Golf Mind Masters

“I would say that most great players first become good at getting the ball in the hole, at the short game. They later they refine their full swings.”  Dr. Bob Rotella in Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect

The other side of this that is not being said?  “I would say that most of the struggling players out there are not good at getting the ball in the hole, their short game sucks and that they spend ALL their time refining their long game.” Catherine Behan

Where do you fall on the spectrum?  I met a young golf professional recently who reported that one of her colleagues on the LPGA tour who practices her short game FIVE TO SIX HOURS A DAY.  Imagine that.  Of course, she is making her living in golf and is depending on her skills to feed her family.  Not many amateur players have that kind of pressure on their shoulders. Read more »

Yep, I love to watch the best player in the world get FURIOUS on the golf course. What, you say, aren’t we trying to CONTROL our anger on the golf course?

Good question. The answer is NO. That is why I love it when Tiger Woods gets mad out there. You see the difference is that as mad as he gets, he is able to feel it, release it and then refocus in way shorter time than most mere mortals.

I always enjoy watching his faithful caddy, Steve, during these moments. He doesn’t say a word. He goes about his business, preparing for the next shot. He doesn’t try to cheer Tiger up or make any editorial comments. He just knows that Tiger will refocus.

Wouldn’t it be nice if your playing partners knew the same thing about you? What if you could be fully engaged in the disappointment of a missed shot at a crucial time and allow yourself to be FURIOUS…..for a MOMENT and not for the next three holes?

It takes discipline to retrain yourself to be mad, really mad and then to let it go. “I can’t let it go, I just get so mad and then I stay stuck there.” Sound familiar?

One of the misconceptions that will get in your way is that somehow you must STOP being angry all together on the course. Totally untrue. Just watch Tiger, Phil Mickelson or other top notch stars. They actually USE their anger to catapult themselves into winning opportunities.

Next time you miss a shot and feel the heat of anger rising in you, start to coach yourself strategically. Start telling yourself a different story about the shot and what it means to your day. Instead of sinking into fury and depression, start telling yourself a new version of the events. These thoughts will be strange and unusual to you at first but, with practice, you will start to see a bit of Tiger detachment sneaking into your game.

Here are some examples of thoughts you can pick from:

*Even though I hate missing like that, I can choose to let it go.

*Even though I just blew the round, thank goodness I don’t have to make my living out there.

*I am learning to get mad and let it go.

*I am learning to recover more and more quickly from my missed shots.

*If Tiger can miss a putt or flop a bunker shot into another bunker, I guess I can accept that I have bad shots too.

BEING mad on the course is not the problem, STAYING mad is. With practice you will see improvement, just as you do when you hit balls at the range. Make a decision today that you will make your anger work for you and not against you. It really is up to you!

There is nothing worse that experiencing a badly missed shot in the midst of competition.  That is unless you miss a shot in front of an important client or business contact.

Ouch!

Some people insist that the pressure on Tiger Woods or Lorena Ochoa is greater than it is for the executive out on the links with three important clients.  I beg to differ.  EVERYONE HAS A PRESSURE PROBLEM IN GOLF.  The distraction of other people whether it is a gallery or a foursome is a challenge we HAVE TO OVERCOME IF WE ARE GOING TO RISE TO OUR OWN POTENTIAL.

The pressure problem is a mental issue and strengthening your INNER GOLF GAME is the only solution!

Luckily there are a few easy things you can do to HELP YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY!

Here is how to dismantle your panic response in three super easy steps:

1.  Close Your Eyes: Science is showing us that we can shift the frequency of our brain waves simply by closing our eyes.  When you close your eyes, removing all of the visual stimuli from your experience is naturally calming.  When you think of it, how often do you close your eyes consciously besides sleep?  You will be surprised at how this simple step will change the downward spiral of your thoughts and emotions.

2. Breathe Deeply:  Ok, we have your eyes closed, so what next?  Breathing deeply brings much needed oxygen to your brain, the control center of your thoughts. Many of my clients have breathing problems.  When fear and panic set in, they are in real trouble because their shallow breath gets even shallower! This will just feed the panic!  This solution is easy.  Take a breath.  Hold for a count of four.  Exhale and hold for a count of four before you inhale.  Repeat three of four times.  This is a snap to do while you are waiting for another player to take their turn.  Do it.  Do it today!

3. Choose a Different Perspective and Squeeze: We are thinking streams of thoughts throughout our golf game.  When fear and panic are present, the thoughts are pretty ugly.  Each of us has our own personal brand but some might include:

“How could I be so stupid!”  “I hate sand traps.”  “I can’t afford to miss the cut.”  “I hate customer golf.”

I once asked my young son, now a golf professional, “Would you talk to your best friend the way you talk to yourself on the golf course?”  Of course he gave me a resounding NO.  I would ask you the same question.  I have two MAGIC WORDS that will transform your golf course thinking:  Even though…..

Try these on for size, FEEL how the energy of the thoughts is changed by these two simple words:

“Even though I missed that shot, it doesn’t have to spoil the day.”

“Even though I feel like a loser, that feeling is only temporary.”

“Even though I am so embarrassed, I know that I will feel better in a few minutes.”

“Even though a part of me is FURIOUS at myself, there is another part of me that knows I’ll be ok, no matter what.”

As you are creating your new thoughts, hold a golf ball in your hand and squeeze until your forearm begs for mercy. As you squeeze and reprogram your thoughts, the physical effort will also bring a wave of relaxation every time.

Your Instant Panic Relief Game Plan:

Next time you are shocked by a sudden loss of confidence on the golf course, practice these three steps.  Make a commitment to use them in your next round.   Stay focused.  Close your eyes, breathe and use “Even though…” to redirect your thoughts.  Squeeze the living tar out of that golf ball!  The relief you feel will change your performance and rescue the day. Now it is up to YOU!  CHOOSE to develop the discipline to DO THIS CONSISTENTLY!  The results will astound you!