“How can I eliminate the negative thought that enters my mind when I am getting ready to hit a shot?”

Negative thoughts come up from your unconscious mind where everything you have ever heard, seen, felt, tasted, or smelled is recorded. Your unconscious mind works like a computer, GIGO, garbage in, garbage out. Your subconscious mind takes all information in literally, and records everything without judging or analyzing it.

When you encounter a situation on the golf course, your computer mind will bring up an experience from your memory bank that is the same or nearly the same. For instance, if you are facing a difficult shot, and your computer mind brings up a negative emotional memory of a past shot that you missed on a similar looking hole, you will experience a negative thought.

If you emotionalize missed shots by getting angry, the program becomes stronger in your permanent memory bank and will surface time and time again, thus causing a series of missed shots. This is why it is so important to let go of the energy associated with missed shots. To stock your memory bank with good shot memories, reinforce and record them with a positive feeling of elation and success. Look at the powerful energy that golfers record with fist pumps.

Play your golf game by choice, not by chance

Nothing will ruin a swing more than a negative thought. Be aware when a negative thought surfaces and take the time to change it. The process to release and replace a negative thought is:

• When a negative thought surfaces, acknowledge it as part of your past history.
• Since you are the only one who thinks in your mind, step away from the ball and reprogram your pre-shot routine.
• Choose to release the thought and the image that negate what you desire.
• Breathe deeply to release the thought and to relax your mind and body.
• Then think of a positive thought to create a mental picture of the shot you do want.
• Take a practice swing while visualizing your desired shot.
• Trust that it will happen as you have programmed it.

 Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

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