gym you can’t wait to work out your chest and back. You have four supersets planned after a 10-minute stretch and warm up. By the time you’re done 50 minutes later, your muscles are on fire and you’re ready to tackle the world. 

Golf is exactly the same as working out - you need a plan!

Your time at the golf course is spent so much better when you have a step-by-step practice plan. It will help you make the most of your time and actually get you closer to achieving your golf goals. 

But don’t worry, we know that creating a practice plan for golf is overwhelming. To make it simpler, we created custom practice plans to help you achieve your goals.

Whether you’re a new golfer, want to break 90, 80, or even become a scratch golfer, we have a plan for you.