A big part of being successful at disc golf is being able to control the mental game. Being able to control your mind and being able to focus on the shot at hand while forgetting about the past shots and not thinking ahead, can make the difference between an ok round and a great round.
The overall view of the round consists of a wide focus on the entire round and being able to look at it from a positive point of view. Think in terms of what you know you can do and not what you think will be problems. If you know you can only drive 300 feet, focus on being deadly from 200 feet in; don’t focus on not being able to drive long enough. Focus on what your good at and use that to your advantage. The mental game is every part of disc golf that is not physical, course management is a big part of the mental game as well.
When you walk up to your disc or onto the tee box you want to decide where you want the shot to land, then decide the best type of throw to get it to that spot, decide what disc will be the most likely to get you to that spot. Visualize the disc flight as it goes to the spot you want it to go to. Commit to making the shot and let it rip. Set up a routine like this to use on every shot.
Between shots engage in small talk with your playing partners, think of a song, something to clear your mind of negative thoughts. If you made a bad shot, it’s over and you need to forget about it. You can’t let one bad shot make you have another bad shot.
If you are throwing on a very tight fairway, focus on what you know you can do, step down to a fairway driver if you know you can throw that disc strait, use the things that you are good at, you will lower your score and you will build your confidence which will make you play better. Going for a shot that you think you can’t do will lead to higher scores and lower confidence. Know when to play it safe and know when you have a chance to make the shot. Cale Leiviska, one of the top pro disc golfers from Minnesota says "Try not to compare your own game to top pros... you'll only end up being disappointed if you can't live up to that. This game is all about having fun and improving through repetition and experience. "
Use a pre shot routine so you can get your mind in the right place for every shot. Forget about bad shots before you get to the next shot, visualize the shot before you throw, focus on the shot at hand, be positive in your mind, and play within your abilities. Practice shots outside of the round that you want to be able to do, so you can then feel confident enough to use them in the round. If you can do these things, you can win the mental game and make you a better player.
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