“Others talking (maybe even in whispers) while I’m hitting a drive. Unfortunately, I experience this as a courteous dismissal of me, and it affects my self-confidence. Once, I said to them, ‘Mind if I golf while you talk?’ They laughed and became quiet, but the problem continued on other holes.”
Thank you, Terri, for your comment. Here are my thoughts about the “Chatty Cathy” personalities on the golf course.
Because mental golf is my business, I notice beliefs we have that sabotage our golf performances. I played with a gal who was bothered not by golfers talking, but by birds “talking” overhead when it was her turn to tee off. No one else in our group even noticed the noise they were making. Her primary sense to access her world was auditory, so she was more cognizant of the chattering birds than those of us who are more visual or feeling.
A social person likes to talk to an audience. I was on my way to the range to warm up before playing and started to walk past a friend who was telling a story to several friends. She became very irritated when I didn’t stop to listen to her. She said, “You can’t walk away from me!”
Just like you can’t make a slow player speed up, you won’t be able to make a sociable person stop talking. That is how they live their lives. For more information on the four basic DISC personalities, link on to the Positive Mental Imagery website, Archived Articles January through April 2004. Learn about your basic personality and how you can use your best traits on the golf course.
If someone’s behavior distracts or annoys you on the golf course, you have to take responsibility and stand up for yourself. I had a teenage client who was bothered by her opponent standing in her line and moving when she was putting. It was an obvious move of gamesmanship. I told her she would have to ask her opponent to move on all 18 holes. In this way, she took control and didn’t let the opponent’s behavior upset and distract her.
Patience is the key here. Golf is a social game and people in close proximity to each other like to talk. I always found that if I looked at the talkers and waited for them to finish their conversation, they would get the message and be quiet while I hit.
Everything that happens to us is a mirror of what is going on inside of us. The pre-shot routine is the answer to preparing your mind for shutting out negative thoughts and distractions.
If your pre-shot routine doesn’t put you entirely in the present, focused on preparing for your shot, look at the self-limiting belief you hold that is causing you to blame others and damage your self-confidence. Instruction for developing a consistent pre-shot routine can be found on the Positive Mental Imagery website on the Archived Newsletter February 2009 page.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
To build your confidence and train your brain to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at www.pmi4.com/cart
If you aren’t able to maintain present focus on the golf course, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net or call 828.696.2547 for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation about developing a new strategy. Learn what is missing in your golf game so you can achieve the success you desire.
For instruction on accessing the mental tools to play at your peak performance level, “THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” is available on www.amazon.com and www.createspace.com/6307102. All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf. 
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