Performance anxiety begins on the first tee when every shot counts. Anxiety about what might go wrong causes tight, tense muscles, which then produce off-line shots. To be confident on the first tee, you have to be thinking positively, be relaxed and trust your golf swing.
Everyone participating in sports has anxiety at some time. You feel anxious because you lack confidence and then project what might happen. The most important thing you can do to relieve anxiety is to stay in the moment and let go of the outcome of your shot. Keep your swing thoughts simple. The less you have to deal with, the more centered you will be.
Monitor the self-talk chatter in your mind. The banter heard on the first tee is an indication of the doubts going on in golfers’ minds. Golfers set themselves up for failure with excuses such as, “I haven’t played in a week” (so don’t expect me to play well), or “My handicap just went up” (because I am playing terribly). This kind of negative self-talk will sabotage your golf game by raising your anxiety level. Instead, give yourself permission to play well by doing the best you can.
Begin to see the game (and yourself) the way you would like it to be by using the following mental golf techniques:
1. Slow down your mental merry-go-round by letting go of outside influences. 2. Bring your focus inward by breathing deeply to create a feeling of relaxation. 3. Use your pre-shot routine to bring you into the process of creating a good tee shot. 4. Adopt the attitude that the tee shot is easy since you use the club with the biggest head and you can tee the ball up. 5. Affirm that you believe in yourself and in your ability, and that you are going to really enjoy hitting the first shot of the day!
For additional mental golf tips from Joan go to Archived Newsletters and The Mental Game at Golf Out Loud
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