When you first decided to learn how to play golf you probably took a lesson and a golf pro taught you the fundamentals and mechanics of how the swing works. This is a left-brain function. Beginning golfers have lists of body movements written down on 3x 5 cards which they take to the golf course and refer to before they swing. They are constantly thinking about what they should be doing. How well does that work for you?
Over the years I have observed golfers who practiced what they were told to do, and it didn’t bring them the results they craved. On the range I watched a Curtis Cup golfer repeating the same perfect swing every time. Her divot with every swing was in the same perfect six-inch divot space. Her perfect swing looked great, but it didn’t hold up in the tournament.
And, in a USDA Senior Amateur final I watched a friend who was upset when she “lost her swing.” She told us later that she was attempting to swing flatter as her pro had instructed her in a previous lesson. It was apparent to us that she was swinging too flat and needed to do the opposite to get her swing back on track.
When you are ready to hit the ball, it is imperative that you switch from your left brain to move into the right hemisphere of your brain to stop analyzing, stop thinking, and stop judgment. The process to do this is your pre-shot routine. It is where we move from the thinking, analyzing, judging part of our brain into the right brain where we use our senses to activate our bodies.
Trust is the key
There was one question that my mental golf professional guru asked me that changed my game.
When will you have learned enough about the golf swing? As every golfer would, I answered; never.
The more I thought about it, it made sense. At the time I was a 5-handicap international amateur tournament golfer, had complete knowledge of the golf swing, had years of tournament golf, and was still thinking about how to improve my swing. I finally realized the importance of changing my mindset. I stopped taking swing lessons.
That is when I began to trust my swing. After that I only participated in sessions with a golf professional whose expertise was in the short game. He took me out on the golf course and showed me how to play the golf course. He showed me how to hit trouble shots and shots from 100 yards in and around the green to score lower. Golf then became a game for me to have fun creating the grand possibilities of scoring shots.
Why do you play golf?
The very first time you hit a perfect golf shot you were probably amazed at the length and trajectory of your shot. The smile on your face and the joy in your heart were produced from the feeling that resonated within your body. That is what golfers seek. It is the ultimate good feeling. That is what we are seeking in life. Joy. Happiness. We have been deluded into thinking we are seeking perfection. The fulfillment is not in the winning, because that is an ego trip.
There is a difference between reason and feeling. Golf is an inner game. It is an inner search for Self. Golf will teach you who you are through your feelings. This is where the call of the heart comes into play. That is where the inspiration is. It is the driving force to love yourself enough to enjoy every shot and every opportunity to create the wonderful feeling. That is the power that resides within you. You have had this power all along, but you listened to another way and were distracted from your inner knowing in the hope of creating the results you desired. Trust and believing in your senses will transform your game. This is how you can play the game…. Easily. Joyously.
Make peace with yourself. As all the different aspects of the game change, apply your wisdom to trust yourself. Release all fears and anxieties. Stop worrying about all the non-essential thoughts that are interfering. Being in the present is the only thing you need to trust. When you give up the need to control, you are in the state of allowing the game you seek. Let go of the want for success and look for the love of the game to be fulfilled in your heart. That is where the enjoyment truly is.
© PositiveMentalImagery 2021 – All Rights Reserved
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
To train your brain to play your best golf, you can listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-empowering guided imagery hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home, available at www.pmi4.com/cart
If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself on the golf course, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation about developing a new strategy. Learn what is missing in your golf game so you can achieve the success you desire.
“THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” 
explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to the joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.
“THE HEART OF GOLF” guidebook for transforming your life
and your golf game is available now on Amazon and Kindle
All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!
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