You’re standing on the tee. The group ahead is still in the fairway. Five, maybe seven minutes before you can hit. What happens in your head?
If you’re like most golfers, you find this annoying. A violation of your right to play when you’re ready. “What is that guy doing? Why doesn’t he just hit his shot?”
What Do You Do?
Replay the last hole? Calculate what score you need? Mentally rehearse your swing? Recite the course pace-of-play guidelines out loud for all to hear as if you’re in the town square?
Are you that person?
None of that is productive. Waiting is part of golf. It’s going to happen. Smart golfers have a plan for it. They expect it, and when it does they go into “waiting mode.”
What to Do While Waiting
Notice your environment. Wind direction and strength. Temperature. Cloud movement. The condition of the grass. You’re gathering information without analyzing.
Stay physically connected to your mind. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice your breathing. Do gentle stretches. Keep your body ready without rehearsing mechanics.
Use simple attention anchors. When your mind starts calculating scores or replaying shots, bring attention back to something immediate. Three conscious breaths. The feeling of the grip in your hand. The sound of wind in the trees.
What to avoid: Calculating scores, pace, or time remaining. Rehearsing swing mechanics. Replaying past shots. Building frustration narratives about slow play.
Don’t Waste This Time
Waiting is frustrating. But complaining about it or filling the time with mental clutter makes your next shot harder. Why would you want to do that?
Create a waiting plan. Use it. Move on.
Swing to Flow: A Mindful Approach to Better Golf teaches you what happens between the shots – where most golfers lose strokes without knowing it.
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