Mental Mondays: Dress Appropriately

One of the earliest pieces of advice my pro friend gave me was to dress well. His feeling was that if you were dressed like a “player,” you’d feel like one and that would carry over to your game.

I think he’s right. Golf is such a mental game that anything that can keep you in the moment is worth trying. Playing in jeans and a tank top just doesn’t lead to the same mental state as a golf shirt and neatly pressed bermudas. (as an aside, there should be federal legislation banning the wearing of tank tops in public by anyone over 21 or more than twenty pounds overweight.)

But there’s more to apparel than that. Today’s specialized golf wear is designed to keep you cool and comfortable through moisture wicking fabrics. It’s cut to allow a free swing. Some companies are experimenting with shirts that can actually help improve your swing.

Footwear also is important. You can’t play well if your feet hurt. Golf shoes now are designed with the latest athletic shoe technology. There even are “climate controlled” socks; others have extra padding in places critical to the golf swing. I recently tried out a pair of Footjoy socks that have “left” and “right” fits.

This tip is an excerpt from The Five Inch Course: Thinking Your Way To Better Golf. The complete book is available in Kindle format at Amazon.com.