The 2017 golf tournament season is winding down now with winners being decided in club championships all the way up to the professional President’s Cup being played next week at Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey. Whether you are playing in an individual competition or a team event, here are some areas to review for competing successfully in the rest of your season.

CONCENTRATION:

• Mental concentration is at its peak when your mind is clear of all distractions.
• “The ability to concentrate is good, but thinking too much about how you are doing what you are doing can be disastrous.” — Harvey Penick
• Be totally prepared mentally and physically to play before you hit your shot.
• Before addressing the ball, breathe deeply to slow down your busy mind for easier focus.

TEMPO:

• There is no rush. Swing as if you are working by the hour.
• Think positively as you approach your next shot. Every shot is a new experience. The next one may be the best shot of your life.
• Never make a change based on one bad shot, or even a few missed shots.
• Stick to the one thing you can control—you. 

EMOTIONS:

• Don’t get mad at the club; it’s the same one you used to hit that great shot yesterday.
• “You just have to take the attitude that you’ve done all the training that is required, and what is the point of that training if you’re not going to trust it”? — Bob Rotella
• You cannot be relaxed and tense at the same time. The easiest path to a relaxed state of mind is through a relaxed body.
• Know the difference between being self-centered and centered in self.
• Release fears and judgments that keep you bound in faulty thinking.
• Remember the confident feelings of playing “in the zone.”
• “It’s tough to play bad when you’re happy on the inside.” –Jessica Korda, LPGA  

POSITIVE MENTAL THOUGHTS:

• It is more important to learn to score than it is to learn to swing.
• A miss-hit is a golden opportunity to learn what not to do.
• Experience is your best teacher.
• Always picture in your mind where you want the ball to land safely.
• Change “it’s impossible” to “anything is possible” – Just Do It!
• A consistent pre-shot routine produces consistent shots.
• Expecting to play a round without error is unrealistic.
• The game of golf is mind over muscle.
• Golf is a waiting game. Wait for the opportunities to appear.
• Practice the way you want to play.
• The mental game of golf is not so much what you know, as how you use that knowledge at the right times.

Play “In the Zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Brain for Peak Performances

Learn to prepare your mind through relaxation, imagery and suggestion by listening to PMI self-hypnosis golf CDs in the comfort of your home.  CDs in eight different areas of your golf game are available on the PMI website for staying positive and moving into the zone state to access your peak performances. www.pmi4.com/cart

If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself 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.

A new mental golf book is available now on www.createspace.com/6307102 and www.amazon.com 

All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!

“THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to the joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.