| Many golfers suffer the effects of first tee | | | | whatever place on the course you are |
| nerves. Here are a few top tips to help you | | | | picturing...So picture the place where you want the |
| overcome your nerves and put your best swing | | | | ball to end up. |
| on your golf ball. | | | | 6. Learn to have selective memory. Turn a blind |
| It is important to understand that anxiety is a | | | | eye, put it to the back of your mind, and sweep |
| natural response. In situations of perceived threat, | | | | it under the carpet. These phrases reflect another |
| your brain instinctively releases adrenalin - the | | | | of the exquisite mental talents we all instinctively |
| fight or flight hormone - named as such because | | | | possess. Put the duff shots firmly to the back of |
| it poises the body to fight or flee. This of course | | | | your mind and instead remember the last time |
| was a very appropriate response to perceived | | | | you hit a really perfect shot off the first tee and |
| threat in cave man days. It is not, however, an | | | | run it over and over in your mind so that it is |
| appropriate response when you are standing | | | | very clear and sharp and stands out clearly in the |
| waiting to hit your golf shot off the first tee box. | | | | forefront of your mind. |
| Nevertheless, this is our body's natural instinctive | | | | 7. Focus on the golf shot you are about to play |
| response to perceived threat. So when you | | | | without generalizing. "I ALWAYS hit it in the |
| experience the symptoms of anxiety they are | | | | water" is not a good thought to choose to have. |
| simply your body's natural response to a | | | | Whatever you focus on you attract into your life; |
| perceived threat. Thus the cause of the anxiety is | | | | whatever you imagine you create. Be aware that |
| YOUR PERCEPTION of threat, and the symptoms | | | | you have, on occasion, hit it into the water, but |
| are the physiological effects of adrenalin being | | | | that THIS TIME, TODAY, you are planning to hit |
| released in your body. | | | | the golf ball down the middle of the fairway, and |
| You may consciously think yourself into being | | | | visualize that outcome before you swing. |
| anxious, so that it is a self fulfilling prophesy. More | | | | 8. Choose your thoughts. Believe it or not, you |
| frequently however, the thought process has | | | | can do this. Everything in life starts with a thought. |
| become habitual and automatic, so that it just | | | | How you see things depends on how you choose |
| happens without you having to consciously think | | | | to look at them. You can choose to look at things |
| about it. This is how your mind works - you learn | | | | from a different angle. |
| how to drive and once you are competent at | | | | 9. Be positive and commit to the golf shot you |
| driving you don't have to think about how to do | | | | have decided upon. Positive thinking does work. |
| it, it just happens. It is the same with walking, | | | | Commitment does work. Take a committed |
| talking, tying your shoelaces and opening doors. | | | | practice swing and ask yourself would that swing |
| This ability of your mind to generalize patterns of | | | | have produced the outcome you want to |
| behavior is fantastic most of the time - so long | | | | achieve? Take your golf shot when you are |
| as the skill which has been generalized is one that | | | | confident of the swing you are going to make. |
| you want to have. But when your mind | | | | 10. Let go; if you arrive on the tee feeling a bit |
| generalizes a pattern of behavior which is | | | | tense, pretend you are a rag doll and shake your |
| counter-productive, what you have is a learned, | | | | muscles out. Remember mind works on body and |
| habitual, instinctive response that you really do not | | | | body works on mind. You cannot have a relaxed |
| want. The great news, however, is that what has | | | | body at the same time as a tense mind. |
| been learned can be unlearned. | | | | 11. Take a step back. Don't rush; think before you |
| You may have heard the saying that it is not | | | | act. Take a moment to review the situation. |
| what happens to you in life but the way in which | | | | Distance yourself, look at it from a different |
| you respond which distinguishes champions. And | | | | direction, and take a different perspective. |
| no matter what situation you are in you can learn | | | | Breathe deeply and take time to decide on the |
| to respond to it in a different way. Your thoughts | | | | best golf shot in the prevailing conditions. The fact |
| create your emotions and your actions. | | | | that you "always take a three wood here" isn't a |
| Here are some tips which will help you to think in | | | | good enough reason to grab that club out of your |
| a different way when you are on the first tee | | | | bag. |
| box. | | | | 12. Think "smooth"; imagine a golf swing with |
| 1. Breathe to relax - Your mind and body are | | | | perfect tempo, perfect rhythm, and ensure your |
| intrinsically linked. Mind works on body, body | | | | practice swing is nice and smooth with good |
| works on mind. It's impossible for your mind to be | | | | timing. |
| tense and your body relaxed and vice versa. By | | | | 13. Talk to yourself nicely; talk to yourself with a |
| relaxing your breathing you will automatically relax | | | | confident encouraging tone; tell yourself that you |
| your mind. Breathe through your abdomen, not | | | | can do it and that you are great at this type of |
| your chest. Five deep breaths will do the trick. | | | | shot. Trust in your talent, your ability to hit the |
| 2. Always execute your pre shot routine. The | | | | perfect shot. Repeat a calm and positive word or |
| reason for having a consistent pre-shot routine is | | | | phrase; if that is what you are focusing on, then |
| to absorb your mind in the details of the task at | | | | that is what you will do. |
| hand, and in so doing any other not-so-productive | | | | 14. Dissociation - This is a good mental skill to |
| thoughts are displaced. If you thought it | | | | learn if you suffer badly from first tee nerves. |
| unnecessary to have a set routine, think again. | | | | Imagine how good you could feel, just drifting out |
| 3. Be in the now. You might think you are, but are | | | | of your body, floating up in the air and distancing |
| your thoughts really on the present moment? A | | | | yourself from all those unnecessary emotions? |
| Stanford University study found that the average | | | | You can learn to watch yourself taking your golf |
| person has 60,000 thoughts a day, 59,500 of | | | | swing. |
| which are the same as the day before - indicating | | | | 15. Count to 10; an old remedy and it does work. |
| that it's a really tiny percentage of time that | | | | Counting to 10 allows you some time to |
| people are really "in the now". If you're in the | | | | re-engage your logical mind and think clearly about |
| now, you can't worry about past failures, you | | | | the task in hand. When you are anxious the logical |
| can't worry about future outcomes. | | | | thinking part of your mind is bypassed and the |
| 4. Whatever you imagine you create. Your brain | | | | lower brain functions take over. It is therefore |
| doesn't know the difference between a vividly | | | | important to use any method which works for |
| imagined experience and a real one. Imagine a | | | | you to take a step back and re-engage your |
| few perfect shots, build up that muscle memory | | | | higher brain functions. As your higher brain |
| and then you're more likely to hit a good golf shot | | | | functions are re-engaged you can think and focus |
| on the first tee. | | | | clearly on the task in hand. |
| 5. A picture is worth a thousand words. Where | | | | 16. Get help from professionals. If you have got |
| there is a conflict between your will power and | | | | into the habit of feeling anxious and tense on the |
| your imagination, your imagination wins. To | | | | first tee, golf hypnosis could be the answer to |
| demonstrate this, try as hard as you can, right | | | | your prayers. Not only is hypnosis a state of |
| now, to NOT think about the ball going into the | | | | relaxation, but you have access to your |
| bunker. What are you thinking about? Your mind | | | | subconscious thought processes so that they can |
| is exquisitely talented; the golf ball will go to | | | | be changed quickly and easily. |