How do you deal with obstacles on the golf course?
Does your strategy include a plan to avoid them? Do you succumb to a fear of them? Do you get uptight worrying about hitting into a water hazard, the trees, into a bunker, into high rough or over a forced carry?
A hazard on the golf course is any bunker or water hazard. Natural obstacles such as water hazards, deep rough, bunkers and rocks are an integral part of every golf course. They are added to a golf course for beauty and difficulty. Hazards are a key factor in determining the numerical USGA Course Rating and Slope which indicates the severity of the obstacles on the golf course as well as their psychological effect.
For a quick fix on the golf course; don’t worry, be happy
If you are a person who is a worrier, golf course hazards will cause you great concern. Worry is likened to a snow ball with a handle on it. The handle is soooo unnecessary. Worry is a form of wasted energy. It is a negative side of using your imagination. When you worry about hitting into a hazard, and succumb to that imagined fear, you will create the stress that produces that outcome.
It is impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time. You cannot worry and believe in yourself at the same time. To play well you need to balance what you think and feel with what you do. To believe in yourself 100% you need to let go of worrying.
“In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy…….”
This is an excerpt from the 1988 popular song by Bobby McFerrin, Jr. The sentiment goes double for the golf course. You have a choice to be happy and have fun, OR to worry about your shots, your score, your embarrassment, or your fears.
Although there are many different kinds of obstacles on the golf course, golfers seem to have the most difficulty overcoming hazards with water in them. If you repeatedly sing this phrase to yourself, “Don’t worry, be happy” before you encounter a water hazard, you will lift your spirit. This changes your physiology and helps you to swing with ease to create the shot you want.
If you are not happy playing golf, you are making the game more difficult than it needs to be.
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We are more than half-way through summer golf. I have been hearing from a lot of golfers who are unhappy with their golf games. When you are totally focused on trying to achieve your goals or expectations, your golf games will suffer. Here are some strategies to remember to get you back on track.
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The past few years I have been watching the Jutanugarn sisters Ariya and Moriya play their way up through the amateur ranks of women’s golf to becoming winners on the professional level.
Moriya and Ariya grew up in Bankok, Thailand where their parents own a golf pro shop. The sisters love to compete against each other and have always known that they wanted to be professional golfers. Ariya is 20 years old. Moriya is the older sister by 16 months. Both have victories on the junior, women’s amateur and professional tours. They travel together to tournaments with their parents who handle their business and financial affairs.
At age 11, Ariya qualified for the 2007 Honda LPGA Thailand. She was the youngest golfer ever to qualify for an LPGA Tour event. She turned professional at the end of 2012. And now she is the first golfer from Thailand, male or female, to win one of golf’s major titles. She also made history by breaking the 54-hole Women’s British Open record of 200, scoring 16-under par.
Jutanugarn had a five shot lead through the 8th hole last Sunday, and it looked as if she would run away with the win. However, she bogeyed the 9th hole, and followed with a double bogey on the 13th to cut her lead to one stroke. She bounced back by draining a 20 foot putt for birdie at the par 3, 17th hole for a 2-stroke lead and a 3-stroke win on 18.
In the LPGA ANA Inspiration Tournament in California in March 2016, Ariya made bogey on her last three holes to finish fourth behind Lydia Ko. After that loss she revamped her mental game and learned to manage her emotions. Jutanugarn told the media; “But I’m pretty sure I learned a lot from that, also, because like after I feel nervous, I know what I have to do. Like last few holes, I tried to be patient and to commit to my shots.”
Her new attitude was to have fun playing in the tournaments. She put a trigger into her pre-shot routine to keep her from feeling nervous under the pressure. That trigger was to smile. It was obvious as we watched that she prepared for each shot with a smile on her face.
When you smile your body’s chemistry changes. You feel more relaxed as your mind gets the signal from your facial muscles and releases endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for making us feel happy. Researchers have found that smiling during periods of stress help to reduce the body’s stress response whether the person feels happy or not.
Endorphin is a combination of the words “endogenou” (produced within the body) and “morphine.” Endorphins are brain chemicals which transmit electrical signals within the nervous system. They are the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals which trigger a positive feeling in the body similar to that of morphine. They interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce the perception of pain and stress and induce feelings of pleasure or euphoria.
I played with a gal who was struggling with her golf game. The “wheels had come off” and she was unable to swing with any consistency. She asked me to tell her what she was doing wrong and to help her “fix” her golf swing. Instead I suggested that she smile before each shot. After a couple of holes she was hitting the ball well and she had a big smile on her face. I told her she didn’t need to put a smile on her face, that smiling inside was all she needed to do. She said she was having so much fun that she wanted to smile and laugh even more. Golf became fun once again for her by using this simple procedure.
Use it. It works!
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Brain for Peak Performances
If this article is helpful for you, and you want to learn more, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation about improving your mental game. She can be reached by phone at 828.696.2547, by email pmi4@bellsouth.net or through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog.
Self-empowering mental golf CDs are available at www.pmi4.com/cart
The US has been experiencing severe weather all summer with extreme heat and humidity. A couple of weeks ago I encountered the effects of this scorching heat. As I stood over my ball I was dizzy and the ball seemed to waver. It was very difficult to swing a club or putt when I felt faint. I later discovered that it was due to the imbalance of my electrolytes; the potassium, calcium, bicarbonate combination that is vital for the normal functioning of our bodies. I have a healthy organic nutritional diet but was still lacking in these electrolytes.
It is important to maintain your electrolyte balance at all times, especially in the summer when the temperatures are soaring. Without the right amount of electrolytes you can also experience weak muscles or muscle cramps. Fresh fruits and vegetables which are plentiful now are rich in electrolytes. The most important ingredient is to keep your body hydrated by drinking copious amounts of water.
Since I do play under these severe heat conditions, I now begin to hydrate my body a couple of days previously by drinking water and other drinks with electrolytes in them. As you sweat you lose body fluids which cause a reduction in your physical and mental performance if they aren’t replaced. I also drink these fluids constantly on the golf course.
Make sure your golf game won’t suffer by using the following strategies:
2. Protect yourself from the sun. Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Using a silver sun umbrella will reflect the sun’s UV rays and keep you cooler. This is a necessity if there isn’t much shade on your golf course.
4. Use sunscreen. Be sure to re-apply sunscreen that absorbs or reflects the ultraviolet rays of the sun at the end of nine holes. Golfers with light skin are more susceptible to sun damage than darker skin.
6. Maintain your electrolyte balance. Electrolytes are lost in sweat and must be replaced to keep the electrolyte concentrations of your body fluids constant. This is important to keep your nerves, muscles and heart working properly. Sports drinks replace electrolytes but also contain carbohydrate (sugar) calories.
For additional information on preparing your body for extreme weather conditions, read the July 2010 newsletter, “Healthy Nutrition for Enhanced Mental Golf Energy” and the June 2011 newsletter “Hydration is necessary for Mental Golf Focus” at www.pmi4.com
Play “In the Zone” With Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances .
If this article is helpful to you, and you want to learn more, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation about improving your mental game. She can be reached by phone at 828.696.2547, by email pmi4@bellsouth.net or through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog.
Eight empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs are available at www.pmi4.com/cart
Summer golf tournaments are in full swing.
By now you have experienced an increase or decrease in your handicap from the beginning of the golf season. You have experienced the disappointment of making large numbers on a hole, the disappointment of not playing to your potential, three-putting and penalty shots.
On the bright side you may have experienced, chip-ins, birdies, low scores, playing well with friends and winning.
What do these two scenarios have in common? Your emotions.
Your performances are directly related to your emotions. It is an interesting facet of the brain that we remember good and bad things that happen because of our emotions. When you have strong feelings about a golf shot or a score, it is anchored into your computer data base also known as the subconscious mind.
In my weekly tournament play at my club I am always amazed at the golfers who are constantly anchoring the wrong emotional events into their subconscious minds. In NLP we call this negative anchoring. The subconscious mind takes everything literally and does not discern between what you desire and what you do not desire.
Yelling at your ball reinforces your fear and lack of confidence.
If you “talk” to your ball in flight and tell it not to go there (water, woods, rough, bunker, etc.) you are putting emotion into what you do not want. The subconscious mind then records this message by seeing the ball end up where you don’t want it to go.
And you say, “The pros talk to their balls.” The difference is that the pros are reinforcing their original plan for the ball to go to a certain target, not where they don’t want it to go. They are not afraid of where it will wind up because they have practiced every possible shot and have confidence in hitting it.
Golfers who talk to their balls are afraid they will not be able to successfully get out of a challenging situation. This fear then creates anxiety about the outcome.
And so you see that your emotions start with your thoughts. If your expectation is to hit a certain shot well and you don’t do it you will be frustrated, disappointed, humiliated and perhaps embarrassed. Instead of judging your result, let go of the emotions and determine what the thought was that created the miss. Learn from your mishit so you won’t repeat it. Let go of the emotion.
When you hit a successful shot, always anchor it into your subconscious with praise and a good feeling of success. It can be enhanced with a smile, a fist pump or other energetic motion. It is basically an internal process that can be reinforced. You will feel confident and it will be easier to repeat the shot you want. Anchoring your poor shots with negative emotions will send a message to your subconscious that you want to repeat those shots.
Keys for producing golf shots with confidence:
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When you feel insecure it is probably because you have put too much importance on getting the ball into the hole and are focusing on a certain score. Certainly it is frustrating to miss a putt. Missing is part of the game. The more you dwell on missed putts, the more insecure you will feel.
There are only two ways to miss a putt, either by miss-hitting the ball, or miss-reading the line of the putt. Through practice you can learn to combine the right speed and direction. The challenge is in getting those two parts of the equation to work together, and accepting the end result.
Most good putters focus their attention on rolling the ball on line. When you pick the right line and roll the ball on that line that is all you can do. The results are out of your control. Prepare your mind by using the same pre-shot routine every time. This will enhance your chances of accomplishing holing the putt without interruption or distraction.
If you have feelings of fear, doubt or worry, know that your mind is wandering into thinking about your past or future putts, and away from the task at hand. To refocus, use the time while waiting your turn to prepare your mind.
Create good putts by using your imagination and creativity. Putting is an art form. Allow your mind to re4act to the information and allow the intuitive part of you to determine the distance and speed. It is essential that you trust your senses by letting go of thinking as you putt. Your attitude will determine how well you can do this.
Trust that your plan is a good one. Good putters don’t spend time thinking about missing. They only remember the good putts they made that build their confidence. If you know you have stroked a good putt according to your plan to hit it solidly, on your target line and with the right speed, and it doesn’t go in, be confident that you are a great putter.
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Emotions show what you are thinking about yourself and your golf game. Your feelings are a good way to learn about and know yourself as an individual. Your emotions can interfere with your breathing, concentration, tempo of your swing, decision-making, confidence and most of all, enjoyment of your game.
When you are controlled by your emotions it is difficult to think clearly. And emotionally charged events make a strong imprint in your subconscious mind.
How do you react to a miss-hit or a mental error?
Most players react with frustration or anger when a shot doenn’t come off as planned and prepared for. Anger is a temporary motivator resulting from a fear of failure or helplessness. It is best to release the feeling quickly by venting it through an out-breath so it won’t come up again at the wrong time. Do not self-sabotage and punish yourself by calling yourself stupid or incompetent.
When you focus on your mistakes, fear of failing, or keeping your score going, you can become controlled by these emotions. Your heart beats faster, it is difficult to breathe, your hands shake, and you swing harder and faster at the golf ball which causes more mistakes.
Frustration on the golf course could be the result of unrealistic expectations of your game. When you set high standards that aren’t readily attainable, you will constantly experience failure and frustration. It is important to acknowledge that you will hit bad shots. Focus on your ability to “bounce back” from making mistakes as golf is a game of recovery more than it is a game of seeking perfection.
You will experience less frustration and be more relaxed if you do not demand perfection from yourself. Don’t make your missed golf shots the central theme of your thoughts. The more you replay your missed shots in your mind, the more you deplete your mental and physical energies to play good shots.
Options for lowering your frustration level:
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Brain for Peak Performances
One on One: Call Joan at 828.696.2547 or by email pmi4@bellsouth.net today to ask about personal coaching by phone in a 15-minute complimentary consultation. Learn what is missing in your game to achieve your peak performances.
Improve your golf game NOW by listening to eight different PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. Available today at www.pmi4.com/cart
When I played golf yesterday the heat became progressively debilitating. We were constantly looking for shade trees to stay under while we waited for our turn to hit. If you are feeling week or dizzy, it is important to look at the amount of fluids you are ingesting prior to playing golf. As you sweat you lose body fluids. Your mental and physical energy levels will be taxed if those fluids aren’t replaced.
Golfers need to drink lots of water. Anywhere from eight to ten glasses per day is optimal, and more than that may be necessary when playing in extreme heat. Hydration is very important. It is important to drink water because it is beneficial to your organs, especially the kidneys. Add one additional glass of water for each cup of coffee, alcoholic beverage, and soda you drink. Make water your beverage of choice.
In order to play well during these hot conditions, it is necessary to be taking part in regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. It is impossible to be at your best if you eat a diet of junk food. Healthy nutrition is something which many people do not associate with golf.
We normally think of the food we eat in terms of enjoyment, of being healthy, or of what it does to our bodies in terms of attractiveness. The truth is that your body is a vast storehouse of chemicals and what you eat, the amount you eat, and when you eat can change the chemistry of your digestive system and your nervous system. When it affects your nervous system, it then affects your mental and emotional state.
Your nutritional intake can definitely help or hurt your playing performance during a round of golf. You may have experienced these letdowns due to a carbohydrate/sugar drop in energy. When our bodies experience mental or physical fatigue, the tendency is to swing the golf club faster or harder to make up for the lack of energy. This usually results in a jerky or rushed swing that causes errors.
Prepare for the heat before going to the golf course
1. Wear loose fitting or sun protective clothing. LPGA Tour gals can be seen wearing the new soft and breathable long sleeves under their golf shirts that circulate air and also protect them from the sun. These new fabrics are actually cooler than short sleeve shirts because it keeps the direct sun off your skin.
2. Protect yourself from the sun. Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen/extra virgin coconut oil to protect yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Using a silver sun umbrella will reflect the sun’s UV rays and keep you cooler.
3. Keep hydrated. Start your day with two glasses of water to replace what you lost overnight. Drink cool water constantly on course, not ice water. Remember when Jack Nicklaus had stomach cramps from drinking ice water during a tournament.
4. Do not take salt tablets. Salt tablets drain water from your body and make dehydration worse. Juices and sodas contain more than 10% sugar and are not absorbed well during exercise.
5. Maintain your electrolyte balance. If you are feeling dizzy, it may be that your electrolytes are low. Electrolytes are lost in sweat and must be replaced to keep the electrolyte concentrations of your body fluids constant. This is important to keep your nerves, muscles and heart properly. Sports drinks replace electrolytes but also contain carbohydrate (sugar) calories. There are several brands of water that contain electrolytes and no added sugars.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Mind & Body for Peak Performances
If this blog is helpful for you, and you want to learn more about attaining a peak mental golf game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828.696.2547, email at pmi4@bellsouth.net or leave a reply below.
Eight different self-empowering mental golf CDs are available at www.pmi4.com/cart
If you are feeling as if you have lost control of your golf game and that your confidence is waning, it is time to look at your thoughts and beliefs. If you are not aware of what you are thinking and feeling, you have no self-control because you have no awareness. You are in control when you are aware of your thoughts. Then you can choose whether to act upon them or not.
“When you take the evaluation and judgment out, what is left is awareness.”
~ Fred Shoemaker
The first thing to do is to determine what your mental stumbling blocks are. Take note of your limiting thoughts about the golf course or how you view your upcoming round. For example, you might think, “I worry about playing with others who are better than I am.”
Most golfers are intimidated when playing with better golfers. During the round, they worry about what the better golfer might think of them and their golf game. This kind of thinking causes anxiety and a lack of mental and emotional control.
Determine what is under your control and what is not.
The way someone else plays the game is not under your control. However, letting go of worry and thoughts about someone else’s game is under your control.
Instead of dwelling on something outside of you that you can’t control, reframe it into a new perspective that will reinforce a positive focus on attaining your inner control. Anytime you determine that a thought is outside of your control, use it as a cue to give yourself a positive, constructive message where you can influence or control yourself positively.
Some examples are:
The only thing you can control is yourself. Do not give any mental or emotional energy to what you cannot control. This includes the condition of the golf course, the weather conditions, your playing partners’ behavior or their scores. Spend your energy on preparing for your shot, sticking to your game plan, your own awareness, and changing negative perceptions to positive thoughts.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
Learn how to play on automatic pilot “in the zone” for your peak performances. Contact Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net or 828.696.2547 for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Learn what is missing in your game so you can achieve the success you desire.
Improve your golf game by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. Order today at http://www.pmi4.com/cart
32st YEAR OF MENTAL GOLF COACHING
Joan King, BCH is the founder of Positive Mental Imagery, a mental sports consulting service dedicated to helping golfers achieve their peak performances. Since 1992 Joan has given mental golf workshops, individual mental coaching and hypnosis to amateur and professional golfers internationally. Read More
