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Hey Fellow Golfer -
Thank you for reading this week’s More Pars Than Bogeys Newsletter. If you find it valuable, could you forward this email to a fellow golfer?
Thank you.
You can click here to read the online version of this week’s newsletter.
And be sure to catch up on this week’s podcast episodes:
P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about how mindset coaching and hypnotherapy can help you get unstuck from the proverbial bunker of poor performance on (and off) the course, click here to schedule a coaching discovery call with me.
You’re standing in the middle of the fairway with a perfect look at the green…
But instead of taking a deep breath and committing to your target, you rush through your pre-shot routine, barely registering your alignment.
The group behind you is waiting, and the last thing you want is to hold them up. You make a quick, uncertain swing, and before you even look up, you already know - you’ve tugged it left, way left, into the deep rough.
Frustration bubbles up, but there’s no time to process. You hurry to your ball, determined to “fix” the mistake, only to rush through your next shot, too - sending it flying over the green.
Now you’re scrambling, annoyed, and asking yourself, “Why do I keep doing this?”
The truth is, rushing is rarely about the shot in front of you. It’s a deeply ingrained habit, often driven by fear, pressure, or a subconscious need to avoid discomfort. And the more you let it control your game, the more it robs you of focus, confidence, and the ability to execute under pressure.
If this sounds familiar, keep reading.
In today’s newsletter, you’ll learn that rushing is more than just a bad habit. You’ll discover why you rush, the subconscious fears driving this behavior, and how it’s not just costing you strokes but also affecting your work, relationships, and personal growth.
You’ll also learn practical strategies to slow down, build presence, and execute with confidence - both on and off the course.
Let’s tee off!
Where You’re Speeding Through Your Round (And Paying the Price)
You might not even realize it, but rushing sneaks into your game in subtle ways—often at the worst possible moments. Here are some of the most common situations where golfers speed up, why it happens, and how it’s costing you strokes.
After a Bad Shot (Trying to "Fix It" Immediately): Have you ever topped a fairway wood or chunked an iron shot and, then, without thinking, rushed to hit the next shot in an attempt to correct the mistake?
This reaction stems from frustration and a subconscious need to regain control, but it often leads to another poor shot due to a lack of focus and preparation.
When Feeling Pressured by Playing Partners or Pace of Play: It’s common to begin to feel a natural urge to move faster when you feel you’re slowing down the group or when the group behind you is waiting.
The subconscious need to avoid judgment or inconvenience others makes you speed through your pre-shot routine, leading to poorly executed shots.
Over a Short Putt (Fear of Missing): Have you ever stood over a 3-footer and, instead of taking your time to line it up and commit, quickly stepped up and taken a jab at it instead?
This rush often stems from fear - fear of missing, fear of embarrassment, or fear of looking like you’re overthinking a “simple” putt.
On the Tee Box (Especially with the Driver): It’s common to rush through your driver setup, eager to get the ball in play without fully committing to a target or pre-shot routine. This often results in poor ball contact, wild dispersion, and frustration before the hole even truly begins.
Rushing Through a Warm-Up Before a Round: Many golfers arrive at the course with just enough time to check in, grab a few quick swings on the range (if any), and roll a few putts before heading to the first tee.
This rushed warm-up leaves the body stiff, the mind unfocused, and the swing uncalibrated. Without proper preparation, the first few holes often feel like an extension of the warm-up, leading to early mistakes and unnecessary frustration.
Rushing isn’t just a bad habit - it’s a learned response deeply rooted in your subconscious.
5 Reasons You Rush
Rushing isn’t just a bad habit - it’s a learned response deeply rooted in your subconscious.
At some point, it served a purpose, whether by protecting you from discomfort, avoiding judgment, or creating a false sense of control. But what once felt like a solution is now the very thing sabotaging your performance.
Here’s why you likely developed this tendency:
Avoiding Perceived Threats: Rushing often stems from your subconscious trying to protect you from discomfort. When you feel pressure - whether it’s a tight match, playing in front of others, or performing after a mistake - your mind interprets this as a threat.
Rushing feels like a way to escape the discomfort faster.
Fear of Judgment and Embarrassment: You might rush because you’re worried about what others think. If you hit a poor shot, it’s easier to brush it off with an excuse such as “I wasn’t really ready” versus facing the perceived judgment of your playing partners.
This protective behavior keeps you distracted and doubtful when you most need to be present and focused, resulting in poor shots, holes, and rounds.
Fear of Success and People-Pleasing Tendencies: Oftentimes, we sabotage our own success. Rushing can be a way to avoid the responsibility of living up to higher expectations. Additionally, people-pleasers often rush to avoid holding up their group, prioritizing others’ time over their own performance.
Can you relate?
A Need for Control After a Mistake: Rushing to the next shot after a bad one can feel like a way to regain control. It’s also a way to numb or escape the discomfort caused by the previous mistake or poor shot. But this urgency only compounds the problem, leading to more mistakes and frustration.
Overwhelm and Mental Fatigue: Golf is mentally taxing, and by the back nine, you might feel too drained to follow your pre-shot routine. Rushing becomes a shortcut to provide a feeling that you’re moving faster and closer to the end of the round. We both know this is a thought and behavior that rarely works in your favor.
To put it bluntly, you already know what to do to achieve your ultimate goal.
You don’t have a lack of information problem; you have a mindset problem.
That’s where I come into play and why so many avid, amateur, and aspiring professional golfers have hired me this off-season so that they can experience a next-level breakthrough in 2025.
If you’re serious about getting out of your own way and playing to your potential, click here to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call to learn how I can help you make playing to your potential a habit.
The Cost of Rushing
Rushing doesn’t just ruin individual shots - it derails entire rounds.
It leads to unfocused decision-making, a lack of confidence, and an inability to adapt to changing conditions. Over time, it creates a cycle of frustration and self-doubt, eroding your performance and enjoyment of the game.
Picture carrying water in a bucket with a small leak. The faster you walk, the more water spills out, leaving you with almost nothing by the time you reach your destination.
Rushing on the course is like moving too quickly with a leaky bucket.
You lose focus, confidence, and presence - key “resources” needed to execute a great shot - leaving you drained and unprepared for what comes next. Slowing down lets you plug the leaks and keep your energy intact for the entire round.
How Rushing through a Round is Ruining Your Performance
Look, the obvious area rushing during a round is hurting you is taking away from your ability to remain calm, present, and in control before and during each individual shot.
Yet, I challenge you to notice where else this false sense of urgency and desire to rush may be showing up in your golf game:
Are you rushing from one shot to the next during practice sessions on the range?
Are you rushing during the putting portion of your practice session - or whichever aspect of your game you least enjoy?
Are you rushing to the course, thus leaving a sub-optimal amount of time to warm up (physically and mentally) adequately?
Are you rushing home after the round without taking the time to reflect and extract key takeaways from your round?
Below is a more detailed list of where and how rushing is holding you back from playing to your potential.
Compromises Decision-Making: Rushing leads to snap decisions about club selection, shot shape, or target, often resulting in poor choices.
Reduces Shot Preparation: You approach the ball unprepared without taking time to visualize the shot or commit to a target.
Creates Mental Noise: The lack of a clear plan increases distraction, leaving you scattered and unfocused during the swing.
Triggers Tension and Anxiety: Rushing activates your fight-or-flight response, leading to physical tension and a rushed tempo.
Breaks Pre-Shot Routine: Skipping or shortening your routine eliminates the sense of familiarity and control it provides.
Undermines Confidence: Without proper preparation, you step into the shot feeling uncertain, which erodes your belief in your ability to execute.
Amplifies Mistakes: Poor shots caused by rushing lead to frustration, which often snowballs into further rushed mistakes.
Prevents Learning and Adjustment: Rushing past a bad shot stops you from reflecting and adapting, missing an opportunity to improve.
Drains Energy and Focus: The mental chaos created by rushing leaves you fatigued and less engaged as the round progresses.
Kills Enjoyment: The constant stress and lack of presence take away the joy of the game, making every round feel like a grind rather than an opportunity to improve and have fun.
By slowing down, you give yourself the chance to focus, prepare, and approach each shot confidently - setting yourself up for success rather than sabotaging your performance.
In episode #57 of The Scratch Golfer’s Mindset Podcast, I discuss why you’re programmed with this propensity to rush and what you can do to unlearn these feelings and behaviors to reclaim control.
Click here to listen.
The Ripple Effect of Rushing (Away from the Course)
Rushing doesn’t just show up on the golf course - it’s likely woven into the fabric of your daily life, influencing how you work, how you connect with others, and even how you take care of yourself.
Take a moment to consider where else this habit of rushing might be costing you:
At Work:
Are you speeding through emails or meetings without fully absorbing key information?
Are you jumping from task to task without taking a moment to prioritize what truly matters?
Are you making quick decisions out of urgency rather than clarity, only to spend more time cleaning up mistakes later?
Rushing at work often leads to inefficiency, costly errors, and a lack of deep focus. Just like in golf, a scattered mind produces inconsistent results.
At Home:
Are you rushing through conversations with your spouse, partner, or kids—physically present but mentally elsewhere?
Are you cutting corners on rest and recovery, sacrificing sleep or self-care to check off more items on your to-do list?
Are you so focused on the next thing that you never feel fully engaged in the moment you’re in?
This kind of rushing keeps you in a constant state of stress and dissatisfaction, robbing you of meaningful relationships and moments of peace.
In Your Personal Development:
Are you consuming books, podcasts, or coaching insights but rushing to the next thing without applying what you’ve learned?
Are you expecting instant progress in your fitness, mindset, or skill development - getting frustrated when results don’t come as fast as you’d like?
Are you trying to force success, rather than trusting the process and allowing real, sustainable growth to unfold?
Rushing through personal growth is like cramming for a test - you might retain a little in the short term, but the real transformation never sticks.
Strategies to Slow Down on (and Off) the Course
Look, I can share a dozen strategies for bringing more attention and awareness to each shot and passing moment on the course.
If implemented consistently and mindfully, they’ll collectively have somewhat of a positive, short-term impact.
However, if you truly want to let go of the collection of fears, beliefs, and emotions that contribute to your propensity to rush, then you need to look back and understand when, how, and why this pattern came about.
As you’ve likely read many times, this urgency to rush is one of the destructive mindset programs I often talk about. Your subconscious mind deploys it to protect you.
You can read more about destructive mindset programs here.
I’m obviously biased when I share that hypnotherapy is my recommended and preferred approach to get to the root cause of why you’re prone to rushing so that you can then do the work necessary to unlearn this behavior.
However, if you prefer to go at this alone, cultivating a reflective stillness practice, such as journaling, meditation, or intentional breathwork, is necessary to help you unlock the answers you seek.
Here are a few thoughtful prompts you can begin to reflect on to uncover more awareness:
How does rushing help you? What does it provide you with or help you avoid?
How does rushing hurt you? What would life (or golf) look like if you found greater ease slowing down more consistently?
What emotion is typically present prior to feeling this urge to rush?
Where do you feel thus urge to rush in your body physically? Tightness in the chest? Anxiety in your stomach? Shallowness in your breathing?
Clarity alone around the answers to these questions will help generate more awareness of when - and why - you feel this propensity to rush on and away from the course. This will create more opportunities to take effective action steps to slow down and reclaim a sense of control.
As a Golf Hypnotherapist, I use hypnosis to unlearn and upgrade outdated, habitual ways of feeling, thinking, and behaving that are holding you back from your potential.
Click here to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call to learn how I can help you make playing to your potential a habit.
How to Slow Down On the Course
Commit to a Pre-Shot Routine: A consistent pre-shot routine is your anchor. It gives your mind something familiar to focus on, helping you stay present and calm. Make your routine deliberate but efficient, and stick to it no matter the stakes.
Breathe to Reset: When you feel the urge to rush, pause and take a deep breath. This simple act signals to your brain that you’re safe and in control, reducing the fight-or-flight response.
Click here to learn my five go-to breathing strategies to be used during your next round.
Answer a Pre-Shot Question: Before every shot, ask yourself a specific question, such as, “What’s my target?” This is helpful in preparing you to execute a great shot, but it also slows you down, forcing an additional pause to answer your own question.
Play Mini-Games Within the Round: Break the round into smaller, more manageable sections. Focus on winning one hole at a time or hitting three solid shots in a row. This keeps you engaged and less likely to feel overwhelmed.
Additionally, consider strategic resets to give you more pause. For instance, hold off on recording your score for three holes, then pause and reflect on the past three holes, update the scorecard, and then proceed to play the next three holes before resetting once more.
Practice Curiosity: Replace frustration with curiosity. Instead of rushing after a bad shot, ask yourself what you can learn from it. This mindset shift keeps you focused on improvement rather than judgment.
Practicing Slowness Away from the Course
Meditation and Mindfulness: Regular mindfulness practice trains your brain to stay present under pressure. Apps like Headspace, Waking Up, or Calm can guide you through short, effective sessions.
Start Slow: If you resonate with being a doer, action taker, or early bird who likes to get things done ASAP to begin the day, consider placing your mindfulness practice at the start of your day before you dive into your to-do list.
Yes, this will feel uncomfortable, and you’ll attempt to find every excuse to do it later. Yet confronting this resistance and urge to rush presents a wonderful daily challenge, giving you a chance to practice slowing down.
Journaling After Rounds: Reflect on moments where you felt rushed and explore the triggers. Writing helps you identify patterns and develop strategies to counteract them.
Visualization Exercises: Spend a few minutes each day visualizing yourself playing calmly and confidently. Imagine stepping up to each shot with focus, executing your routine, and staying composed—even after a mistake.
Prioritize Rest and Recovery: Mental fatigue is a major contributor to rushing. Ensure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and giving yourself time to recharge - both physically and mentally.
Your Next Step
Every newsletter will conclude with a suggested action step and further resources on the topic we discussed.
After reading today’s newsletter, answer the prompts about your propensity to rush and then select one action step to use both on and away from the course to help you begin slowing down.
If you have any questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram (@thegolfhypnotherapist) or send me an email directly: [email protected]
After reading today’s newsletter, I want you to take the time to complete each step in my goal-setting process. Then, share it with me via email or on social media.
Thank you for reading today’s newsletter.
If you found it valuable, share it with a fellow golfer ready to take their game to the next level.
Until next time,
Paul
P.S. What did you think of today’s newsletter? Reply back / drop a comment below to let me know.
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