| Today's article focuses on golf and that much | | | | duffers can go a whole round without topping a |
| talked about mental part. Golf, like any sport, is | | | | single ball but when a lake stands in their way, |
| 90% mental. The top PGA players work just as | | | | guess what happens? That's right, they top the |
| hard on their mental game as they do on their | | | | darn thing. Why? It has everything to do with |
| swing. Having a strong golf mind is called being in | | | | what they're thinking. As they're addressing the |
| "the zone", and even weekend hackers have | | | | ball, they're probably saying to themselves, "I |
| been in the zone at one time or another. The | | | | better not hit this shot in the lake." Automatically, |
| difference between them and the pro's is that the | | | | whenever you say something like this to yourself, |
| pro's are locked in "the zone" a lot more than | | | | the mind will produce an image of the ball |
| amateurs because they work at it. Let's discuss | | | | nose-diving into the lake. This is how the mind |
| some of the important mental components of | | | | works. Focusing on what you do "not" want to do |
| golf. If you work on these things, you will see an | | | | automatically creates images of just that. Focus |
| improvement in your scores. | | | | on what you want to do and you'll see |
| 1. Swing Thoughts | | | | improvement. |
| A swing thought is any swing related thought that | | | | 3. Letting go of bad shots |
| invades a golfers mind upon addressing the ball, | | | | Most high handicappers have a problem shaking |
| such as the back swing, foot position or follow | | | | off a bad shot they've just hit. And guess what |
| through. How many times have you addressed | | | | happens? They wind-up taking their frustrations |
| the ball and said to yourself, "ah, now I know | | | | with them to the next shot. This is a golden ticket |
| what I'm doing wrong; I have to shorten my | | | | to hitting a bad shot again, and again, and again. |
| backswing or, I'm not turning my shoulders | | | | So the next time you duff a ball or hit one fat or |
| enough, or I'm coming through the ball too | | | | deposit it into a lake, forget about it. Let it go. If |
| quickly? In other words, how many times have | | | | you don't, you're never going to be able to |
| you actually worked on your swing during a round | | | | concentrate effectively on the shots that lay |
| of golf? | | | | ahead. |
| Whenever a swing thought such as these sneaks | | | | 4. Relax |
| its way into a golfers mind, the one thing the | | | | Ok, this is probably the most important part of a |
| golfer is not focusing on is the most important | | | | golf swing. The majority of the time, a golfer has |
| thing of all--the shot itself. Recently, Tiger Woods | | | | no idea how his body feels. He has no idea that |
| was asked what he's thinking as he's about to | | | | there may be tension in his shoulders, arm and |
| take a shot. Innocently, this is what he said: | | | | legs. He has no idea that the two food putt he |
| "Where I want the ball to go. What else would I | | | | just missed has got him so upset that tension is |
| be thinking?" | | | | invading his muscles. Why is this a problem? |
| Ben Hogan, another one of the golf greats said, | | | | Because tension screws-up a golf swing. The first |
| "If I have two swing thoughts I have no chance | | | | thing I teach all of my golf clients is to take a |
| of hitting a good shot; if I have one swing thought | | | | couple of deep breaths before every shot and |
| maybe I'll hit a good shot; if I have no swing | | | | imagine tension and stress melting away; imagine |
| thoughts then I can play like Ben Hogan. The key | | | | feeling smooth and relaxed. |
| here is to leave your swing thoughts at the range. | | | | In summary, the mind is more important than |
| Trust your swing when you're out on the course, | | | | your R7 driver, your pro V1 golf balls and even |
| imagine where you want the ball to go and take a | | | | the swing itself. The key is to have what I call a |
| hack at it. That's it. | | | | pre-shot mental routine before every shot. Make |
| 2. Shot Thoughts | | | | sure the body and mind are relaxed; make sure |
| Let's say you have to carry a shot over a lake. | | | | there are no swing thoughts or negative thoughts |
| This can be nerve racking for any golfer because | | | | about bad shot you've hit; visualize the shot you |
| the last thing you want to do is top the ball and | | | | want to hit; and finally, take your swing. Practice |
| watch it nose-dive into the lake. Now, weekend | | | | these techniques and you will get "in the zone. |