| Whatever you want it call it, it is a very important | | | | shot, no big deal because everyone does and no |
| part of this game that not many players realize. I | | | | one will judge you just because you hit a few bad |
| am a firm believer in positive thinking not only on | | | | shots during the round. |
| the course but in real life. I won't start talking | | | | Once I got home I read a great book on golf |
| about the Laws of Attraction but I will talk about | | | | psychology called Fearless Golf by Gio Valiante |
| how positive thinking helps us make better swings | | | | and I highly suggest reading it or Bob Rotella's |
| on the course which will result in lower scores! | | | | Golf is a Game of Confidence. After reading Gio's |
| Two years ago I had a chance to take some | | | | book my mental golf game improved heavily and |
| members of the club I worked at on a tour to | | | | I was back playing the golf I had played before |
| Portugal. During the Portugal trip I had a rough | | | | Portugal. |
| time on the course shooting very high scores. My | | | | During many of my lessons I ask my students |
| problem was the golf mental game. | | | | what they think about before hitting a shot. Most |
| As it turns out I lost confidence in my golf swing | | | | of the replies I receive are negative thoughts |
| and started to think about negative outcomes for | | | | about the types of shots they don't want to hit |
| each shot. Instead of stepping up to the tee and | | | | or places they don't want their ball to go. My first |
| looking at the fairway where I wanted my shot | | | | point is mention how positive thoughts can help us |
| to end up, I was looking at the rough, bunkers, | | | | on the golf course and I always refer to how we |
| water and trees. Essentially I was looking at all the | | | | drive. Cars are coming at us from the opposite |
| places I didn't want to hit it and by doing so | | | | direction and if we were to swerve off into that |
| ended up hitting my shots there. | | | | lane we could possibly die but do we think about |
| It was pretty embarrassing to be playing with all | | | | doing that? NO!!!! Then why do we think about |
| the members from my club and hitting such bad | | | | hitting a shot offline? |
| shots because I was their instructor. They were | | | | Start thinking more positively on the course and |
| all great and encouraged me that it wasn't a big | | | | do look into purchasing the two books I |
| deal. Since then I have learned to never be | | | | recommended if you are really struggling with the |
| embarrassed on a golf course. If you hit a bad | | | | golf mental game! |