'Focused', 'in the zone', 'putting on a game face on'! We've all heard these expressions trotted out as we witness the furrowed brow of a top golfer striding to hit his next shot on the way to victory.
Staying focused is part and parcel of achieving success at the highest level but being mentally strong isn't the exclusive preserve of Tiger Woods and Co.
Any golfer, no matter the ability, can benefit from a positive mental approach.
According to Paul McLoughlin, head PGA pro, at Clontarf Golf Club, Dublin, when it gets to the nitty gritty, golf is all about mental control and staying in the present.
"I think players in general need to be less mechanical and absorbed with swing technique out on the course," he says.
"There is way too much emphasis "on swing" from both players and coaches. Naturally the golf ball goes where the clubface sends it.
"Refining and honing your technique is done at the practice range with lots of prior preparation, but squeezing the most out of your swing on the course during competition is done by a good mental approach.
"The ability to handle pressure, whether you're Tiger Woods at The Open or Joe Bloggs in the monthly medal, is the key to success."
One tried and tested method of coping with pressure and not getting too tense is to employ a good pre-shot routine but this is not simply about gripping the club and hitting a practice shot insists Paul.
"It's about seeing the shot you are about to play in your mind, visualising where you want to hit it and how," explains Paul.
"Before striking a shot, I like my pupils to zoom in on the flag like it's on fire, and really visualise the shot they are going to hit.
"I encourage golfers to work this into their game because doing this as part of the pre-shot routine can pay dividends and stop them being bogged down with the swing and excessive sabotaging thoughts."
"Mental strength is a crucial part of the game because when the nerves kick in everything we've learned can go out the window," adds the 30-year-old.
"We need to slow ourselves down, like Gary Player, or Johnny Miller taking ten minutes to shave on a Sunday tournament day, take a good look at the fairways and green and really think about where we want to land the ball.
"NLP is great because it helps students minimize the golf ball, and maximize the fairway and greens in your minds eye.
"Too many amateurs just look down at the grip/ball and in the process get tense and take their eye off the most important part - where you want the ball to go.
"If you look at most Tour pros they look twice at the flag. There is a sequence how they waggle the club, place the club first behind the ball for aim and then the body aligns just parallel left of the flag.
"They are double-checking where they want to send the ball with the second glance to ensure they're completely convinced of where it is in their mind before they pull the trigger.
"In contrast many amateurs stare intently at the golf ball, gripping the club too tightly and don't think about anything else but sabotage and anxiety. It's then they start to get anxious and negative thoughts begin to creep in."
Inevitably we all hit bad shots but Paul has a useful tip to brush away the bad swing thoughts.
"Emotional stability is so, so important. If you hit a bad shot you shouldn't just walk off cursing your luck," he says.
"As soon as you take full responsibility you have the ability to bounce back.
"That bad shot is going to stay in our nervous system for a while, so a good trait is to take a practice swing straight away to sweep the bad one out of your system and let your subconscious mind get back to work."
"A good post shot routine helps to reset the mind and get it focussed again," he adds.
"Adam Scott in the Qatar Masters is a good example of someone staying strong. He shot 73 in the second round but recovered to fire a 61 in the final round. Mark O'Meara shot 72 on Friday and 84 on Sunday at the Buick, Torrey Pines.
"They are the same golfers with the same ability!
"What I'm pointing out is that even the best players in the world fluctuate with their scores but they don't dwell on the negatives.
"If an average amateur normally shoots 84 but has a 94 they often react badly but they still need to have the same emotional stability because everyone can have a bad round - it happens, it's part of golf and the secret is to stay positive. When you're ready and deserve to play well you will play well, it's a universal law.
"Amateurs often get too wrapped up in the score. Instead they should look and learn from every round and take pictures in your mind of the positives.
"Scott comes out and shoots a 73 but turns it round because he doesn't take it personally. He knows scores fluctuate and that's often because of the mindset - the difference between winning and losing is mental strength.
"Amateurs may not ever challenge Tiger Woods for the Open but if they take a leaf out of his book in terms of mental approach their game will be much the better for it."
For further information see paulmcloughlin.com