| HOW WE TAKE IN INFORMATION AS | | | | looks at them and will respond to being taken |
| INDIVIDUALS IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR | | | | places and bought things. They tend to use words |
| SUCCESS WHEN LEARNING NEW SKILLS… | | | | like ‘see you later’, ‘I want to look at |
| The actual vocabulary we use is so important | | | | it’, ‘Show me’, ‘Focus’, |
| when it comes to the internal conversations we | | | | ‘Watch it’, ‘be clear’, |
| have or what I call our ‘self-talk’. The | | | | ‘foggy’, ‘picture that’, |
| words we choose to use can have a profound | | | | ‘notice’ and ‘it appears that…’ |
| impact on our self-esteem and achievements. It | | | | Hearing (Auditory) |
| can also affect how we take information from | | | | Someone who is auditory will move their eyes |
| others, especially when we are learning new skills. | | | | sideways and also down to the right. They |
| When we speak, we communicate in channels | | | | breathe from the middle of their chest. Auditory |
| abbreviated as VHF – Visual, Hearing, and | | | | people typically talk to themselves and are easily |
| Feeling. If you listen for the kind of words that a | | | | distracted by noise. They often move their lips |
| person uses when they are talking, they are | | | | when they are mentally saying words. They can |
| providing you with an indication of whether they | | | | repeat things back to you easily. Auditory people |
| are thinking in pictures, sounds or feelings. The | | | | may find maths and writing more difficult and |
| same is true of you and your internal language. | | | | spoken language easier. They like music and learn |
| These phrases indicate that a ‘visual’ | | | | by listening. They memorise by steps, procedures |
| person is speaking: | | | | and sequences. An auditory person is often |
| “I see what you mean.” | | | | interested in being told how they’re doing, and |
| “It looks good to me!” | | | | they respond to a certain set of words and |
| This is the typical language used by an | | | | phrases like: |
| ‘auditory’ or ‘hearing’ person: | | | | ‘listen’, ‘talk to’, ‘said’, |
| “I hear what you are saying.” | | | | ‘speak’, ‘sounds like’, |
| “That sounds good. Tell me more.” | | | | ‘hear’ and ‘good to talk to you’. |
| This is a ‘feeling’ or ‘kinaesthetic’ | | | | Feeling (Kinaesthetic) |
| person talking: | | | | Kinaesthetic will typically breathe from the bottom |
| “I’m going with my gut instinct on | | | | of their lungs so you’ll see their stomach go in |
| this.” | | | | and out as they breathe. Their posture is often |
| “I have a good feeling about it. I want to | | | | more slumped over and they often move and |
| really get a grip on this idea.” | | | | talk very slooooooowly. |
| Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic are all learning | | | | People who are really in touch with their feelings |
| styles. | | | | will typically check in with how they feel regularly |
| Some prefer to watch a demonstration; others | | | | in order to ‘get a feel’ for what they are |
| want to listen in order to learn; whereas | | | | doing. They respond to physical rewards and |
| kinaesthetic people want to actually physically | | | | touching. They also stand close to people and |
| carry out an activity in order to learn how it feels. | | | | touch them. |
| If you have an understanding of how you learn, | | | | Kinaesthetic people are often physically-orientated |
| then when someone is trying to demonstrate a | | | | people such as athletes and manual workers. |
| task to you, and you know you are not | | | | They may move a lot and they memorise by |
| predisposed to take in information visually, you | | | | ‘doing’, or walking through something. |
| can ask to get involved and actually try the task. | | | | They use words like: ‘feelings’, ‘get in |
| If the Golf Professional uses visual language, this | | | | touch’, ‘hold’, ‘grasp’ and |
| may in fact be an alien language to you. For | | | | ‘handle’. |
| instance, ‘watch me and how I am swinging | | | | MY FIRST RULE is all about helping you to get to |
| the club’ may not have as much relevance | | | | know yourself. It is your responsibility to take the |
| as his describing where you should be feeling the | | | | steps to understand what makes you tick in |
| movement (i.e. which part of the body). The right | | | | order for you to get the best out of life and to |
| communication is so important, and if you know | | | | gain clarity on what works for you and what |
| you need to actually ‘feel’ how something | | | | doesn’t when it comes to your game golf. If |
| should happen then speak up and get your Pro to | | | | you truly want to achieve the success you seek |
| describe which muscles or parts of your body | | | | in any area of life including golf, then a great |
| should be feeling what. | | | | FIRST STEP is to understand how you take in |
| Visual | | | | information most effectively. This way it will help |
| Typically, people who are in a visual mode stand | | | | you ‘fast-track’ your way to learning |
| or sit with their heads up and/or their bodies | | | | what you need to in order to make the |
| erect with their eyes up, and will be breathing | | | | CHANGES to achieve the success you seek on |
| from the top of their lungs. They often sit | | | | and off the golf course. |
| forward or on the edge of their chair. | | | | So next time you are having some instruction and |
| Visual people tend to be more organised, neat, | | | | you are finding it difficult to understand how a skill |
| well-groomed and orderly. More deliberate, more | | | | is being taught to you, then speak up and tell |
| appearance-oriented and sometimes quieter and | | | | your Coach how to deliver the information the |
| are usually good spellers. Visual people memorise | | | | best way for you. The Coach is there to help and |
| by seeing pictures and are less likely to be | | | | he or she will be only too glad to explain in a way |
| distracted by noise. Often they have trouble | | | | that will help you to move on; if they don’t |
| remembering verbal instruction and would rather | | | | then change coaches! |
| read than be read to. | | | | It is all about communicating – both externally |
| A visual person will be interested in how someone | | | | and internally. |