Secret Hack: How to Breathe in Golf

Breathing properly is a secret hack to playing your best golf. Breathing comes naturally to human beings, but sometimes tough situations in life, or golf, we alter it… which sends warning signals to our brain. This can make golf even more difficult and something you might not be aware of (yet). 

As you know, this game is stressful and why I want to help you learn how to breathe in golf today. When you have a better understanding of how to use your breath properly, you can save shots every round. Not to mention, play better under pressure. 

Keep reading to learn three types of breathing techniques and tips for a better mental game. 

How to Breathe in Golf 

I’m sure you’ve heard fellow golfers or instructors talk about the importance of breathing at some point or another. But what does it mean? 

Is it exhaling before a shot? Do you breathe in through your nose or out through your mouth? How long should you do this?

These are all great questions that we’ll answer today so you have science backed tips to breathe for better golf. 

Key Takeaways

• Controlling your breathing is key to managing emotions and getting the most out of your performance on the course. 
• It’s very common to alter your breathing patterns – often taking shallow breaths – when you’re in a stressful situation on the golf course.
• But when you aren’t breathing properly, you limit the amount of oxygen to the brain, which can inhibit performance. Studies have shown that the brain requires 50% of the oxygen you take in, which is why breathing is so vital to your success. 
• You need to first become aware of your breathing, then use the tips below throughout the round to play your best golf.

Keep reading to master one of the most important mental game hacks in golf.

Breathing and Sports 

Before getting into the role of proper breathing in golf, let’s focus on its impact for sports in general. 

As Nike said, “Breath work is also a key component of other mind-body activities, including Pilates and meditation. But breath work isn’t reserved for yoga and meditation buffs alike. It’s also used by athletes in various sports looking for an edge over their competition.”

That’s right, breath work can help for more than just golf but a lot of day to day activities. We’ve talked about the benefits of meditation for golf but understand that the right breathing patterns can also have a huge impact on sports performance.

Whether it’s baseball pitchers before they throw a ball, basketball players before a free throw, or a tennis player before a serve. All of them have an intentional breathing pattern before executing. 

In fact, even world long drive competitors have a unique set of breathing patterns before hitting a shot. However, this is very different from most golfers and we’ll get into that today as well. 

Basically, if you’re not breathing properly, your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen. Which sends you into a flight or fight state that isn’t conducive to playing your best golf. 

This is why it’s so important to monitor your breathing and adapt as needed throughout your round. Otherwise, you’re just making a hard game even more difficult. 

Golf Nerves 

Overcoming nerves and first tee jitters is an art form, but you can learn it easier than you realize. 

First off, it’s okay to have nerves and excitement during the round – that’s part of golf. But too many nerves can ruin your performance and make it nearly impossible to take the club back on your swing. 

This is where using your breath can help a lot. Consistent breathing patterns can help… 

Reduce Stress 

Stress is the inhibitor to playing your best golf and getting in the zone or flow state. If you’re stressed, your brain is too active, your breathing is typically affected, and it makes it hard to execute golf shots properly. 

The more you can reduce stress levels on the course, the sooner you can play more consistently and lower your scores. Start by first monitoring your breathing – if your heart is racing and you feel a bit of panic, chances are you are not breathing properly and need more oxygen. 

Deep breathing can help. 

According to the NIH, “If increased oxygenation is needed, slow and deep breathing can help increase the level of oxygen in the body, which can improve athletic performance. If relaxation is needed, deep breathing can help calm the nervous system, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety before exercise.”

Some good times to check your breathing are during a warm-up range session, before the first tee, or any shot that is challenging on the course. You want to make sure you have plenty of oxygen to your brain so you make better decisions and execute the shot. 

Improves Focus and Posture

Breathing can help more than just reducing stress, too. In fact, it can help you focus, which is something a lot of golfers need help with, especially under pressure or later in the round.

The same NIH article said, “If improved focus is needed, practicing slow and deep breathing can help improve focus and concentration, allowing for better athletic performance. Finally, if better posture is needed, diaphragmatic breathing helps promote good posture, which can improve athletic performance by reducing tension and improving alignment.”

Types of Breathing

There are several ways to use your breath for better performance on and off the golf course. But remember, you’ll need to train your breathing off the course for it to benefit you on the course. All it takes is a few 10-minute sessions during the week to focus on your breathing and training your diaphragm. 

Here are a few different types of breathing exercises and when to use them on the golf course. 

Diaphragmatic Breathing 

The first type of breathing is known as diaphragmatic breathing or deep breathing. According to Emma Ferris from the Breath Effect, “The diaphragm is where 70% of your breathing should come from. 

But the problem is when we are worried, sad, fearful, angry (I have definitely seen all these emotions on the golf course!!) we change our breathing pattern and start to use our accessory breathing muscles.”

During this type of breathing, the stomach, not the chest, moves with each breath. This stomach will expand while inhaling and contract while exhaling. 

The benefits of this type of breathing are nearly endless, according to the University of Michigan Health, including: 

• Improves concentration
• Decreases muscle tension
• Reduces stress hormones
• Increases energy and motivation
• Lowers heart rate and blood pressure
• Activates the body’s relaxation response (and reverses the stress response)

As you can imagine, this type of breathing exercise can have profound effects on your game. 

First, it reduces stress, which happens far too often on the golf course. Second, it helps you get relaxed and reverses the stress response so you can get in the zone much easier. Lastly, it helps improve energy and motivation, which is needed later in the round.

When to Use on the Golf Course 

Deep breathing can calm you down like a caddy on the golf course. 

The best times to use this type of breathing are before the first tee shot or nervous situations like the 18th tee shot or playing in a competition. It’s also great to use between shots to keep your brain full of oxygen. 

Or, after a bad shot that really frustrates you. 

As mentioned earlier, the entire point of the mental game is to stay out of stress on the golf course. If you hit a bad shot, start taking shallow breaths, and get flustered, it’s easy to let one bad shot lead to an eventual blowup hole. 

Box Breathing

Box breathing – also known as square breathing or the 4-4-4 method – is another powerful type of breathing technique to help you stay calm on the course. Here’s how this breathing method works according to WebMD, 

“It works by distracting your mind as you count to four, calming your nervous system, and decreasing stress in your body. Box breathing is a simple but powerful relaxation technique that can help return your breathing pattern to a relaxed rhythm. It can clear and calm your mind, improving your focus.”

Here’s how to test it out: 

• Inhale slowly through your nose and count to four. Focus on your breath and nothing else that’s going on.
• Once you have inhaled, hold your breath for four seconds.
• Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth, counting to four again.
• Lastly, hold your breath for another four seconds and hopefully you’ll feel more calm and stress-free.

Repeat this box breathing method as needed. 

When to Use on the Golf Course 

Since you’ll typically do several rounds of box breathing to get the results, it’s a great idea to use between shots – especially if you’re walking. You can also do it if you’re the last person to tee off on a hole or as others are reading their putts. It’s great to do this type of breathing if the pace of play is slow and you need to kill time. 

Fast Breathing

Most of the time golfers need to use breathing to slow down mental activity, get out of stress, and focus. However, there are some times when you might need a little extra momentum or energy during the round. This is where fast breathing (fast-paced breathing or breath of fire) can help too.

If you’re zapped for energy and/or need some extra concentration to hit a bomb, fast breathing can help. I first noticed Bryson DeChambeau doing this years ago in route to winning his first major championship. 

As noted in Golf.com, “It’s about feeling it correctly, and then it’s also about amping myself up, like [breathing], getting myself moving and going to create a lot of blood flow that allows me to hit it hard… More oxygen you get in, the more blood flow you get, greater adrenaline you can pump.”

When to Use on the Golf Course 

This type of breathing is ideal to use before a big drive or if you need some extra energy. Bryson noted he learned this style from practicing with long drive competitors. 

Off the course it’s also great to use with speed training as it can help add speed which will eventually lead to longer drives. Try it out if you’re going through different golf workouts in the gym too.

FAQs About Breathing in Golf

Do you have more questions about how to use your breath to your advantage? If so, keep reading through the most common questions and answers below.

When should you breathe in golf?

It depends on the situation but managing your breathing is key to playing your best golf. Make a concerted effort to breathe before walking into the shot as part of your pre-shot routine. 

You can also use the methods above to try it out in different scenarios on the course or in practice. 

Is there a right way to inhale?

Typically, you want to remember, in through the nose, out through the mouth. 

How can I play golf without fear?

Breathing correctly is key but don’t forget about a good routine, positive self-talk, and good body language. Learn more about the mental attitude in golf here. 

My Experience

The more I play in competitive events, the more I realize the importance of breathing to play your best golf. On my best days, I’m hyper aware of my breathing, self-talk, and body language – which usually leads to minimal stress. And when I do hit an inevitable bad shot, I’m able to bounce back quickly.

However, the days when I’m not as focused on my breathing and more focused on the course, playing partners, or something else, performance can dip. 

Final Thoughts  

Don’t forget, the brain requires 50% of all oxygen you take in. If you stop breathing regularly, it gets stressed and will put you into a fight or flight situation. 

Start testing out different methods of breathing away from the course so you can add them to your mental toolbox on the course.