If you are too tense you will lose the freedom of an easy, rhythmic swing which produces the consistent power that you desire. The unwanted tension instead will cause tight muscles to produce a rushed,  jerky swing. Telling yourself to swing slowly or smoothly will not change the habit of tensing up when you are standing over the ball. You have to train your body to stay relaxed throughout the entire swing.

Effortless Power

In most sports power comes from effort. But golf is different. Less is more. Club head speed produces distance, and club head speed is the result of relaxed muscles. Using less effort will produce more club head speed and more distance.

Tension and tightness will decrease your club head speed, change your downswing and the solidness of the club striking the ball. Pay attention to what you feel instead of what you think or see. Practice swinging your club with your eyes closed to feel the tempo of a free flowing powerful swing.

Deep breathing is the key to relaxation 

To be confident and to play at your best, you have to be relaxed. You can relax by learning the natural way to breathe by expanding your abdominal area when you inhale and by contracting it as you exhale. When you are tense, the tendency is to breathe high in your chest. This creates tightness in your shoulders, restricting your backswing.

Many good players incorporate a deep breath into their pre-shot golf routine to automatically relax themselves. Watch Jason Day visibly exhale to slow down his mind and body for easier focus when creating each shot. If you are anxious or tense, you might want to take more than one deep breath and say to yourself as you exhale, “Let Go and Relax”.

Play relaxing music in your headphone

On the golf course, some players use music to quiet their minds and relax their bodies. Pro golfers Fuzzy Zoeller, Brad Fabel, and Mark McCumber were often heard whistling. To relax your body between shots, hum or whistle a tune that you find pleasant and soothing. As you approach your ball, listen to your favorite song inside your head, in your “mind’s ear”.

Imagine being in a peaceful place

If you have an active mind and are prone to performance anxiety, use your imagination to relax your mind between shots with pleasant images of things you like to do. You are limited only by your own interests and imagination.  Make it enjoyable using details of seeing, hearing and feeling the activity.  Fred Couples has relaxed using images of himself lying on his sofa with a remote control in his hand.

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To train your brain and body to score low around the greens, listen to the PMI self-hypnosis CDs: “Master Your Short Game for Lower Scores” and “Confident Putting for Low Scores” in the privacy of your own home. You can order today at http://www.pmi4.com/cart

You have an internal trigger that is activated when you approach the hole you have screwed up before.  A trigger is something that produces a memory of a past event(s). It can be a good memory or an upsetting memory. Triggers are activated through one or more of the five senses: sight and touch being the primary ones in golf. When you play a hole badly time after time, and have strong emotions like embarrassment, failure, ineptitude and fear, you will trigger these thoughts and emotions unconsciously when it is your turn to hit.

Screwing up the hole over and over creates a habit which then creates an internal trigger. This kind of trigger is a fearful thought or experience that causes you to experience the fear in the present. Trigger thoughts are thoughts that automatically pop up in your head and set off certain emotions. When you look at a golf hole, you are not just seeing the visual qualities of it. Your brain is also processing the past experiences you had on that hole. It is important then to create new triggers from memories of successful shots.

If you do what you have always done, that is what you will always get.

It is possible to change your behavioral triggers and reduce your negative reactions to them. You can remove the bad triggers and enhance the ones for good shots. Here is a strategy for removing your fearful triggers on the golf course and to create new positive triggers for confidence and trust.

1. Pay attention to your reactions. In the game of golf we are constantly dealing with our emotions based on the outcome of the shots we hit. Look at your golf course and decide which holes have negative emotional charges for you.
2. Write your triggers in a journal. Write down the hole(s) that you have trouble with, what you felt, and your reaction to the missed shot(s).
3. Recognize your emotions. Identify and write down your strong emotions that produced the unwanted golf shots (fear, anger, shame, embarrassment, etc.) Did your heart beat faster because you were anxious? Were your hands shaking because you were nervous? Did you swing faster because of fear?
4. Use repetition to imprint a new behavior. In your mind’s eye, use your imagination to play the hole perfectly over and over. Then go on the golf course and play that hole over and over until you gain confidence in which club to hit, where to hit it and how to hit it. If it’s not feasible to do this on the golf course, imagine playing the hole on the range and go through the same procedure. By repeating a positive scenario you will create a new positive trigger of confidence.
5. Build confidence with strong positive emotions. When you imagine or hit the shot you want, notice the pleasant feelings that make you feel good and enjoy them fully. This will create a new strong positive trigger for success.

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Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

COMING SOON!  A NEW CD:  “MASTER YOUR SHORT GAME FOR LOW SCORES”

When I started playing golf in 1960 I was “fitted” for my clubs by standing side by side with my club pro. Depending on where my fingers met his, he determined what length my clubs should be. This system didn’t work as the determined clubs were too short for my swing and I had to dip on the way down to get to the ball.

Nowadays, custom fitting of golf clubs is one of the most important things you can do to improve your game. Golfers are different in their size, strength, athletic ability and in their individual swings.  Custom fitting is a process of determining the best loft, lie angle, shaft flex, head design, length and grip so your natural swing will strike the ball on the sweet spot of the club. In a complete club fitting, face angle, launch angle, spin rate, ball speed, attack angle and club path are examined to optimize distance and consistency. There are 13 key fitting specs built into each club to meet the individual needs of the golfer to play at the best of his/her ability.

The effects of lie angle variations 

If you are a golfer who primarily slices or hooks the ball, you can certainly benefit from being fitted. When the lie angle on your woods and/or irons is too upright when you contact the ball, your ball flight will be hit left of your target. When the lie angle is too flat, the ball will be hit to the right of your target. In order to hit the ball straight, you need to have a correct lie angle at impact.

When I was properly fitted I found out that the lie angles on my clubs were 4 degrees flat. I was a slicer. I took many lessons on how to correct my slice, but it wasn’t until I changed clubs that I could hit the ball straight without manipulating my swing. If you strike the ball too close to the heel or toe of the club, your clubs might be too long or short for you. If the shaft is too stiff, you will hang back to get the ball airborne. When you are constantly trying to overcome a swing flaw or poor ball flight by changing your swing, it becomes a mental problem and affects your confidence in your swing.

The process of being fitted 

Golf club fitters are available at almost every club or course. The major golf club manufacturers train their fitters in a comprehensive program. The process usually takes a couple of hours and will probably cost the same as a standard lesson rate. If you buy the clubs from the fitter, the fee will probably be deducted.

Make your appointment on a day where you have sufficient time to stretch, warm up and have time to go through the process without feeling rushed. You want to feel as if you are swinging as you normally do. You will hit balls with your own clubs, and then with several different ones. Even if you do not buy the clubs, you will get the results and can compare them with another fitting.

If your problem is just the lie angle, the heads on your irons can be adjusted so you won’t need to buy a whole set. If you have already been fitted and the grooves have worn down you can have new heads put on the shafts. It is always a good idea to have a check-up session yearly. And at least once a year, because of the impact on the ground, have your irons checked to make sure they are evenly gapped.

Your putter is the club you use more than any other in your bag and requires the most confidence. You can be fitted for a putter, or have your current putter adjusted so that you know it is fitted for you to stroke the ball on the sweet spot every time.

There are an overwhelming number of golf balls available. Discuss with your club fitter the best golf ball to use based on your swing speed, spin rate, and ball flight.

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Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

“How can I eliminate the negative thought that enters my mind when I am getting ready to hit a shot?”

Negative thoughts come up from your unconscious mind where everything you have ever heard, seen, felt, tasted, or smelled is recorded. Your unconscious mind works like a computer, GIGO, garbage in, garbage out. Your subconscious mind takes all information in literally, and records everything without judging or analyzing it.

When you encounter a situation on the golf course, your computer mind will bring up an experience from your memory bank that is the same or nearly the same. For instance, if you are facing a difficult shot, and your computer mind brings up a negative emotional memory of a past shot that you missed on a similar looking hole, you will experience a negative thought.

If you emotionalize missed shots by getting angry, the program becomes stronger in your permanent memory bank and will surface time and time again, thus causing a series of missed shots. This is why it is so important to let go of the energy associated with missed shots. To stock your memory bank with good shot memories, reinforce and record them with a positive feeling of elation and success. Look at the powerful energy that golfers record with fist pumps.  It’s not enough to just let go of the negative thought. You must replace it with a positive thought of what you do want to happen.

Play your golf game by choice, not by chance

The process to release and replace a negative thought is:

• When a negative thought surfaces, acknowledge it as part of your past history.
• Since you are the only one who thinks in your mind, step away from the ball and reprogram your mind by beginning your pre-shot routine again.
• Choose to release the thought and image that negate what you desire.
• Breathe deeply to release the thought and relax your mind and body.
• Then think of a positive thought to create a mental picture of the shot you do want.
• Take a practice swing while visualizing your desired shot.
• Trust that it will happen as you have programmed it.

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 free 15-minute consultation. Learn what is missing in your game so you can achieve the success you desire.

To train your brain to believe in your abilities, listen to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. You can order today at www.pmi4.com/cart

A lot has been written about why golfers have good warm up sessions on the range and then play poorly on the golf course. It became very obvious visually when Peter Kostis used video to analyze Tiger Woods’ swing on the range compared side to side with his swing on course. The nice and smooth, compact, steady head and body swing on the range was replaced with a more forceful, longer swing and more body movement during the tournament round. Video analysis of current top performers like Jordan Spieth showed negligible differences in the two swings.

Most golfers want to be more consistent with their swings in the belief that it will produce lower scores. To do this demands mental and physical practice. This requires mental knowledge and discipline to not speed up during the round. The faster swing might be the result of over-confidence, impatience, or fear. A longer swing might be the result of pressing and wanting to hit the ball further. It is important to maintain a constant Arousal Level and stick with a consistent routine to put you into a confident state to maintain the swing that you spent so much time practicing.

Thinking that causes inconsistent swings on course 

Amateur and professional golfers alike are frustrated when they hit balls well on the range and then play poorly on the golf course. What is different on the golf course?

1. On the range there is no penalty for miss-hits. When a golfer miss-hits a shot on the range s/he just tees up another ball and tries to figure out what went wrong. There is no “second serve” on the golf course. There isn’t a coach to tell you what went wrong.
2. Having to count every stroke is stressful.  On the range there is nothing to worry about. There are consequences on the course. The consequences put pressure on you and cause tension and tightness in your swing. Trying to avoid mistakes causes tension. Trying to make something happen causes stress. Trying to make up for lost strokes creates anxiety.
3. Golfers worry about the results. A golfer’s emotional state can be ruined by a belief that one bad hole will determine the outcome. On the course golfers think about results instead of the process of how to achieve what they want.
4. Golfers swing harder and faster in the hopes of making up for a missed shot. A better strategy would be to relax and swing at 80% on the next shot to ensure solid contact.
5. Mental or physical fatigue will cause golfers to swing harder and faster. Take time to breathe and relax your mind and body before starting your pre-shot routine.
6. Golfers don’t play the way they practice. On the golf course golfers go through a pre-shot routine to prepare their minds and bodies for each shot. Golfers rarely get behind the ball and execute a pre-shot routine on the range.
7. Golfers forget to have fun on the golf course. Fun and great results happen when a golfer relaxes, enjoys swinging, and trusts that s/he can reproduce what they have practiced and learned. 

Use your mind as an ally instead of an adversary 

Step 1. On the range, simulate playing the first three holes.  Hit the clubs you will need as you simulate playing the first three holes on the course. This will make you more familiar with playing the course and get you off to a good start.

Step 2. Use your pre-shot routine. Pick your target carefully for each club and go through your pre-shot routine before every shot. Imagining the golf holes, use the club to play each subsequent shot depending on where the initial one landed.

Step 3. Decide to play the game of golf instead of range golf.  On the golf course, play golf, not golf swing. Release all tendencies to think about how to create the smooth swing you had on the range. Leave all thoughts of mechanics on the range and if necessary, only think one swing thought during your swing. Concentrate on making solid contact.

Step 4.  Access your relaxed Arousal Level.  Breathe deeply to slow down your busy thinking mind and focus on accessing your tempo. Take your practice swing with your feet together to feel the correct balance and tempo.

Step 5. Trust that this process will work for you.  Feel it! Believe it! Enjoy it!

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 or by email at pmi4@bellsouth.net

Empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs are available on the Positive Mental Imagery website at www.pmi4.com/cart

The way to focus your mind in the present is by using a consistent pre-shot routine on every shot whether it is a tee shot or a putt. Having the same preparation routine for every shot sets you up correctly and informs your mind-body-spirit that everything is in alignment and ready to go.

Why have a pre-shot routine?  (www.pmi4.com, Archived Newsletters, February 2005)

• The pre-shot routine prepares your mind to hit a shot.
• A consistent pre-shot routine will produce consistent results.
• The pre-shot routine moves you from the thinking phase to the automatic doing phase.
• It keeps you engrossed in the moment and your thoughts away from the pressure of the results.
• It is a signal to your unconscious mind to get ready to perform.
• It is a series of actions to get you totally absorbed in the routine process of getting the ball to the target.

Why have a post-shot routine?

The post-shot routine helps you to build positive mental consistency. After the shot is hit, the routine prepares your mind to anchor a good shot or to let go of a missed one. Our minds are very active and the memories we remember the most are the ones connected to good feelings or negative feelings. Repetition of the post-shot routine will result in more self confidence.

Anchor your good shots

Anyone who has had a hole-in-one can describe in great detail where, when and how it happened. Why? Because of the excitement generated which anchored it into the memory bank. If a shot comes off as you imagined, anchor it by replaying it in your mind associating it with a good feeling, good visualization and a trigger such as a smile or fist pump.

Let go of your bad shots

• Release the frustration and anger quietly with a swear word. It has been proven that this works.
• Take a deep breath to calm your mind and body from the tension.
• Do not try and analyze what went wrong with your swing.
• Step aside and swing the club you used until you feel the swing you desired.
• Focus on accessing your timing and tempo.
• Anchor your practice swings with good feelings.
• Don’t move on down the fairway until you have completed your post-shot routine.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Entrain Your Mind & Body for Peak Performances

Improve your mental golf game now by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. You can order today at http://www.pmi4.com/cart

“If you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.”  These words are spoken by actor Bradley Cooper in the Oscar nominated movie “Silver Linings Playbook.”

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every cloud has a silver lining means that difficult times are like dark clouds that pass overhead and block the sun. When you look at the edges of every cloud you can see the sun shining there like a silver lining. This saying reminding us that every difficult situation has a bright side is as true in the game of golf as well as in life. Remembering the proverb gives us hope when we encounter an undesirable situation.

Proverbs are powerful affirmations

A proverb is a simple saying popularized by repetition that expresses a truth based on common sense or practical experience. Proverbs are known as “short expressions of popular wisdom”, not to be confused with sarcastic sayings from personal experience. Proverbs inspire and teach us important aspects of life. The more they are repeated, the more automatic the belief becomes. The good thing about proverbs is that they are short and easily memorized.

Following are some proverbs that can help maintain a positive attitude in your golf game. See if these time-tested sayings of wisdom and truths apply to your golf game. 

• Haste makes waste. – Benjamin Franklin
• All good things come to he who waits. – English proverb
• Where there is a will there is a way. – old English proverb
• Today is the first day of the rest of your life. – American proverb
• No one knows what he can do until he tries. – Publilius Syrus
• This too shall pass. –  Bible
• When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade. –  Dale Carnegie
• To err is human, to forgive divine. – Alexander Pope
• Well begun is half done. – Aristotle
• What’s done is done. – William Shakespeare
• Experience is the best teacher. – Latin saying
• Success is a journey, not a destination. – Ben Sweetland
• Hope springs eternal. – Alexander Pope
• He who has overcome his fears will truly be free. – Aristotle
• Things do not change; we change. – Henry David Thoreau
• Change your thoughts and you change your world. – Norman Vincent Peale
• Self-trust is the first secret of success. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• The starting point of all achievement is desire. – Napoleon Hill
• We first make our habits, then our habits make us.- John Dryden
• Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. – John Wooden

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances 

If you aren’t able to maintain a positive attitude on the golf course, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net for a complimentary 15-minute consultation about developing a new successful strategy. 

Improve your mental golf game now by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. You can order today at http://www.pmi4.com/cart