Relaxation is actually the art of letting go and being in the moment, learning to free yourself of a potential outcome that you would like to happen. Practicing basic yoga can help you achieve this. When you approach a shot, clear your mind of all of your swing thoughts, visualize where you want the ball to go, take a relaxed hold of the club, and take the shot. Remember to relax and to always have fun.

Before going to the driving range or the course, you should always stretch to avoid injury. Focus on stretching your hamstrings, when your hamstrings are stretched out, this relieves tension in the hips and the lower back, therefore reducing the risk of injury to your back.

Breathing plays an important role when stretching or working out. Not only does it help blood flow to the muscles (warming up your muscles for golf), it also helps refresh the mind, keeping you sharp for your game. Proper breathing energizes the body. Practice the following breathing techniques daily and before golf. Breathing in through the nose, fill your lungs, diaphragm, and your chest. Feel your stomach pushing out as you inhale deeply and slowly. Exhale through the nose, feel the air release from the lungs and the chest slowly pushing the breath out. The following movements will help you get the most out of breathing fully. Standing with your spine straight with your feet 3-4 inches apart, look forward with your arms to your side. Begin a very deep inhalation through the nose simultaneously raising the arms with palms up, meet the palms overhead. Turn the palms outward and exhale simultaneously lowering the arms to your sides. Complete 5-repetitions or about 60-seconds of breathing.

When muscles are stretched they provide you feedback and automatically stop you from stretching too far or too fast. While doing any kind of stretching, make sure you perform each stretch slowly and include sufficient periods of relaxed holding. That way stretch receptors can be re-educated and a new level of flexibility achieved.

When backing your car up or changing lanes, rather than using the mirror alone, take the time to look over your shoulder. A majority of flexibility issues today are based on limited mobility (especially if you have a desk job), this and similar habits just reinforce the tension in your body. Also, instead of taking the elevator a few flights up, take the stairs. Be aware of where you can add mobility into your life.

Prior to going to the driving range or the golf course start with a brief relaxation session for at least 3 minutes. Breathe evenly through the nose, close your eyes, and tell yourself that you are going to have a wonderful golfing experience. Think of the things in your life that you are grateful for and reinforce yourself with happy and relaxed thoughts. Take note of your body and how you feel from head to toe. This is the first step in getting body, mind, and breath to work together, as you know a successful golf swing is accomplished when your body and mind have worked together as one. A relaxation session should also be done after golf as well, to reinforce positive thinking. No matter what kind of game you just had, there are always shots to be thankful for and those shots should be celebrated.