Control of your emotions is the most important mental ingredient in your golf game. Emotions indicate what you are thinking about yourself and your golf game. The way you communicate with yourself is more important to your brain than your results.

Emotions are biochemical events in the brain that can lead to powerful changes in the body. These energy changes either move you closer to or further away from your peak performances. The emotions of fear, anxiety, and anger move you away from playing to your potential. These disturbing emotions can interfere with your arousal levels, breathing, concentration, the tempo of your swing, decision-making, confidence and most of all, enjoyment of playing the game.

Your emotions are a natural expression of being human. Your thoughts produce these learned emotions. When you are controlled by your emotions, it is difficult to think clearly. Thinking too much about mechanics, control of your swing or your score can produce the feelings of anxiety and fear. When you focus on your missed shots you lose energy and don’t have enough left to concentrate on what you do want to create in the present moment.

Emotionally charged events make a strong imprint in your unconscious mind where all your memories are stored. Your unconscious mind records everything literally without judging. Because of all the excitement surrounding a hole-in-one, it is easy to remember all of the details. In the same way, if you react with anger to a missed shot, it will also be stored as a strong memory.

Playing golf well demands emotional control for consistency. Unlike other sports there is no physical outlet for frustration and the golfer must deal with the feeling before he hits his next shot. Destructive or harmful feelings must be replaced with positive affirming ones.

Emotions are instantaneous responses to your thoughts. If you control your thoughts, and your feelings come from your thoughts, then you are capable of controlling your feelings just by changing your thinking.

To become a healthy, happy person free of debilitating feelings involves learning to think differently. It requires being responsible for how you feel. It means taking action to change your thoughts. This is what is meant by an attitude adjustment. 

To change a thought that has been reinforced hundreds of times requires reinforcement over and over again for the new thought to replace the old one. It then becomes your new belief system. It requires discipline and determination to let go of each and every thought that sabotages your golf game and your happiness. It is much easier to give up and feel sorry for yourself. In this world, it seems we receive more attention and pity when we are unhappy (or hit poor golf shots) than when we are in control of our life and are happy.

Life or a round of golf is seldom all good or all bad. Don’t make your missed golf shots the central theme of your day on the golf course. If you are feeling afraid that you will not make a certain number, or make an important putt, or not be able to shoot your fine front nine score on the back nine, you are attached to the emotion of fear. Fear or negative thoughts create tension in your body resulting in more missed shots.

Control your emotions by developing the attitude/thought that golf is a fun game to play regardless of how you are playing. Be grateful that you are able to be playing this great game of golf. The challenge of the game is to allow yourself to do the best you are able and to accept the results.

When your emotions are out of control on the golf course, it is a perfect time to analyze and change your beliefs that are causing the distress so it won’t happen again. The same negative beliefs will probably cause you problems in your off-course life also.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden ~ 

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

What do the pros do when they shoot a round in the 80’s in a tournament? This means, of course, that they have “shot themselves in the foot” and are out of the tournament.

Pros understand that golf is an unpredictable game. The attitude for dealing with this kind of failure is different for each player. Here are some of the ways pros think about mentally recovering from uncharacteristically high rounds.

• It happens. I laugh at myself.
• I just forget about it and go out and play the next round.
• If it happens on Friday and I miss the cut I can get away from the golf course.
• I remember the good holes that kept the score from being even higher.

The mental game of golf is about developing your mindset before you get to the golf course. If you don’t have a positive attitude, your emotions will take over and you will press to make up for your mistakes. It will then be harder to become mentally and physically balanced.

Adopt an attitude of acceptance

• Decide that you don’t have to hit every shot perfectly to score low.
• Accept that you will make mistakes and forgive yourself.
• Let go of miss-hits to stay in the present.
• Focus only on the positive thoughts of what you want.
• Practice patience for things to turn around.
• Know you can persevere by using your best mental tools.
• Know that failure is life’s greatest teacher.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Log on to the PMI website  for more mental golf tips and eight guided imagery CDs for improving your golf game.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game.

There will be many opportunities to feel nervous on the golf course. Each golf shot and round of golf is a new experience. It is normal to feel anxious in a situation you haven’t encountered before. Playing golf with a low handicap golfer, playing in a tournament, hitting over or into water, playing with your boss for the first time, playing in front of a gallery, and trying to beat your lowest score can cause nervousness.

Everyone playing golf has anxiety at some time. Golfers feel nervous because they worry about the situation they are in. If golfers lack confidence due to lack of practice or experience, they become nervous about what they can do. On the other hand, a little bit of nervousness can be helpful in playing to your potential. It can move you to a higher level of arousal that will motivate you to be focused and more aware than when you are just hitting balls on the range.

“It’s not bad to have butterflies in your stomach, but they should be flying in formation.” Tommy Bolt, PGA Tour

Fight or Flight Syndrome

The “fight or flight” response is the body’s physiological reaction to stress created by thinking fearful thoughts. The body pumps extra adrenalin into the blood stream as its response to the anxiety-provoking situation. This surge of adrenalin results in a tightening of muscles, loss of rhythm, loss of balance, and a hurried and jerky swing. As everything speeds up, there is not enough time to prepare for the shot.

Keys to manage nervousness

Here are ways to calm your nerves so they won’t distress your swing or putting stroke:

1. You are the only one who feels your nervousness. Golfers need to learn that others are much more concerned with their own games than with yours. Focus on the process of creating your shot and not on what they might think of you.
2. Be aware of the physical sensations. Nervousness is the opposite of being loose and relaxed. Know what upsets you. Know what makes you feel fear, worry, anger, frustration, or embarrassment.
3. Be aware of the thought causing the nervousness. If the thought is a fear of embarrassment, know that this is a normal reaction to a missed shot. Instead, smile inside to change your body chemistry. Smiling produces endorphins which calm and relax you.
4. Take several deep breaths to slow down your mind. Then take a couple of practice swings as hard and fast as you can to relieve the physical tension.
5. Focus on your pre-shot routine. This will put you back into your comfort zone. Have a good clear visual of what you are planning.
6. Change your “what if” thinking to a “so what” thought. The most important thing you can do to relieve nervousness and anxiety is to stay in the moment and let go of everything of the outside world, and trust the process of creating the next shot.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

If you would like to improve your mental golf game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828.696.2547, or by email at pmi4@bellsouth.net.

Eight self-hypnosis CDs for improving your mental golf game are available on the Positive Mental Imagery website at www.pmi4.com/cart

There is an old adage that “golf is 90% mental.” Golf is a mental game because we have so much time in-between shots to think. We spend our days thinking, planning and solving problems. To play well on the golf course, you have to learn how to “let go” of all of that thinking and learn how to be “in the moment” when it is your turn to hit.

If you are being outscored by your fellow competitors who don’t hit the ball as far as you do, or have a higher handicap, here are some mental tips for having an advantage over your opponents.

• Whatever you are trying to do, don’t. Trying means steering the ball to the target. Make up your mind to swing to your target. Just do it!
• Don’t give yourself instruction. Instead of focusing your attention on a specific part of your body or part of the golf swing, go beyond the physical and find your own natural rhythm and tempo.
• Shake off a miss-hit. Physically shake your hands back and forth to let your mind know you have let go of a poor shot. Then swing the club several times until you can once again access your tempo.
• Breathe before you swing. Taking deep breaths slows down your busy mind, relaxes your body and makes it easier to focus on the process of creating the shot. When you are relaxed you will be more flexible and able to hit the ball further.
• Indecision is the enemy of golfers. Don’t hit a shot until you have absolutely made up your mind about what you want to do with the shot and have confidence in the club you have selected.
• Believe in yourself no matter what the results are. Believe in your ability to play well. Trust that you can improve.
• Emotionalize only the good shots. Enjoy every successful shot. Anchor your good shots into your subconscious with a physical gesture such as a fist punch. Emotions of fear, doubt, anger and anxiety will sabotage your game. Be positive in talking to yourself and others.
• Swing within yourself. Less is more. Feel your awareness of balance, rhythm and tempo. The ball will go further and straighter with a smooth, easy, effortless swing than with a forceful, jerky swing.
• Golf requires a balanced emotional level. Leave all problems at home. Keep your conversation on a superficial level. Breathe deeply before every shot to relax your mind and body and maintain your arousal level.
• Give each shot your full attention. Treat each shot as if it is the most important shot you will hit in the round. Stay in the NOW. Be fully present. Play one shot at a time.
• Let go of all expectations. Don’t add up your score until you are finished. Enjoy each shot as its own reward.
• Enjoy all aspects of the golf course. Play from your heart and have fun playing the game.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

If this information is helpful for your mental golf game, please Leave a Reply below.

 More tips to improve your mental golf game are available on the Positive Mental Imagery website, where you can sign up for a free mental golf newsletter and purchase empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs.

Before the golf season is in full swing, why don’t you take the time to analyze the holes at your home golf course? Developing a strategy to play each hole is a sure-fire way to lower your score. The golf course architect designed each hole with a specific purpose. He has designed the course with water, trees, bunkers, mounds and slopes to create a challenge for you. When you have a strategy for playing your shot with the intention of making your next shot easier, it will give you more confidence and ultimately make your round more fun.

Early in my golf career I played with a female scratch golfer who told me she could improve my score by ten strokes with good course management. When I was skiing competitively in college we used visualization for our race course strategy. We climbed the race course from the bottom of the hill to the top charting each gate in our minds. We had to have a good visual of the course in our heads as there would be no time to think on the way down through the gates.

Playing your home golf course backwards in your mind, starting from the green and moving back to the tee shot is how you can determine the place where your approach shot will give you the best chance to score. By picking specific targets you will select the right club more often which will give you more confidence. Thinking your way around the course will help to eliminate those big numbers. Executing your plan with good golf swings is key to not getting into trouble.

Get the ball in the hole in fewer strokes

Jack Nicklaus is known as the best course manager of all time. He said that if you strike the ball well, but manage your game poorly you will rarely win. He also said that managing yourself and the golf course were the ways to make the most of your ability to bring in the lowest possible scores every time you play. To achieve your potential, this is the most important part of the game. In his book, “Golf My Way” Nicklaus wrote that if you miss a shot, make sure you can recover. Before each shot he would look at the hole and determine what the worst misses would be. WORST SHOTS (in order): Out of Bounds, Water Hazard, Unplayable Lie, Deep Bunkers, Deep Rough, Severe Stance, Bare Ground/Wet Ground. He then would visualize his shot where none of those scenarios would come into play.

Position Golf

Golf is a game where the position of your golf ball is vital for scoring. Without a plan it is easy to beat yourself. Professionals have a plan to play each hole for the lowest possible score. With the plan in mind, they then focus by taking dead aim at each target, one shot at a time. In planning your strategy, visualize the entire hole from “tee to green” and “green to tee” and ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the length of the hole?
• Is the fairway wide or narrow?
• Is it flat, undulating or sloping?
• Is it straight away or a dog leg?
• What is the yardage from the tee to the trouble (bunkers, water, trees, etc.)?
• Where do I want to land my tee ball to avoid all the problems?
• Is there trouble around the green (water, sand bunkers, trees behind, etc.)?
• Is it better to hit short or long on this green?
• What is the shape, slope, speed of the green?
• Do I want a full shot or short shot into the green?

You may have lots of talent, but if you don’t know how to think your way round the golf course, you aren’t going to play up to your potential. Here are some tips for managing your game:

1. Play the percentages. Don’t expect to hit your best shot. Hit the shot that you can hit 75% of the time.
2. Hit the ball in the fairway. Sometimes that is easier said than done. Know where the widest part of the fairway is and hit to the largest landing area. This may require using a 3-wood instead of a driver. Know exactly how far it is to avoid the fairway bunkers.
3. Hit your approach for an uphill putt. Keeping the ball below the hole gives you the best chance for a one-putt. Side hill putts give you the least chance. Setting up your approach shot to create this uphill putt is the most important part of your strategy for scoring.
4. Evaluate risk vs. reward. Consider your skill level when facing a shot to get out of trouble. Ask yourself if trying to hit a “Tin Cup” shot is worth the risk of adding on a couple more strokes.
5. Take greenside bunkers out of play. Golf courses are usually designed with bunkers in front or to the sides of the greens. Take a longer club to hit to the middle or back of the green. The worst shot you will have is a 30-foot putt or a chip from just over the green.
6. Par 3’s: Know where to miss it away from any possible trouble spots. Plan to land the ball where you haven’t “short sided” the next shot. Give yourself the best angle to hit to the green. If the pin is on the left, tee your ball up on the right and vice versa.
7. Par 4’s: Use the terrain of the hole to help you put the tee ball on a flat fairway lie. If you miss the fairway, knowing the layout of the hole will enable you to change your strategy for the best possible recovery.
8. Par 5’s: These longer holes give you one more chance to recover. If you have to lay-up, place the ball where you can hit a full shot and have a good opening into the green.
9. Bounce back after a big number. Release your frustration and tension by swinging your club as hard and fast as possible. Then focus on the process of creating your next shot. Breathe deeply to relax your mind and body.

For additional tips on course management link on to the Positive Mental Imagery website Archived Newsletter October 2002 Golf Course Management at http://bit.ly/26UaumV

Play “in the zone” with Joan  

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances 

Improve your golf game NOW by listening to Positive Mental Imagery self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. Available on the website at www.pmi4.com/cart

A friend of mine called yesterday to tell me that he had just shot 75 which was his lowest career round. He said he wasn’t keeping score and although he knew he was playing well, he wasn’t aware of the numbers until the round was over. This is a good example of process-oriented thinking. 

Focusing on the process means staying in the moment, concentrating on one shot at a time, thinking only about the things you can control. The process-oriented golfer knows he cannot control anything outside of himself. Process-oriented golf means thinking about what you want to do (the process of how to do it) versus worrying about where your shot will go or what will happen (the outcome of your score).

Focusing on results means that golfers think about the consequences of mis-hits and the trouble on the golf course. Their concentration then wanders to “what if” thinking which causes tension and anxiety and creates the mis-hit the golfer is trying to avoid. Examples of results thinking are: trying to shoot a certain score, better your lowest score, trying to hit a certain number of fairways or greens, trying to have a certain number of putts or trying to avoid penalty strokes.

It is the ability of the golfer to stay in the moment on every shot and putt that allows him to play at his peak performance level.

You are the only thinker in your mind. It is important in golf to decide to think in the present moment instead of thinking about the trouble or what might happen. The best way to shift from outcome to process thinking is by developing a consistent and easily repeatable pre-shot routine. (Why do I need a pre-shot routine? February 2009 PMI newsletter)

Additional tips for focusing in the process:

• Be aware when you are feeling anxious. It is a sign that your mind is wandering into outcomes.
• Refocus on your pre-shot routine. Pause, take a deep breath or two and begin your routine again.
• Make a decisive club selection and target.
• Visualize and feel the shot.
• Maintain your arousal level.
• Take a deep breath to relax before and after each shot.
• Relax your mind between shots.

Golf is a game that is played for the unlimited challenges that it provides. To play at your personal best means to play for the fun and love of the game. Choose to play for the challenge of each shot (process-oriented) and not let the pressure to perform for score (results-oriented) determine your round. The results can be enjoyed afterwards at the 19th hole.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Increase your ability to stay in the moment by listening to the PMI “Concentration for Consistent Golf” CD in the privacy of your own home.  Available now at www.pmi4.com/cart

Distractions such as noises on the golf course are common place. There are also the distractions of the self-talk in your head that can bring up interfering negative thoughts.

If inner thoughts or outer noises distract you, you have not totally prepared your mind so your body will know precisely what to do. Using a consistent pre-shot routine before every shot or putt is a good way to focus your attention so you won’t be distracted. Programming your mind for the shot you want is the only part of your golf swing over which you have total control. Indecision about your golf swing or the club to use will sabotage your golf shot.

An excellent step to add to your pre-shot routine is the “D-Line”. From behind the ball as you look down the fairway at your target, draw an imaginary line between you and your golf ball. This is your Decision Line (D-Line). All thoughts and decisions must be made before you cross this line to stand over your ball.

Behind the ball: Plan your shot by taking into account the distance, wind and target. Be decisive about the club you have selected. Practice your swing mentally and/or physically. Picture in your mind the flight of the ball, or rolling the ball into the hole. When you have done this, you are ready to move to the ball and trust that your subconscious mind has received the information and will act on it. Any other thoughts you have over the ball will be a distraction.

If you are distracted at any time after crossing your D-Line, begin your pre-shot routine again to refocus.

Keep a mental scorecard with a pass/fail system or a 1-10 system (with 10 being totally decisive) to record your level of preparedness for every shot. You might be surprised how many shots you hit without being mentally ready.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

If you would like to improve your mental golf game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828.696.2547, or by email at pmi4@bellsouth.net.

Easily improve your confidence in your mental golf game today by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. Available now at www.pmi4.com/cart

If this weekly blog has been helpful to you, please forward it to your friends so they can have more fun playing the game of golf while lowering their scores. Previous issues can be downloaded at pmi4.com/blog

Golfers around the world watched with shock as Jordan Spieth hit his second consecutive ball into Rae’s Creek on the short 150-yard par 3, 12th hole at Augusta National on Sunday with his 9-iron. How could that happen? How did “the wheels come off” when he just birdied four holes in a row on the front nine for a five shot lead? We all want to know so we can learn from his experience.

Jordan has honestly told us that he didn’t have his “A” game all week and was struggling to maintain his swing. He described his game as B-minus, but his magically hot putter kept him in the lead. 10-11-12 are the pivotal holes at Augusta. To play them well you need to have complete confidence in your swing. He didn’t have it. Jordan didn’t take his usual time to prepare and it was noticeable that his swing on those holes was a bit faster and rushed. “I didn’t take that extra deep breath and really focus on my line on 12,” he said. “Instead I went up and I just put a quick swing on it.”

Every golfer in the world has had the experience of “shooting themselves in the foot” by hitting the same bad shot twice in succession. But for Jordan Spieth who epitomizes sound on-course decision making, it was unthinkable. We don’t know what was going through Jordan’s mind during that finishing round and it may be awhile before he figures it out. Golf is an inner game and he will have to look at what he was thinking and feeling that changed his swing pattern.

What was apparent to the viewers was Spieth’s slow play when he backed off his ball time after time. Did he over-analyze his situation? Was he indecisive about his course management? Was his insecurity about his golf swing causing anxiety and a rushed swing?

Spieth and his caddie, Michael Greller, agreed that a draw was the right shot to hit into the 12th green. As he stood over the ball, Jordan decided to hit a cut shot. “And that’s what I did in 2014,” Spieth said, “and it cost me the tournament then, too.”

The Mental Golf Lesson

When you make mistakes and don’t play well there is always something to learn about yourself and your golf game. The lesson here is to learn how to forgive yourself if you don’t want to repeat the scenario. Like all mental issues it is not easy to do and takes time.

Spieth needs to acknowledge the emotions of hurt and disappointment in himself and let them go. When he is able to let go of the devastating feelings, he can then replace them with the confident feelings that he has exhibited in his career. Trust doesn’t happen without experience. Jordan has had the experience of being the best and he needs to focus on that now to recover from his loss.

If Jordan doesn’t forgive himself for being human and making a big mistake in front of the whole world, it will plague him for the rest of his golf career. If instead he learns to forgive himself and to let it go he will have a clear field to win many more majors after releasing this potential block. He is very intelligent and insightful and surely will be able to do this and not carry it over to future tournaments.

There is nothing more I want to feel about this experience.

We can all relate to remembering our most devastating loss and how we relived it over and over in our minds, talked about it and kept it alive in our consciousness. It is only when you let go of the feelings, see it as a learned lesson for what you need to know, and forgive yourself for allowing it to happen that you can move toward allowing your peak performances.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Easily improve your confidence in your mental golf game today by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. Available now at www.pmi4.com/cart

If this weekly blog has been helpful to you, please forward it to your friends so they can have more fun playing the game of golf while lowering their scores. Previous issues can be downloaded at www.pmi4.com/blog

When you have not played in awhile, it is necessary to refresh your mind and body by reviewing the basics of the golf swing. In order to be successful at golf, you need to have good fundamentals. These include the grip, posture, stance, ball position, alignment, and pre-shot routine.

Good posture will allow you to swing your arms freely and your ankles to be active and provide good balance. When you have good posture, it will be easier to have a proper swing plane.

BASIC FUNDAMENTALS

• Review your basic mechanics and reacquaint your golf muscles before going to the range to hit full shots. Jack Nicklaus said, “Each year I start the season pretending I’ve never played before.”
• Stand in front of a full length mirror and check the basics of your set-up; grip, posture, stance, ball position and alignment. If you have to think about any of these parts of your set-up, practice them until you are confident that they are done automatically without thought.
• Be aware of any tension in your hands and arms.
• Review your swing plane by taking half swings with your back against a wall, making sure that the toe of the club head is pointing up on the backswing and up on the follow through.
• Practice your swing tempo by swinging a club with your feet together. If your tempo is erratic, you will lose your balance.
• Practice putting paying attention to balance, and soft hands and arms. Be aware of accelerating through the ball with a consistent tempo. Practice until you don’t have to think about your stroke and can concentrate on the line and speed.

“Take it easily and lazily because the golf ball isn’t going to run away while you’re swinging.”   ~ Sam Snead, How to Play Golf (1946)

MENTAL FUNDAMENTALS

• Write down your long term, intermediate and short term goals for the golf season. Make your blueprint for your future game NOW.  “Those who fail to plan…. plan to fail…….”
• The most important part of your mental game is how you prepare your mind. Write down your pre-shot routine and practice it over and over in your mind the same way every time until you can execute it without thinking.
• The second most important part of your mental game is relaxing your conscious mind so you can focus in the moment. Practice deep breathing through your diaphragm until you can focus easily in the present moment.
• Practice changing your perception of negative situations in your life into positive thoughts. See the good in every situation that you encounter.
• Practice seeing and feeling your swing in your mind’s eye as you lie in bed and are drifting off to sleep… or at anytime you are relaxed and day dreaming.
• When you close your eyes at night in bed, see yourself stroking perfect putts. Feel the perfect tempo and hear the ball drop into the cup from four feet over and over.
• Reinforce your belief in yourself and your game with daily affirmations. (PMI newsletter August 2002)
• Practice being patient and know that you can trust your abilities no matter what situation you find yourself in.
• Practice letting go of things you can’t control and focus on what you want to create.
• Let go of judgment of yourself or others. Do the best you know how in each situation and praise yourself for your efforts.

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Develop a strong mental golf game by listening to PMI self-hypnosis golf CDs in the privacy of your own home. Available now at www.pmi4.com/cart