Why The Best Golfers Know When to Slow Down l Mind Games l Golf Digest
Mental Game · Oct 6, 2026 · 92K views · 976 likes
When golfers start playing poorly or feeling pressure, almost everything speeds up. We walk faster. Our swings get quicker. Our decisions become rushed. Without realizing it, our pace alone can make it even harder to recover and get back on track. In this episode of Mind Games, Golf Digest's Sam Weinman explores how controlling your pace on the golf course can improve your decision-making, pre-shot routine, visualization and ability to perform under pressure—and how all of this can be done without holding up others. With insights from professional golfers including Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy and Jackson Koivun, along with experts in sports psychology and cognitive neuroscience, Weinman examines what happens to the brain and body when golfers feel pressure, and why intentionally slowing down at the right moments can help regulate the nervous system and produce better golf. When you're angry, nervous or facing a shot that matters, taking an extra breath, slowing your walk or spending a few seconds clearly visualizing the shot can make a huge difference. The key is learning when to change gears. The goal isn’t to generally play slower. It’s to never feel rushed. --- 👉 Subscribe to Golf Digest on YouTube ►► http://bit.ly/golfdigestyoutubesub Grab a Golf Digest+ membership ►► http://glfdig.st/mFqM50OXuv4 Follow Golf Digest: Instagram: @golfdigest X: https://x.com/GolfDigest Writer & Host: Sam Weinman Producer & Video Editor: Ben Walton Executive Producer: Christian Iooss (golf mental game, golf psychology, golf mindset, golf under pressure, how to play better golf under pressure, golf pre shot routine, golf visualization, how to stop rushing golf shots, golf tempo, golf swing tempo, golf course management, golf nervous system, sports psychology golf, mental golf tips, golf pressure tips, how to handle nerves in golf, golf performance psychology, how to stay calm in golf, how to control emotions in golf, golf breathing techniques, golf routine, pre shot routine golf, visualization in golf, golf decision making, golf confidence, how to recover from bad golf shots, how to stop playing fast when nervous, golf mental game tips, how professional golfers handle pressure, Cameron Young golf, Rory McIlroy mental game, Jackson Koivun golf, Mito Pereira PGA Championship, golf improvement, golf tips) Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:02 Playing Slow vs. Slowing Down 03:10 Visualize Your Shot 04:10 Speed = Mistakes 05:45 Tricks To Regulate Yourself 08:20 The 7 Second Rule 09:40 Never Feel Rushed 10:50 Conclusion
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