Golf expert Keith Elliott says 'mental skills' are vital to success.

That's right.  How to win at golf betting... it's all in the mind.

Over the years it’s funny how sport has moved away from a focus purely on the players themselves… and onto the ever-growing number of people who work around them.

We have technical directors, fitness coaches, physiotherapists, dieticians and, current flavour of the month, sports psychologists.

It makes you wonder how sportsmen and women from yesteryear were ever able to perform as well as they did without their ‘support staff’ behind them.

... but is it really a joke?

Planning every move. Monitoring every play. Assessing every result.

Many will say that as a result performances have got better.

Times are faster. Scores are better.

And maybe they’re right.

But we’ve certainly entered an age where sporting success is now attributed both to raw physical ability as well as other factors.

And, of course, if this is true… as backers, we must also consider these factors when placing our bets. All very well having the ability to win but is that mirrored with the right mindset, the will to win… plain old ‘bottle’.

Many’s the time the best horse or the best team doesn’t come out on top. Likewise one player gets turned over by a supposedly lesser opponent.

All of the above applies to the sport of golf. Maybe more so.

It’s often said that golfers rely more on what’s between their ears than what’s between their hands. It’s the power of the mind, not off the tee, which sets apart the winner from the loser. The good from the great.

"In my second year on the Senior PGA Tour, I won five tournaments and $1,175,944... was leading money-winner and was named Player of the Year... the main reason is that I worked hard on the mental side of my game"  Dave Stockton

Golf betting expert Keith Elliott - described as a ‘brilliant analyst of trends in golf’ by the Sunday Telegraph - has long been a student of the mental side of the game.

An author, journalist, broadcaster and successful backer, Elliott has highlighted a number of factors (elements centred on the brain not the ball) which makes golfers win.

More to the point, it makes punters win. That is, if they know, understand and apply these ‘mental skills’ to their golf betting.

Keith has been doing this for many years… years during which he has racked up many thousands of pounds in betting profits.

Keith Elliott... firm believer in the 'mental' side to golf

Studying the form, for sure. Checking the betting markets, naturally.

But also using a variety of criteria which focus on the strength of a player’s character… not just the strength of his form.

So what kind of factors are we talking about here… well, let’s just mention a few of the many areas which Keith Elliott considers to be ‘vitally important to any backer who wants to win at golf betting’.

Here’s just a few.

P.M.A. (Positive Mental Association) - where golfers are playing in familiar circumstances like their native country, home state even local golf course. Their mental associations with such surroundings are often positive and reassuring… thus improving their performance.

I.B.C. (Inspiration By Comparison) - the view that ‘anything you can do, I can do’… in that, players get a lift from seeing other guys, with similar profiles, performing well. Golfers of the same age, same nationality or maybe the same level of experience. Players think… if they can win, why can’t I?

T.N.F. (The Nappy Factor) - this really is Keith’s baby! He was the first betting analyst to realise the importance of golfers becoming parents. For some of us it brings all sorts of headaches(!!) but for some players it breeds maturity, a sense of perspective, confidence… and that can mean better results.

GOD (no acronym needed!) - inspiration comes from many areas and religion is arguably the most powerful of all. We’ve seen countless successful sportsmen and women attributing their success to a higher power and many golfers put great store in their beliefs assisting them to perform well.

N.K.O.T.B. (New Kids On The Block) - as much as form study relies upon working through the collateral data which builds up over the years, analysts (and backers) must move with the times. Getting ahead of the curve and looking to the next generation of hungry, fearless and talented players is vital.

M.L.D. (Mental Let Down) - let’s not forget that the mind can be a golfer’s biggest asset but also his greatest enemy. This can take may forms but a prime example is a golfer who wins one week… and due to those exertions (and possibly, post-win celebrations and incumbent distractions) under-performs at their next tournament.

L.P.C. (Long Putter Converts) - they say golf is all about ‘driving for show, putting for dough’… well, the number of players who have switched to long putters or belly putters, and find improved form, is noteworthy. Of course, there’s a strong physical element here but the change often provides a real psychological lift and makes golfers improve all areas of their game.

In days gone by, you always got the feeling that a guy like Tiger Woods would make that putt… or that someone like Monty maybe wouldn’t.

Regular loser... and serial winner!

In more general terms, those images… a fist-pumping, birdie-making Tiger Woods compared to a glum-faced, shot-dropped Colin Montgomerie… they perfectly illustrate the two ends of the spectrum.

And working through the various mental processes which effect golfers it’s easy to see how a working knowledge of their cause and effect can be of great use to backers.

Golfers certainly believe in it (ask yourself how many psychologists did Darren Clarke have on the go when he won the Open Championship last year)… and as punters we must surely be aware of it. And probably follow it as well.

"Golfers everywhere, from professionals like Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington to the humblest amateur are familiar with the sport's 'Rotella Rules' which reinforce the attitude needed to maximize a player's performance"  Review of Dr. Bob Rotella's The Golfer's Mind (Rotella is a pioneer in the field of golf psychology)

Of course, you might not be an expert in this particular field yourself. You might not have the time to study how these thought processes turn unsuccessful golfers into tournament winners.

But I can tell you, Keith Elliott certainly does.

And if you want to get an edge in a sport which relies heavily on the ‘mental skills’ which a player, then he’s the man you need to consult.

For more details about Keith Elliott, fill in your details below or visit his personal website - www.keithelliott.co.uk

	Title:	Mr Ms Miss Mrs Dr
	Forename:
	Surname:
	Mobile No:
	Email: