Today is the unique calendar day of 12-12-12 which will never happen again. Consecutive calendar dates won’t happen again for 88 years when it will be 01-01-01. An estimated 7.500 brides will make it a memorable day by marrying today, a 1,446% increase over last year. And many Mothers-to-be are scheduling the birth of their child-to-be on this date.

December is the 12^th month and signals the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. As the year draws to a close, now is the time to reflect about what you learned and what you did or did not accomplish in your golf games. Golf is an inner game. You are one of your treasures. Get to know yourself well.

Here are 12 mental, emotional and spiritual attributes to bring you into balance for a more rewarding life and golf game:

1.      Be aware. Thoughts, words and deeds are the tools of creation. Every act you perform is an act of self-definition. It is important that you use your full awareness to speak and act consciously instead of just repeating what you have heard from others.
2.    Focus on what you desire, and not on what you don’t want. Choose the results you want. Have complete trust that it will happen. The degree of your trust will be the degree that the results will happen.
3.    Put yourself at the head of your gift list. Be kind to yourself. Think, talk, play golf, and live your life the way you would like it to be. Play for your own enjoyment, not to please others.
4.    Turn frustration into a smile. Smile through adversity. When you are frustrated in traffic, at the shopping mall, or on the golf course, acknowledge the emotion as an opportunity to change. Smile inwardly to change your physiology and send lightness into your heart and the world instead of darkness.
5.    Turn worry into action. No one has ever accomplished anything by worrying about it. When you begin to fret about something in your life, let go of your attachment to the outcome. Formulate a plan and execute it. Affirm what it is you want to manifest NOW. For example, instead of worrying about hitting the ball on the first tee, formulate a plan to relax, and then focus on your tempo and target.
6.     Be grateful. By being grateful for the things you do have in your life, you create a positive attitude and send positive energy into your mind and body, and also out into the world.
7.     Forgive yourself for your mistakes. Understand that making mistakes is the best and fastest way to learn and grow. Forgive (give for) yourself for being human and give yourself the gift of letting go of blame and guilt. Return to a peaceful and harmonious state of mind.
8.     Make your self-talk positive. Monitor your thoughts. Change the words “if only” to “next time.” Stay in the present by changing fear thoughts from the past, and anxious thoughts of the future, to thoughts of what you want to happen in your life right now.
9.     Make happiness a habit. Look for the “good” in all situations. Have faith in the perfection of your life experience. Know that you do not always know what is best for you. Acknowledge that on another level you are creating every situation for your learning experience.
10.   Use your sense of humor. Children laugh 500 times a day and adults only around 50 times. When you laugh your body produces endorphins to make you feel good. Humor can take the tenseness out of a situation. Humor builds self-esteem if you can laugh at your humanness.
11.    Accept your circumstances. Acceptance is surrendering to what is; your feelings, your problems, your relationships, your golf game. Before you can change what is, recognize that this is the way it is right now. Resist the struggle. Accepting the situation brings a peace to your soul. It releases the pressure and brings relief. When you relax, you change your heartbeat, physiology and energy pattern. Then you are better able to see what to do next.
12.   Do random acts of kindness. Fill in a divot, fix a ball mark, return a shopping cart, or pick up trash. You will not only feel better, you will be helping the environment and creating good will.

Let the brightness of the holiday season shine in your life bringing you
peace, harmony and love for yourself and all that you do.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for additional mental tips.

Learn how to play on automatic pilot “in the zone” for your peak performances. Contact Joan at info@pmi4.com 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.

Improve your golf game over the winter by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. Order today at www.pmi4.com/cart

Would you like to see your kids, grandkids or yourself achieve success by mastering the mental game of golf?

Make a permanent change

Like your will power, “blocking out” a negative thought only works temporarily while you are thinking about it. Resisting your limiting beliefs only makes them stronger. What you resist, persists.

The fastest and easiest way to improve your golf game is by listening to self-hypnosis CDs that will create new patterns in your subconscious mind for:

1. a strong belief in your abilities
2. confidence to play without fear or anxiety
3. trust in your swing and putting stroke
4. focusing your mind on the present shot
5. feeling better about yourself and your game

I have created seven self-hypnosis CDs to give you the mental edge to improve your life and your golf game. They will mentally strengthen the four C’s where most golfers need help to achieve their peak performances:

1. Confidence
2. Concentration
3. Control
4. Consistency

If you are straining to be “mentally tough,” these CDs will reprogram your subconscious mind easily for the results you desire.These self-hypnosis golf CDs will help you change your limiting thoughts and emotions to positive ones.

Self-Hypnosis Golf CDs

Improve your golf game NOW by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. The following CDs to improve your mental golf game are available at www.pmi4.com/cart

1. Concentration for Consistent Golf
2. Confidence to Win Golf Tournaments
3. Confident Putting for Lower Scores
4. Fearless Golf
5. Progressive Relaxation of the Mind and Body
6. Release for Performance Anxiety
7. Self-Hypnosis for Playing “In the Zone”

Mental Golf Gift Certificates

For your family and friends gift certificates for personal consultations or hypnosis sessions are available at http://bit.ly/vlLg42

Happy Holidays!

Joan King, BCH, NLP

Play “In the Zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Brain for Peak Performances!

When you play in tournaments, you have to play in the rain until the greenskeeper or tournament chairman determines the course unfit for play. I remember playing in the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur at Sea Island when the wind was blowing so hard from an off-shore tropical storm that the balls would not stay on the greens.  I also remember playing in the rain when my driver flew out of my hands on the first tee. At the SALLY in Oceanside, Florida I saw golfers become hypothermic when the temperatures dropped 30 degrees during the round and they didn’t have the proper clothing. 

It is important to be prepared for adverse conditions so you can focus on your game. If you aren’t a “mudder” who plays in the rain or a hardy golfer who doesn’t mind the cold, here are some tips to help improve your game. 

1. Rain Gear: Keep waterproof pants and a jacket in your bag. Even if it isn’t pouring and is just cold the rain gear will keep you warm in windy conditions.
2. Waterproof golf shoes: Keep your feet and socks dry for comfort.
3. Rain Gloves: Keep at least one spare pair of rain gloves in your bag. It is almost impossible to keep one pair dry. Take off the glove after hitting to keep it out of the rain. Also have disposable hand warmers to keep your hands and ball warm. The ball goes further when it is warm.
4. Large Umbrella: An umbrella keeps the wind and rain off you and your clubs. To keep your towel and extra glove dry you can hang them off the spokes.
5. Extra Towels: Keep your hands, your grip and the face of your clubs clean and free of water. Dry off the grip and face of your club with a towel before swinging.
6. Non-slip Grips: Put non-slip grips on your clubs that will dry off easily.
7. Rain Hood for Your Bag:  Keep a plastic rain hood or full bag cover in your bag for extra protection of your clubs
8. Take One Club Less:  The tendency is to rush and swing faster in adverse condtions. Although the balls won’t roll as much, for good contact, take one club less than you normally would.
9. Keep a Positive Attitude: Remember that the conditions are the same for everyone. The players who control their emotions by focusing on their game and not on the weather will be the winners.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips. 

For more in-depth information about how to play at your personal best,

 call Joan at 828-696-2547 for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.

Thanksgiving Day here in the USA is a time when we give thanks for the abundance in our lives. Thankfulness, gratitude, or appreciation is a positive feeling of the heart that acknowledges what we have received or what we are going to receive.   

Practicing being grateful can lead to increased happiness and a feeling of well-being. Having an “attitude of gratitude” on the golf course is a positive feeling that attracts more of the best in your golf game. 

It is not happy people who are thankful,

It is thankful people who are happy. 

Here is a poem about gratitude that can apply to your golf game as well as to your everyday life.

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

—Author Unknown

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips. 

For more in-depth information about how to play “in the zone” call Joan at               828-696-2547 for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Today is the day when old supernatural superstitions surface. Black cats are often used in Halloween decorations. Do black cats scare you? In the past they have been used as symbols of bad luck and mischief. But today in Ireland, Scotland and England, it’s considered good luck for a black cat to cross your path.

It has been stated that 50% of our population has a superstition. Athletes are especially prone to having superstitions about winning. Check out the May 2011 newsletter http://bit.ly/RsKlG7 “Superstition in the Mental Game of Golf”. 

Athletes who have a poor performance day tend to look back at their day to find unrelated reasons for it happening. For example, forgetting to have your lucky rabbit’s foot with you would be something to blame. This belief could then become a necessary action to take to avoid failure.

Acting on a superstitious belief is a way to trick your mind into believing something that is against science.  In trying to control the situation, you are then controlled by the superstitious thinking. Did Jack Nicklaus really believe that if he didn’t have three coins in his pocket it would keep him from winning? Or, what about Christina Kim’s belief that she will bring bad luck to her game if she steps on the edge where the fairway meets the green?

In a research study two groups of golfers were given several golf balls. One group was told that they had lucky golf balls. This group sunk 35% more putts than the group that wasn’t told anything. You create your own luck when preparation meets opportunity. 

What you conceive and believe

you can achieve!

What do you believe? What are you telling yourself? Are you looking for superstitious reasons for your bad rounds? This is not the kind of magic you want to happen on the golf course. This change has to be made off the golf course. Sit quietly and think about what you do that is not based on reality. Visualize repeatedly what you do want to happen and create your own magical luck.

 Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips.

For more in-depth information about how to play “in the zone” contact Joan@pmi4.com or call 828-696-2547 for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.

In most sports, the body is trained to react to different situations because there is no time to stop, ponder choices, and make a decision. In golf, the ball waits for the golfer.

The accepted time for a foursome of players with handicaps under 20 on a standard 18-hole course is four hours. However, the actual swing time for a 4-hour round of par golf is just a few minutes. This leaves more than 3 and one-half hours of time to think in-between shots.

Golfers who “train their brains” to produce the shots they desire are the ones who are using proven mental tools such as: relaxation, positive self-talk, patience, a consistent pre-shot routine, trust, playing one shot at a time, no self-judgment, no expectations, staying in the present, giving each shot equal importance, narrowing their focus to the target, and visualization or some other kind of imagery such as rhythm and tempo.

When a golfer is in the right state of mind, s/he can produce his/her peak performance throughout the round. This means letting go of all irrelevant thoughts to focus on creating the shot s/he wants. When the brain and body are in harmony before the swing, they act as one and the swing occurs without conscious effort or thought. This is called playing “in the zone”.

If you have a question about your mental game, link on to  http://bit.ly/PXhOdl for Q&A on the Positive Mental Imagery website or email Joan at joan@pmi4.com

 Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips.

 For more in-depth information about how to play “in the zone” call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.

We live in a world of hype that plays up tantalizing dramas that get our adrenaline rushing. Whether is it golf, sports. news, advertisements, or politics, we are bombarded with sensationalism daily to get our attention. To play golf at your highest potential requires a different paradigm. A mental key for peak performance is the relaxation of your mind and body so they are entrained.

Entraining your mind and body means being in synch or in balance of both parts. Synchronization means that things are working at the same time. Your EKG and EEG frequencies must match to be “in the zone”. To do this you need to free your mind by relaxing, and allow the perfect timing to happen.

As a tennis professional I taught college students how to play tennis. One of the teaching methods I used was to videotape each student’s ground strokes and serve. Invariably when I played the tape back, the students’ initial reactions would be that they don’t swing that way. The image in their minds didn’t match their strokes.

Watching golfers take a practice swing and then swing at the ball, I am reminded of this difference. The practice swing is usually the product of relaxation. The actual swing is the product of trying to control the ball by “hitting” it with force. If the result is playable, the golfer will usually rationalize that the swing was a good one and continue with the same process. If the result is not a good one, the golfer will try and change his/her swing thoughts.

Balance is a mental key to a smooth, solid swing

Since our minds rationalize that we are doing what we desire, here are some suggestions to “see” and “feel” what you are actually doing:

1. Is your grip relaxed enough to allow the club to make the necessary motions? The shorter the club, the more relaxed your grip needs to be.

2. Have someone use your phone to video your practice swing and then video the actual swing hitting the ball. Are the two swings different?

3. Notice the difference between the follow-through on your practice swing and actual swing. Were you in balance on the follow-through, or did you fall forward or backward?

4. Swing with your eyes closed to “feel” your swing. Then tee up a ball. With your eyes closed, hit the ball with a 7-iron. Did you allow your subconscious mind to hit the ball, or did you tense up and try not to miss it?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can improve your golf game by relaxing your mind and body by taking deep abdominal breaths before every golf shot. For more information on deep breathing to relax, log on to www.pmi4.com Archived Newsletter November 2005. Also available are self-hypnosis CDs at www.pmi4.com/cart

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips.

For more in-depth information about how to play “in the zone” call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.

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. Scientists have found that practicing this way will improve your swing because your mind is actually programming your muscles as you visualize hitting the perfect shot.

Before going to the first tee, always imagine playing the first two or three holes the way you would like to. 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 rehearsal, swing, hit and reinforce only your best shots.

Use your imagination to visualize, feel, and even hear the sounds of the perfect round for you.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips.

For more in-depth information about how to play more consistently by staying in the moment and creating your best shots under pressure, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.

Self-empowering hypnosis mental golf CDs are available at www.pmi4.com/cart

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, trees, bunker, 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 “Don’t worry, Be happy” to yourself 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.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for additional mental golf tips.

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 leave a comment below.

Self-empowering hypnosis mental golf CDs are available at www.pmi4.com/cart