Charley Hull Breaks Down the Biggest Mistake Most Golfers Make: ‘I Think That’s the Trouble…’

Golf is supposed to be fun. Tell that to the average tour player who spends more time calculating wind speed than actually swinging the club. But here’s the thing that’ll blow your mind – one golfer just figured out the secret to making it simple again.

Charley Hull believes golfers are making the game way harder than it needs to be. The English golfer just delivered a reality check that could revolutionize how we think about golf strategy.

“I don’t even think like that in depth. I just hit a ball and find it and hit it again, you know what I mean?” Hull explained after her third-round 67 at the Kroger Queen City Championship. Then she dropped the bombshell. “I think that’s the trouble with many golfers, overthinking.”

Hull’s philosophy cuts through decades of conventional golf wisdom. She doesn’t calculate angles or obsess over pin positions. Instead, she simplifies everything down to its essence. “It’s just a game. Hit a white ball at the pin. Make a birdie or make a par, make a bogey, whatever, just roll on to the next hole.”

This refreshingly straightforward mindset isn’t just talk. Hull proved its effectiveness by shooting 5-under-par 67 on Saturday to grab the tournament lead. Her approach contrasts sharply with most professionals who employ calculated, systematic approaches. They analyze every variable and create detailed game plans. Hull deliberately avoids such complexity, believing it creates unnecessary pressure.

Her relaxed mindset extends beyond tournament strategy. Hull maintains that golf should never feel like work. “I just feel pretty chilled out there to be fair. Just kind of not even thinking about tomorrow. Looking forward to my fish tacos later tonight,” she explained with characteristic honesty.

Hull proves simple thinking works even when playing through pain

More importantly, Hull accomplished this tournament-leading performance while battling significant physical pain. The 29-year-old has endured a brutal injury-filled season. She collapsed during the Evian Championship in July, then hurt her back lifting a box. The ankle injury came next. Hull tore a ligament thoroughly after tripping over a curb. “When I fell down, I heard a pop and thought I broke my ankle,” she revealed.

Hull explained how the problems continued to mount. “I feel like it’s just come at the wrong time when I’m, like, playing well.”

Medical professionals estimated a nine-week recovery time. However, Hull cut that down to three weeks through determination. Despite wearing a moon boot during recovery, she returned to her normal activities quickly. “Today it hurt. But pain is only a bloody weakness of the mind, so I’ll be all right.”

Hull’s Saturday performance demonstrated this philosophy perfectly. She started poorly, going 1-over through six holes. Then her instinctive approach took over. Hull fired six birdies from that point forward, including back-to-back birdies on holes 11-12. The Kroger Queen City Championship features eight of the world’s top-10 players, including world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul. Hull leads this elite field by one stroke heading into Sunday’s final round.

Her approach has consistently produced results despite setbacks. Hull finished runner-up in her last two worldwide starts before Queen City. She’s maintained excellent form throughout 2025 and is currently ranked eighth in the world. Hull’s revelation challenges fundamental assumptions about professional golf strategy. Maybe the secret isn’t more analysis or deeper thinking. Perhaps it’s about trusting instincts and keeping things simple.

Sunday’s final round will test whether Hull’s anti-overthinking philosophy can deliver her first LPGA Tour victory since 2022. Either way, she’s already proven that sometimes the best strategy is having no plan at all.