10 Best Golf Quotes To 10X Your Game
If you’re reading this, I know you love golf. The cool thing is that everyone loves the game for a different reason.
For some, it’s an escape from reality. For others, it’s a career path. And for others, it’s a huge part of your life.
Personally, I think I’m a combination of all three. I’m absolutely obsessed with the game and even quit my corporate six-figure job in 2017 because I didn’t have enough time to play. Now, I get to write, golf all the time, compete in tons of tournaments and share my wisdom through Wicked Smart Golf.
But it’s important to never forget why we love golf. When you always want to play your best, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and fall out of love with the game. So if you need some inspiration to keep grinding and working on your game, I think you’ll love the 10 best golf quotes.
1. “The harder you practice, the luckier you get.” - Gary Player
Practice doesn’t make perfect because in life (and in golf) perfect, does not exist. But practice does make permanent. And the more you practice, the luckier you seem to get (because the Golf Gods are always watching).
To play your best golf and get the most luck, you must practice both your physical and mental skills. Sadly, most golfers practice the wrong way and make the game even harder on themselves.
Most golfers hit too many balls, don’t pick targets, and actually create bad habits. Not to mention, completely skip any mental or short game training as well. When in reality, these are the most important part of your game.
Yes, practice is crucial, but make sure you practice the right way so that you don’t waste your time not getting better (or, getting worse). Make sure to check out my FREE “Practice Like a Pro” series to help you practice 10X more effectively.
2. “You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.” - Bobby Jones
I love this quote because I’ve found it so true in my own game. The fewer thoughts going on in your head, the better golf you play. Which quite frankly, is exactly what I started Wicked Smart Golf.
99.99% of all golfers want to improve their game but so many sabotage their success with too many swing thoughts. After working with top sports psychologists and coaches, I’ve learned that one (or none) is best. And if you do need to have one swing thought to anchor your round, don’t make it overly technical.
Instead, make it something like “Pick a target”, “Swing smooth”, “Accelerate” etc. Don’t make it full of technical jargon which makes it nearly impossible to score well.
When you have minimal swing thoughts, it’s so much easier to get “In the Zone” and play your best golf. Also, check out episode #33 of Wicked Smart Golf Podcast to learn how about getting in the zone more often.
3. “Of all the hazards, fear is the worst.” - Sam Snead
Fear has no place on a golf course. Yet, almost every golfer has experienced fear during a round of golf.
But let me ask, what are you afraid of anyway? It’s not like you’re betting your house or need to make a putt to save your career (unless you’re a Tour player). So why do everyday golfers get so fearful on the course?
I think it’s one main fear; worrying what others will think.
It’s time to quit being scared on the golf course. Instead, play without fear and like you have nothing to lose. This will free your swing and mind up to play your best golf.
But let me clarify, this doesn’t mean you need to try to crush every drive, hunt every flag, and play super aggressive.
That’s not what I mean… all I’m saying is that you should play golf for fun and without fear. Because there is nothing to be afraid of on the course. When you start to play without fear, I promise you’ll play your best golf yet.
4. “No matter how good you are, you can always get better, and that’s the exciting part.” - Tiger Woods
This quote is so much better because it’s coming from my all-time favorite and arguably the greatest of all time. The fact that Tiger knows you can always get better is incredibly motivating to the everyday golfer.
If the GOAT can’t get too good, us mere mortals can’t either. Even when you’re playing your best golf ever, just know there is always another level you can get too. In most cases, the next level comes from improving your mental game, putting, and short game.
Don’t forget, your swing is always a work in progress, but your short game can be a staple in your game. To learn more about my favorite putting routine, check out the Look and Shoot Putting System.
5. “A bad attitude is worse than a bad swing.” - Payne Stewart
It’s impossible to play your best golf with a bad attitude. Literally, impossible. Not to mention, it’s not fun for you or for your playing partners.
To tap in your best golfer, you need to have the attitude to help you play your best rounds. If you get mad, throw clubs on every hole, and think the golfing gods are out to get you… chances are, you won’t play well.
Don’t me wrong, I’ve done all those things I just mentioned but it never helped my game. Instead, the best rounds are the one where I stay optimistic and have a good attitude.
Not only does it give me the best chance for success, it makes the round a lot more fun as well. And when you’re having fun, you’re much more likely to play well.
Remember, everyone (even the best players in the world), hit bad shots. So expect them to happen, because let’s face it, that’s golf. But your attitude is a choice - choose optimism to play your best and most consistent golf.
6. “Visualization is the most powerful thing we have.” - Sir Nick Faldo
If you listen to Sir Nick on any broadcast, he’s always talking about visualization. He knows the power of the subconscious mind and tapping into to play your best golf.
Here’s why this is so important for golf; your mind doesn't know the difference between what is real vs. imagined.
Here’s an example… right now, think about something you’re afraid of. For me, it’s snakes. I think of them slithering around and moving shifty as I’ve seen them too many times in the Arizona desert. Thinking about them for a minute makes it feel like they’re right under my desk as I type this post.
Even though consciously, I know there isn’t a snake there; that is the power of your subconscious mind. The cool thing is that you can use visualization to help you play better golf as well.
Personally, I like to visualize rounds the night before an event. And during a round, I like to imagine the perfect shot as part of my pre-shot routine. This helps me build confidence when standing over each shot and give myself the best chance to hit a good shot.
The problem is that most golfers use visualization the wrong way. Most golfers say things like “Don’t hit it in the water” and focus on what they don’t want, not what they do want.
But here’s the big problem; your subconscious doesn’t understand negatives. So whenever you say “don’t” it doesn’t hear it. This is why it's so important to focus your energy on what you want to have over each shot, not what you don’t want.
7. “A golfer has to train his swing on the practice tee, then trust it on the course.” - Dr. Bob Rotella
The golf course is not where you train your swing - leave that for the driving range. When you head to the course, trust that you put in the work on the practice tee to play your best golf.
If you get bogged down in the mechanics, it’ll be nearly impossible to play your best golf. Not to mention, it’s not nearly as fun either.
After each round, recap what part of your game you need to improve and focus on that in your next practice session. Then, trust your instincts and swing on the course.
8. “The most important shot in golf is the next one.” - Ben Hogan
Wow, this quote is so epic and fundamental part of everything that is Wicked Smart Golf. So many golfers limit their potential because they dwell on the past bad shots or get anxious and worry about the future ones.
When in reality, all you should focus on is the shot at hand. Nothing before, and nothing after. The sooner you can adopt this mentality, the sooner you can start shooting lower scores and playing more consistent golf.
9. “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” - Jack Nicklaus
Confidence comes from putting in the mental and physical work.
When you’re confident in your game, everything is easier. You can hit more fairways, attack more pins, and putt with authority. But that only comes from putting in the work.
If you want more confidence, dig it out on the range and the short game area. The harder you make practice, the easier it’ll be to score well on the golf course.
10. “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots -- but you have to play the ball where it lies.” - Bobby Jones
I saved the best golf quote for last. This is my personal favorite quote of all time as it beautifully summarizes the parallels of golf and life.
To me, golf is life. There are too many similarities between the two to think otherwise.
Just remember, with golf and life… you control your destiny. At any given moment, you have the ability to shift your thinking and create the golf game and life that you want.
But it all starts with you.
