| If I were to ask you what you do between shots | | | | between shots? Well just watch how people |
| during a round of golf, you'd probably think I was | | | | typically stand when life is on the up. Yes, they |
| missing the point. After all, golf psychology and | | | | stand erect with their head held high. And when |
| teaching should be all about helping you to hit | | | | they are feeling down, their heads tend to be |
| better shots and putts during a round of golf or in | | | | down. Psychological research also demonstrates |
| practice, shouldn't it? This applies whether you're | | | | that this works the other way too, so if you walk |
| working with a teaching pro helping you with your | | | | between shots with your head down and your |
| golf swing or with a golf psychologist helping to | | | | shoulders a bit slumped, you'll automatically feel |
| improve your mental approach to golf. | | | | down. In the same way, you will feel like things |
| So what do you actually do in the time between | | | | are looking up if you're walking erect with your |
| assessing and hitting your shots and putts? It | | | | head raised high. |
| really should take a lot less than a minute on | | | | Have you ever noticed how depressed people |
| average to size up a shot, decide on how to play | | | | seem to be in many nursing homes and how |
| it, set up to the ball and hit it. I seem to recall | | | | many of them walk around in a bent over |
| from somewhere that the US PGA allows 45 | | | | posture? Well I met a husband and wife recently, |
| seconds for all this per shot and very few people | | | | both doctors, who are incorporating NLP concepts |
| take that long over a short putt. So all that should | | | | into posture management. They've found that |
| add up to a maximum of 54 minutes actually | | | | they can improve the posture and, more |
| playing golf to go round in 72 strokes and 72 | | | | importantly, increase the level of happiness and |
| minutes to go round in 90 strokes. If you take | | | | optimism of patients in nursing homes by simply |
| just 4 hours to play a round then you're not | | | | replacing the lounge chairs with ones that |
| actually playing for approximately 3 hours in every | | | | encourage a more upright sitting posture and |
| 18 holes. | | | | hanging televisions from the ceilings rather than |
| What many people do in this spare 3 hours in | | | | sitting them on the floor. Those simple changes |
| every round is to get down on themselves | | | | lead to wholesale improvements in people's |
| mentally. Just watch how many golfers trudge | | | | posture, health and happiness. |
| between shots with their heads down and | | | | Next time you play golf; try walking between |
| seemingly just staring at the ground a few feet | | | | shots with your back straight and your head held |
| ahead. Many of them are talking to themselves | | | | high. You could even use golf hypnosis to help you |
| and often what they're saying is not usually fit for | | | | to remember not to forget to do it when you |
| publication. Thankfully, they normally keep the | | | | play. However you're actually feeling when you |
| voice inside their heads, but I'm sure you've | | | | start and regardless of any bad shots you hit, I |
| played the odd round with a playing partner who | | | | suspect you'll be amazed at how much better and |
| berates himself loudly during the course of a | | | | more positive you'll feel as the game progresses. |
| round - I know I've done that in the, hopefully | | | | It may even have an impact on your enjoyment |
| distant, past and I'm not proud of it. | | | | of this wonderful game of golf and, who knows, |
| So what's wrong with keeping your head down | | | | you may even score better. |