What is it that keeps you from success on the golf course?
It is the way you view yourself. You have been told over and over what to do, how to do it and when to do it. What is missing is you accessing your free will and acting on what you know to be true for you. Once you have learned the fundamentals of the golf swing and made them a habitual reaction, it is time to let go of all the instruction and trust yourself to swing the club unconsciously.
“When have you learned enough about the golf swing?” This was a question I was asked by Chuck Hogan, PGA in a golf clinic. Of course, like everyone else, I said “never.” He explained that until I believed I knew enough, I could never trust my swing and would always be trying to fix it or improve it. Ben Hogan kept practicing and practicing until his swing was perfect, but he still didn’t believe that it was good enough to win. His wife Valerie believed in him and encouraged him to believe that he was good enough to play and win on the PGA Tour.
Awareness of Self
The inner game of golf is made up of the mental beliefs you have of your Self and your abilities. The mental game includes learning the skills to eliminate your mental interferences that keep you from playing your best. You reach your peak performance levels when you become aware of only what you are experiencing in the present moment. You are then playing “the game” in the zone state.
Accessing this awareness comes from relaxing your thinking mind for the total focus needed to hit the next shot. To relax and focus on playing, you must overcome the interference of fears such as failure, embarrassment, self-criticism, and any other beliefs that keep you from moving forward toward success. If you use the time in-between shots to think of failing, reverse your inner critical voice, and replace it with an encouraging, affirming voice just as a good caddie does.
Are your beliefs your own?
Do you believe it (winning) when you see it (your success), or do you see it (confidence) when you believe it? In the former you must wait for your confidence to build by doing well, and in the latter case you can build success upon success because you believe you can.
Golf and life are about what you believe and how you act on those beliefs.
A belief is acceptance of the actuality of anything without certain proof. Our beliefs control everything in our lives. We consciously accept and focus upon our beliefs, never questioning them because the results look so real. Free yourself from the mental blocks of not being good enough by reversing all beliefs of unworthiness. Energize yourself with a positive affirming outlook of love and gratitude for playing the game.
What are your beliefs that keep you from low golf scores?
Henry Ford said, “Believe you can or believe that you can’t. Either way you will be right.” One of the reasons Ford was so successful was that he walked around his automobile plant congratulating his people on doing something right.
The Law of Attraction, popularized by the film “The Secret” states the belief that like attracts like. Your positive thoughts and actions bring good things into your life. Negative things that happen to you are the result of your negative thoughts and actions. Now is the time to release those limiting beliefs that anchor you into repeating those failure memories.
It is important to control your own thoughts to achieve success, as well as controlling the energy that thoughts have with their ability to attract other thoughts. When you shoot a big number, it triggers previous times when you also had a big number and compounds the emotions you want to avoid. Always charge your good shots with good emotions so they are stronger memories than your misses.
What you believe you will produce in your life and in your golf game
Are you successful because you believe in yourself, or
Do you only believe you are successful when you win?
A strong mental game promotes success when you believe in yourself and your abilities. If you only believe in yourself when you win, you will be disappointed a lot, and will have lost the fun of the challenge of the game.
You are not your beliefs. You can change them any time you wish.
Recently I have had clients who were struggling with the following limiting beliefs:
- I can’t finish a tournament well.
- Other golfers are judging my swing and my game.
- I make different swings on the range and on the course.
- I can’t let go of big numbers.
- Losing is much more painful than winning is enjoyable.
- Winning is the only thing that matters.
- I need to control/hold the lead when I am ahead.
- I can’t keep a good game going.
- I get tight late in a round.
- I have a need to impress others with my golf game.
- When my opponents play well, I am defeated.
These are all limiting beliefs that keep you from achieving your potential. What you resist changing will persist. If you have any self-defeating beliefs, it is time for you to reverse and reprogram your subconscious mind so you are no longer emotionally blocked from success.
Begin today to believe in the many good abilities you have seen in your previous games. Success begins with positive beliefs. Visualize your success. Be creative. Enjoy using your imagination to create the golf game that you desire. Think out of the box. Balance your flow of energy harmoniously among your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental selves. Believe in your Self.
Watch your words, monitor your thoughts, examine your beliefs, and intentionally choose your actions. Write down the characteristics of the golfer you want to be. Picture yourself using each of those characteristics on the golf course.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
© PositiveMentalImagery 2022 – All Rights Reserved
If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself on the golf course or have trouble figuring out what your negative patterns and habits are, email Joan pmi4@bellsouth.net 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.
To train your brain to believe in yourself and your abilities to play your best golf, you can listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-empowering guided imagery hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. All eight different CDs/MP3s are available at www.pmi4.com/cart
“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 joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.
“THE HEART OF GOLF” guidebook for transforming your life and your golf game is available on Amazon and Kindle https://amzn.to/2MQzjfq
All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!
.
Leave a Reply