There are many factors that make up a consistent round of golf such as desire, realistic expectations, patience, and confidence in your ability to perform. Players who are consistent in the way they live their lives off the golf course will usually hit more fairways and greens than players who like to “grip it and rip it.”

First, if you are a person who likes action rather than routine, you will need to change your thoughts, attitudes, and actions to enjoy consistency rather than excitement. Practice swinging with a relaxed grip and a swing that is 80% of your power.

Instead of trying to hit the longest drive of your life on each hole, set a goal for yourself such as hitting 8 or 9 fairways. Rather than trying to get the most out of your club each time, take one more club and swing smoothly to ensure hitting the greens. Aim for the center of the green for more consistent results.

Secondly, practice your short game more than your long game. Having confidence in recovering and getting the ball up and down from off-fairway lies will make your scores more consistent. Keep track of the number of putts you take per round. Focus on pitching closer for more one-putt opportunities.

Consistency comes from perfect practice. The only place you can practice perfectly is in your mind. It is called Mental Rehearsal. 90 percent of Olympic athletes use mental imagery to entrain their minds and bodies. Scientists have found that practicing this way will improve your golf swing because your mind is actually programming your muscles as you imagine or visualize hitting the perfect shot.

Before going to the first tee, imagine playing the first two or three holes the way you would like to. On the practice range, hit the clubs you have imagined that will produce the score you desire. This will prepare your mind and body to get ready to be “in the game” of scoring instead of trying to control your golf swing.

Third, schedule 10-15 minutes a few times a week for mental practice time. Or, rehearse your swing and game as you drift off to sleep. Your unconscious mind will have all night to enforce your programming. In your mental rehearsal, swing, strike and imagine only your best shots. Use your imagination to visualize, feel and even hear the sounds of the perfect round for yourself.

Lastly, the best state to be in for peak performances is to have a relaxed body and alert mind. Taking deep breaths during your pre-shot routine will relax your body and slow down your busy thinking, analyzing mind for increased focus on creating the shot you desire.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performance

To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at 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.

Chances are you spend most of your practice time trying to perfect your golf swing. There has been a mindset change in young world-class golfers to focus instead primarily on getting the ball into the hole.

Putting is the great equalizer in the game of golf. It is the only shot you hit on every hole. It is the part of the game where the ball never leaves the ground. It is a game within a game. The better you become as a golfer, the more you will realize the important part that putting plays in scoring low. Up to 40-50% of your score can be played out on the greens.

An example of this mindset change in focus is Jordan Spieth. Jordan is an incredibly consistent putter who does not overpower a golf course with his 290+ yard drives as compared with Dustin Johnson’s 334+ yard average. On the Tour, Spieth is ranked 5^th in putting strokes gained and 1^st in strokes gained around the greens.

Putting is both an art form and a science. There is a wealth of information about the scientific mechanics of putting. Putting is artful because in your mind you create the path the ball will travel and then stroke it with an artful stroke of gentleness or firmness depending upon the conditions. It is the stroke where you need to completely trust your intuition and creativeness. Great putters are made through an understanding of where their minds have to be and an appreciation of where their mechanics have to be.

The putting stroke is one of the simplest skills in all of sport. Golfers make it the most difficult because of a change in their mindset. Don’t take the fun out of putting by creating a fear thought about the outcome. Let go of the thoughts of having to make it for a birdie, or to win the hole, or to make up for a 3-putt. These are all thoughts that can change your emotional state and putting stroke.

Where do you develop fear in your putting? As you get closer to the hole? When you miss an easy putt? After you three-putt a couple of times?  A 2-footer that you think you should make?

Fear and anxiety come from your belief about yourself and the way you view your putting ability. Here are six positive putting practices for developing confidence.

1. Change your thinking to believe that you can roll the ball well enough to give it a chance to go in.
2. Keep your focus on the process instead of putting pressure on yourself to putt for score.
3. Don’t compare your results with your playing partners. Stay focused on the things you can control.
4. Give every putt the same importance and attention.
5. Decide you can make every putt.
6. Develop and use a consistent pre-putt routine.

When do you decide you are putting poorly? When do you decide you are putting well? Have you decided to become a good putter? Or do you constantly talk about how poorly you putt?

To become a good putter, you must have a confident attitude that you believe in no matter what the results are. That positive attitude includes being enthusiastic about wanting to putt, having your complete focus on the process of making the putt, having a specific plan, believing in your ability to carry out your plan, and being relaxed enough to putt the ball where you want it to go.

One of the most important things you can do to save strokes is to have your putter adjusted, or better yet, be fitted for a new putter. When your putts go in, you judge that you are doing it right. When they don’t go in, you think you are doing something wrong and try to fix it. However, if your putter is not fitted to your stroke, the mistake is in the putter, not in your stroke.

At the TaylorMade Kingdom of Golf at Reynolds Plantation, Georgia, I was recently fitted with high-speed camera testing and computer feedback of my putting stroke. With the new visual technology,  formerly only available to pro golfers, they get accurate measurements for producing a putter with a pure roll no matter what your style of putting. This can only increase your confidence in your putting ability. As someone said; being custom fitted for your putter is like putting the right brush in the painter’s hand to create a masterpiece.

Think like Jordan Spieth and plan to make every putt, and then putt to your plan. As Greg Norman said, you never want to entertain the thought of a second putt. This one putt in front of you is your last!

Great putters don’t spend time thinking about missed putts. They remember the good putts they made. Choose to change your putting game by visualizing and thinking only about your good putts.

Make up your mind that you are a great putter and that you enjoy the art of putting. 

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Improve your mental putting game by listening in the privacy of your own home to the PMI self-hypnosis CD, Confident Putting for Lower Scores.  You can order today at 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.

Phil Mickelson hit only five fairways on the weekend at last week’s Safeway Open in Napa, California, but carded a 12-under 276 third place finish, three shots behind the winner Brendan Steele. After hitting only two fairways in the first round, he said his tempo was off.

Having good tempo in your golf swing is mental as well as physical. Along with having good tempo, you also need to have good timing and rhythm to produce consistent shots. It is certainly true that in life and golf, timing is everything.

Tempo

Tempo is the pace or speed of your golf swing. Good golf swing tempo means maintaining the same even movement in both directions; the backswing through the completion of the follow-through.

It has been proven that there is a three to one ratio in the golf swing. The backswing is slower because it is going back and up against gravity from a stationery position. On the way down the swing is accelerated because it is moving with gravity and centrifugal force.

To maximize your club head speed, your tempo should match your personality. Swing to your own internal clock. If you walk and talk fast, your swing tempo should be fast like Tom Watson or Rickie Fowler. If you move slower, match your swing tempo to someone like Freddy Couples or Ernie Els. It is important to maintain your own personal speed and rhythm throughout your round for consistent hits.

Golfers think they need to swing faster to generate more power and distance. Every club has a distance limit. If you need more distance, take one more club. When you lose your tempo on course, step off to the side and swing with the club only in your right hand to get the feel because then you won’t be able to accelerate too quickly.

If you swing back too fast it is hard for the body to turn to catch up. I you aren’t turning with your core, you are just swinging with your arms and the backswing won’t be completed.

Golfers tend to swing faster as the round progresses either because they are over-confident or fearful of making a mistake. Having a balanced follow-through is an indication of a swing with the proper tempo.

Timing

Timing is the most difficult part of the golf swing to learn and execute. The timing of all the moving parts of your body and club must be in the correct sequence. When the timing is in synchronization of your body and club, the result is the perfect impact position for consistent shots.

The swing can’t be too long or too fast which would make it difficult to square the face at impact. Swing at a speed that allows you to consistently hit the ball with the sweet spot of your club.

Feel the pressure of your grip. If your grip is too light or too firm, it will change the synchronization of your body and club and make a smooth swing impossible. Have a grip that allows your wrists to hinge freely so you can feel the club head.

It is important to overcome feelings of rushing through the swing. For the transition at the top of the swing, be patient before starting back down. Most tour players start their downswing with their feet, then the knees, hips, followed by the hands and arms falling into the proper sequence. To do this you have to be relaxed.

Rhythm 

Good rhythm is accomplished by having the same tempo on the backswing and the downswing. Golfers tend to swing with uneven rhythm on the longer clubs as there is a longer path to travel. Taking the club back slowly the golfer tends to rush on the downswing. Good rhythm is the same for every club and every swing. Because the driver is longer than the pitching wedge, the club head is moving faster throughout the swing, but the rhythm is the same.

Keys for accessing your tempo, timing and rhythm 

1. Record your favorite song that is in sync with your personal tempo. Listen to it on the range so you can make rhythmic swings in time with the music.
2. Swing to the beat of a metronome. Use a metronome or app set to the proper beat for your proper swing.
3. Use three words to access your timing. Beat 1: BACK, beat 2; AND beat 3; THROUGH.
4. Control your emotions. The range of emotions in a round of golf can cause you to get out of your natural rhythm. Breathe deeply to relax your mind and body for focusing in the moment.
5. Take practice swings on course. Immediately after a mishit, step off to the side and swing the club until you find the tempo you wanted to have.
6. Give yourself affirming messages.
   • I swing with easy, effortless power.
   • I have a smooth, balanced, flowing swing.
   • I swing to my own internal rhythm.
   • I am in tune with my own swing tempo and rhythm.

When you stop thinking about how to swing the club and instead feel the swing, you will access and trust your own perfect swing tempo.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

The imagery on the “Master Your Short Game for Low Scores” CD is designed to instill in your subconscious mind the swing timing and tempo entrained to your own internal rhythm.  Available now to listen in the privacy of your own home, at 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.

First of all, you need to acknowledge that you have created the pressure. The pressure and resultant anxiety probably come from your habit of focusing on how you are doing in comparison to others. The judgment or ‘what-if’ scenario that is playing in your mind is just a fear thought that has no relevance in creating a positive outcome.

DISTRACTION + FEAR = LACK OF TRUST

Secondly, you need to let go of the pressure by allowing your mind to focus on creating the present shot. Make every shot the most important shot you will hit. You can do this by mind stopping techniques, mental rehearsal, imagery, deep breathing and your pre-shot routine.

FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON WHAT MATTERS

When you are playing “in the zone state” there is no pressure. The golfer has let go of all of the restrictions imposed by conscious irrelevant thoughts. The mind and body are harmonized before the swing so the swing happens without any thought or effort. You are aware of making a mistake but have an internal knowing that it does not create any fear or anxiety.

In this state you have total trust that all is well, things will work out, and you have total enjoyment in the process. It is amazing how well things work out when you let go of trying to control and just allow your abilities to happen as you have trained them.

Golf is an amazing game. It is possible to hit the ball poorly, and still score. It is also possible to have your ‘A’ game, hit the ball extremely well, and not score. The former is representative of a poor physical game and a good mental game, while the latter represents a good physical game and a poor mental game. In either case, the determining factor is the mental skill of trusting in yourself and in your abilities.

Without this trust, we doubt whether we can rely on our practiced skills, and revert back to old habits to try and fix our swing.

Build new mental habits 

• If you are still thinking about the mechanics of your golf swing when you are over the ball, your mind is still practicing, trying to find the perfect swing.
• Let go of all mechanical thoughts when playing. Leave them on the practice range. On the golf course be totally focused on the game of getting the ball into the hole in the fewest shots.
•  Train your mind to feel and sense your swing instead of being paralyzed by constant analysis.
• Do not doubt your decisions. Indecision is the enemy of golfers. Access your swing tempo and allow it to happen.
• Allow yourself to hit the ball at your target without your mind telling you how to do it! Your body knows how to swing if you will let it.

IMAGINE IT, FEEL IT, BELIEVE IT!

Surrender to the present moment

The old way of thinking is to set a goal and then try to force it to happen. We are creatures of habit, both productive and non-productive. Disconnect from your ego that tells you there is only one right way and listen to your inner knowledge. Go with the flow and surrender to the moment you are in.

Reliving past mistakes brings fear into the present and destroys your confidence. Trust that it is in the past and will not happen again or you will carry the fear into future holes. Focusing in the present means letting go of expectations and judgment of how you are playing.

The mental part of your game is a process of developing mental skill programs. The biggest mountain you have to climb is the one you have built in your mind. Believe and trust in your uniqueness and all inferiority programs will disappear. Let go of comparisons and focus on playing from your heart for the love of the game. This will bring you the joy and success you are seeking.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at 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.

Over the last 25 years, I have been helping golfers and other athletes learn how to perform at their peak performance levels through an understanding and awareness of Self. The mental game of golf is not about just being stronger mentally. It is about changing your beliefs of lack and limitation that were ingrained in you as a child from someone else’s fearful beliefs and values. When you have the self-esteem to believe in yourself and your abilities there is no struggle and you can just allow yourself to play “in the zone.”

“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree* 

As an infant, you were constantly given attention because you were helpless and needed to be taken care of. As you began to move about in your first year, your parents began to treat you differently. They were aware of the many dangers that could befall a toddler, like falling down the stairs or running out into the street. Throughout your childhood years, you were then told over and over again what you could not do. In truth, you were told this many times more than what you can do. So around the age of two, you began to willfully say NO.

By the time you were five years old, you were told negatives or NO, 30,000 times. By the time you are 13 years old, you are told negatives or NO 100,000 times. You grew up in an environmentally negative society. You heard the word bad more often than good. You were told you were wrong more times than you were told you were right. You were criticized more times than you were praised. You were told not to do something more times than you were told what to do.

Negative programming for athletics 

As a child and teenager you were warned hundreds/thousands of times by your parents and other authority figures of the dangers in physical activities that included running, catching, throwing, lifting, tugging, kicking, twisting, turning, pushing, pulling, jumping, climbing, rolling, swinging, hanging, and sliding. What you were told was that you would hurt yourself by breaking an arm or a leg, tripping, banging your head, scraping your knee, or just bruising yourself. When a child hears these messages, s/he visualizes the scenario and the subconscious mind then programs and stores the injurious situations that the well-meaning parents were striving to avoid.

If on the other hand if you were told repeatedly as a child that you are athletic and well coordinated, have a good golf swing and that you will be a great golfer, you would believe that and follow this dream. A good example of this kind of loving conditioning is Jack Nicklaus who was trained to believe in himself by his parents and his golf pro. How else could he play like a champion when the galleries were shouting a derogatory “Fat Jack” at him? He transformed his image into “The Golden Bear” with his winning performances. His thinking is always positive and he had to strain to think of anything negative when the press asked him about missed shots.

What will they think of me? 

As adults, golfers put the biggest pressure on themselves by worrying about how they will look to others. On the pro level, the media is constantly judging them by pointing out mistakes and failures.

Self-esteem is the issue. Children learn early on that when a parent, teacher or trusted authority figure says you do something wrong, you need to be punished because you are bad. Hearing these messages over and over, they are programmed into your subconscious mind and take on the role of the authority figures even after they are gone. When you are standing over the golf ball and one of these self-doubting thoughts surfaces, your self-sabotage takes over and punishes you with a missed shot. 

Your Inner Child 

The inner child is a powerful psychology reality. The destructive programming you took in as a child is now an unconscious part of yourself because you took it in without question. These mental programs can be triggered on the golf course, especially under pressure.

As we grow into adulthood, our inner child’s capacity for joy and playfulness is stifled by listening to a society that tells us to act otherwise. Adults tend to believe they have outgrown their childhood fears, anger, traumas, and hurts. These memories and emotions are still alive in your unconscious mind unless you have re-parented your inner child with the protection of unconditional love and acceptance.

When you are feeling anxious, afraid, or not good enough on the golf course, you are tapping into the emotions of your dissociated inner child. As adults, we can’t expect golf or other people to fill this inner need when we look for what is missing by seeking it in the outside world. When we truly accept and nurture our wounded inner child, we will play to our full potential.”

*Excerpts are from Chapter 9: Performance Anxiety; “THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances”

Now available on www.amazon.com and www.createspace.com/6307102

 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.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to self-empowering Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at 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.

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.

Why is a two to four-foot putt so difficult to make? Sam Snead said the easiest shot in golf is the fourth putt (because the pressure is off).

The putting stroke is one of the simplest skills in all of sport. Golfers make it the most difficult. Don’t take the fun out of it by creating a fear thought of the outcome. Let go of self-imposed pressure thoughts of having to make it for a birdie, or to win the hole, or to make up for a 3-putt. These are all thoughts that will change your emotional state and create anxiety.

A two-foot putt is probably the easiest stroke in golf. It may be the simplest task in all sports. Golfers make it the most difficult by indecision and by thinking fearful thoughts. There is very little movement of the putter back and forth to go wrong in a 2-foot putt. When a golfer’s mind chatter takes over, that is where golf becomes a “mental game.” Because a short putt is such an easy stroke, the golfer thinks they are supposed to make it. The fear thought of missing and the resultant embarrassment is what makes it so difficult.

If you have developed an emotion of anxiety over missing short putts, it is time to change your thinking. You have a choice to see the putt as a wonderful opportunity to score, or the self-deprecating emotion of failure if you miss it. Repeating to yourself that it is an opportunity instead of an intimating stroke will eventually change your attitude and your feeling about putting.

Visualize then realize 

Anything you can visualize, you can realize. To replace the missed putts in your mind, take a video where you stroke a short putt into the center of the hole. Replay the video over and over and over until this picture in your subconscious mind has replaced the missed putt that causes your fear.

When your putts go in, you judge that you are doing it right. When they don’t, you think you are doing something wrong and try to fix it. Let go of this judgment. Develop the belief that you are a great putter no matter what the results are.

The purpose of putting is to roll the ball well enough to give it the best possible chance to go into the hole. You gain confidence by accomplishing your purpose. Trust that you can do this. Once you have made up your mind, trust that what you have decided is correct. Be decisive and don’t second guess your decision.

Great putters don’t spend time thinking about missing putts. They remember the good putts they made that built their confidence. Choose to change your putting attitude by visualizing and thinking only about your good putts. Give your putts the best possible opportunity to go into the hole by using your preset routine, trusting your decision and breathing deeply to relax and focus.

Keys to overcome nervousness and to stay focused on making short putts:

• Practice 2-3 foot putts until you know you can make them every time.
• Let go thinking about what missing/making means to you.
• Change your emotions from nervous and anxious to calm, relaxed, and fearless by taking deep breaths.
• Rehearse the putt in your mind until it is very clear.
• Accelerate the putter through the ball to hold it on the line.
• Trust your stroke to roll the ball on the predetermined line to the cup.
• Use the same pre-shot routine every time.
• Keep your eyes focused on the ball.
• Remember that you really love to putt more than you love the result.

Golf gives us many opportunities to feel good about ourselves. Making short putts without fear is one of those opportunities.

Play “in the zone” with Joan 

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Improve your putting and scoring by listening in the privacy of your own home to the PMI self-hypnosis CD, “Confident Putting for Lower Scores.”  You can order today at http://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.

As we approach the end of the summer, leagues and clubs are holding their championship tournaments. Under the pressure of wanting to play well and win, golfers can become anxious and lose focus. When their swings become erratic trying to make things happen, they make too many mistakes.

Golf is not a game of perfection. An error-free round of golf is not possible. You are going to make mistakes and possibly some bad breaks. A good player knows his mental game determines his attitude, not the results. Here are ten mental tips to manage your game:

1. • Use a positive pre-shot and post-shot routine. Consistent mental routines will produce consistent shots.
   • Trust your swing. Let go of mechanical thoughts. Believe in your ability. It is impossible to “fix” your swing after missing a shot. Instead, find your rhythm and tempo.
   • Remember your good shots, not the mistakes. Don’t keep track of your missed shots by continually talking about them. Congratulate yourself for your good shots.
   • Play target golf. Take DEAD AIM. Have a clear picture of your target in your mind and swing to it without thinking.
   • +Relax your mind and body. You can’t be relaxed and anxious at the same time. Take deep breaths to relax your body and slow down your thinking mind for sharper focus.
   • Take the time to manage your game. When you miss a shot, make sure you can recover. Think the shot through. Play only percentage shots that you know you can hit.
   • Be patient. Golf is a waiting game. Wait for the opportunities to happen. The more you rush, the less clearly you are able to think. The more you rush, the quicker your swing becomes and the more mistakes you make.
   • Concentrate only on your game. Being concerned with your competitor’s game will distract you from being in control of your own game.
   • Play one shot at a time. Play each shot as if it is the most important shot you will ever hit by giving it your full intention and attention.
   • Change all fear shots into positive images. Stay focused in the present, giving your full attention to what you want to happen, not what you are afraid will happen.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at 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.

My intention for the past 25 years as a mental golf coach is to show golfers how to construct a solid mental golf game by combining their assets in their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. All of these components are necessary to move your thinking into your subconscious mind where you play with complete trust at your highest level of accomplishment.

What is this magical “zone state?”

Being in the zone state is where you attain your peak performance. It can happen to 40 handicappers as well as scratch golfers. When a golfer is in the zone state, s/he has let go of all of the restrictions imposed by conscious irrelevant thoughts. The golfer has created the reality that s/he wants to happen. The mind and body are harmonized before the swing so it happens without any thought or effort.

Golf is different from other sports. In many other sports, there is no time to think and the body reacts to the situation. It has been proven that professional basketball players make more shots around the basket when the opposing player has a hand in their face and they have to shoot quickly, than when they take the time to bounce the ball and shoot… and think (about missing). In golf, the ball waits for us and we spend too much time in extraneous confusing thoughts.

What does being in the “zone state” feel like?

When a golfer is in the right state of mind s/he can access peak performance throughout the round. In this zone state, golfers feel as if they are in a trance, in a heightened sense of awareness where they have total control of all aspects of their game. Some golfers say they experience a sense of euphoria which includes total calm, ease and effortlessness in swinging and an enhanced sense of intuition. This is when golf becomes a spiritual experience.

There is also an increase in power. Crisper, longer and more accurate shots result from the magnified sense of feel and awareness. Golfers have intensified concentration and mental clarity such as seeing a line on the green. In this altered state of awareness, a golfer sometimes has the experience that someone else is swinging the golf club.

Arnold Palmer said that when he was playing in the zone, he felt as if he was above himself, watching himself play.

Ted Williams commented that when he was in the zone, he felt as if the baseball stopped at the plate, waiting for him to swing at it.

When Michael Jordan was in the zone making one of his spectacularly high leaps in the air, he felt as if he would never come back down.

John Brody, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback perceived the opposing line stopped when he was in the zone. He felt as if he had all day to throw the football downfield.

Andre Agassi said when he was in the zone playing in a tennis match, he saw everything around as blue; the court, the net, the stands, his opponent… everything except for the yellow tennis ball.

What do all these experiences have in common?

Time appears to stand still for athletes when they are totally focused on being in the process of performing. When golfers are playing in the zone state, they also have a distortion of time and are lost in the enjoyment of the game.

When we aren’t playing well we are focusing on the things that make up the process. We bombard our mind with distractions and instructions on how to swing the golf club. If you are thinking about parts of your swing while you are swinging, you are controlling or steering the club with your conscious mind. This kind of thinking results in jerky, inconsistent, off-balance, out-of-tempo, and offline shots.

We judge our golf shots unmercifully. We get wrapped up in negative feelings of incompetence, failure, doubt, and embarrassment.

Let go of trying and trust your training

In our society, we have been educated to “try harder”. We are taught that the more physical effort we put into something, the more likely we are to succeed. This is very evident in the statement we have been hypnotized to believe, “No pain, no gain”.

For golfers, a more appropriate truism is, “To gain control, you have to let go of control”. Once you have learned how to swing the golf club, you must LET GO and TRUST that the proper learnings will be sent from your unconscious mind to your physical body when you are playing on the golf course. You have then bypassed your conscious analyzing, thinking, controlling mind, and just react to all the learning and habits which are stored in your unconscious mind.

Let go of trying and trust your mechanics

To enter into the zone state a golfer must trust his swing and be prepared to allow it to happen. A rhythmic movement such as walking, deep breathing, humming or whistling your favorite tune can move you into a relaxed and alert state on the golf course.

To get relaxed and focused, prepare yourself in the way you are most comfortable with your personality. If you are a sociable person, converse with your fellow golfers. If you like to prepare alone, go to a place at the end of the range or green where you have quiet and solitude.

When you are aware that you are in the zone during your round, don’t think about what you are experiencing because that will bring you out of this altered state. Know that you are experiencing your peak potential performance and enjoy every minute of it!

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at www.pmi4.com/cart

If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself on the golf course, and would like to learn more about accessing the zone state, 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.

There are many mental factors that make up a consistent round of golf, such as desire, realistic expectations, and confidence in your ability to perform. Consistency comes from practicing your skills until you are confident that you can execute the shot or putt. But physical practice is not enough. You must believe that you can do it time after time under all kinds of conditions. Mental conditioning is what separates the great players from the field.

Here are seven ways to improve your mental game for consistent scoring:

1. The short game.  To win you need to score lower than anyone else. It is necessary to practice the parts of your game that will lead to lower scores. Most golfers think that long drives will bring low scores by giving them birdie and eagle opportunities. This kind of thinking does not produce steadiness. In fact, most of the shots you hit are the ones that require less than a full swing. To score consistently, spend your practice time in this ratio: 63% short game: (chipping, pitching, sand shots, putting) 37% full swings from the driver through the wedge.
2. Putting.  Putting is a game within a game and can be up to 40% of your score. Develop a feel on the greens for consistency. Give every size putt the same amount of time and attention. Use the same pre-putt routine every time. Use the same tempo on every size putt. Believe in your ability to relax, roll the ball well, and feel the distance.
3. Eliminate three-putts. One of the differences between amateurs and pros is the number of three-putts in a round. Pros focus more on distance than line on their long putts so the next putt will be within three feet for an easy two-putt. Their success rate in doing this is 90% of the time. Practice putting 30 to 60-foot putts to determine your length stroke for each distance. By getting a better feel for these distances you will have more confidence to roll the putt within three feet.
4. The pre-shot routine. To be consistent you need to have a consistent pre-shot routine. Having the same routine on every shot enables you to play automatically letting your learned skills take over. The routine keeps your mind focused on the present moment. If you vary your routine from shot to shot you can expect inconsistent results. Program your mind so it is conditioned to do the same routine on every shot and putt.
5. Your Personality.  Players who are consistent in the way they live their lives off the golf course will usually hit more fairways and greens than players who like to “grip it and rip it.” If you are a person who likes action rather than routine, you need to change your thoughts, attitudes, and actions to program consistency rather than excitement. Instead of trying to hit the longest drive of your life on each hole, set a goal for yourself such as hitting 8 or 10 fairways. Instead of trying to get the most out of the club each time, take more club and swing smoothly to ensure hitting the greens.
6. Percentage Golf. Do not try to hit shots that you are indecisive about. For example, if you are having trouble hitting your driver in the fairway, drive with your 3-metal. Hit your 9-wood instead of a long iron if you have more confidence in it. If you aren’t hitting your irons well, take one more club hitting into the greens to avoid the bunkers in front of the green. If you aren’t confident about your bunker play, focus on relaxing to get the ball on the green instead of trying to get it close. Don’t hit any shots that you don’t own. Plan each shot carefully so you don’t turn one mistake into two.
7. Remain Positive.  Change any limiting beliefs you have about yourself and your game. Enhance your self-image by seeing yourself as the player you know you can be even though you miss a shot. Talk to yourself on the golf course positively seeing only the solution to each situation instead of thinking negatively about the “what ifs” that could happen.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis guided imagery CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at www.pmi4.com/cart

If you aren’t able to score consistently and believe 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.