In most sports, the body is trained to react to different situations because there is no time to stop, ponder choices, and make a decision. In golf, the ball waits for the golfer. The actual swing time for a 4-hour round of par golf is just a few minutes. This leaves more than 3 and one-half hours of time to think in-between shots.
The golfers who “train their brains” to produce the shots they desire, are the ones who are using proven mental tools such as: relaxation, positive self-talk, patience, a consistent pre-shot routine, trust, playing one shot at a time, no self-judgment, no expectations, staying in the present, giving each shot equal importance, narrowing their focus to the target, visualization or some other kind of imagery such as rhythm and tempo.
When a golfer is in the right state of mind, s/he can produce his/her peak performance throughout the round. This means letting go of all irrelevant thoughts and focusing on creating the shot s/he wants. When the brain and body are in harmony before the swing, they act as one and the swing occurs without conscious effort or thought. This is called playing “in the zone”.
For additional information from Joan go to Archived Newsletters and The Mental Game at Golf Out Loud
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