A casual round of golf is meant to be fun, and having fun often times means joking around with your buddies on the course.  So, next time you win a couple of bucks off your friends, or a free dinner, just send me a simple thank you.

Here we go!

1. Shadows are so distracting 

It is only fair the I start this post off with what messes me up the most. Maybe its OCD or ADD, but all I know is that there is nothing more distracting than when I start watching my shadow while swinging. It’s like I’m going one way and my reflection on the ground is going another.  Point out my shadow, and i’ll show you the worlds biggest slice.

2. The ole pre-swing tip

There is nothing that screws up a golfer more than having too many thoughts running through their head before a shot. The average swing is just over 1 second from start to finish, which doesn’t allow much time for thought. Tell you buddy their grip looks strange, or ask if that hitch in their swing is on purpose…nothing scarier than being insecure about your golf swing moments before a shot!

3. Running over their ball in the fairway with your cart

Hitting the fairway isn’t easy, unless you’re Fred Funk, so naturally the average golfer gets pretty pumped when they manage to do so. Well, time to take your buddy off their high horse. Obviously they will notice, and of course they will remove the ball from the hole it is buried in, but it’s the mind games that we love. They will yell at you, and maybe even be angry for a few seconds, which usually carries over into the following shot. Classic goof job.

 4. Blatantly walking in their putting line  

Putting is so incredibly frustrating and hard that even the pros miss the majority of their putts outside 10 feet. So why do we miss our putts? Damaged greens, lots of wind, maybe even your putter is broken. The one thing we know for sure is that it is never our fault! However, there is no actual rule against walking in someone’s line, it is simply a gentleman’s rule, which of course, doesn’t apply when you are messing around with friends. So, after you putt, casually wander over your buddy’s imaginary putting line, and carry on with your business while they putt. More often than not they will miss, then immediately blame you.

Golf is a game played between one’s ears. The mental aspect is everything. That is why a little trickery here and there is always a lot of fun….for you, not your buddies.