Part 1 How to Talk to Yourself

How to Talk to Yourself

Chapter seven, how to talk to yourself on and off the golf course, European and PGA tour player, David ferret. He pointed out that the world’s number one tennis player spends 90% of his time winning while the world’s number one golfer spends 90% of his time losing probably more than that. Golfers are great losers. You have to be the genuine failures that you have, and there are many of them make you into a more resilient specimen. Senior PGA tour player, Tom Weiskopf was known for his temper. When he played on the regular tour in the 1970s, he reflected on his past whenever I was playing good, I’d think something bad was bound to happen upon winning the 1995, us senior open wise cough commented on the changes in his thinking. I’ve never played better. I never got mad. I never lost concentration. I never thought about the next shot.

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00:00:54

And I immediately forgot about the last shot. Harvey painting past instructor, too many successful PGA and LPGA tour players says you should make birdies with your good brakes, but your bad brakes must not be allowed to mess up your thinking and poison your attitude. Leaving the brakes out of it. What causes the bleeding is what is going on in your mind during the five or 10 minutes between shots. Are you thinking ahead to future holes? Perhaps you’re thinking I’ll knock this wedge stiff for a birdie. Then part of that long hard hole reached the 17th in two for essential birdie and par on the final hole will pay me a great big fat check. Not only are you living too far in the future to be playing a sharp game of golf, you have let the thought of gold. Enter your mind. You reach your reward stroke by stroke, not in the future.

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00:01:50

You must be mindful of each stroke as it is played. Golf is played in the present. If you can wash your mind clean each time while walking to your next shot, you have the makings of a champion. Now this chapter will present you with strategies to restructure your thinking. So you can wash your mind clean between and prior to each shot and in day-to-day life clinical psychologists call the procedures in this chapter, cognitive behavior therapy. The next chapter provides examples of how these strategies are used in a variety of situations on and off the golf course as Jack Nicholas once said, correct thinking, plus a measure of self control will not only team tension, but actually make it work for you. How to think on the course, the chapter titled routine, the links to success presented ideal mental strategies to incorporate as part of the pre swing inswing and post swing routines.

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00:02:49

These ideal thoughts create a present focus in the Pre-Suasion and in swing routines free of swing mechanics. Recall that the routine is a step-by-step process. That takes you from a broad focus of relevant information, about the shot to a creative narrowing, focus on ball flight and a narrower focus on the shot outcome or target the post swing routine summary emphasize the importance of effective use of internal dialogue and images. Following shots in particular anger as a performance enhancer versus a performance deterrent was discussed to repeat these ideal internal dialogues would be redundant, suffice it to say those mental strategies are the desired thoughts for peak performance on the course prior to play, it is important to develop a game plan, knowing what club you’re going to hit and where you want to place your ball off the tee on every hole. If it is a course, you haven’t played ask your playing partners what your targets are, ask which more track or discolored area in the fairway is your target redirect or ignore discussions of areas to avoid ask what the carry is to your target and choose a club just because it’s a par four or five.

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00:04:05

Doesn’t mean it’s a driver from the tee. If you know the course, play it in your mind the day or morning before you play, use your past experience and success on the course as a guideline, this is covered in more detail in the chapter on visualization, both Jack Nicholas and Johnny Miller described the importance of finding a swing key that is working on the practice range prior to play Miller describes these keys with the acronym. Wood works only one day. Once you settle on a swing key focus on the associated feeling in this wing and stick with the key and feeling the entire round don’t change or search for other keys during play PGA tour player, Tom Watson once said, I know when I’m playing my best. I’m not thinking of very many things. Maybe not even a swing thought, just whatever the shot requires. Bobby Jones also said, after taking your stance, there should be no room for worry.

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00:05:03

Jones described the secret to every golf shot. He hit as a focus on the outcome of the shot to the exclusion of everything else. I would expand this to say that as soon as you start your routine, stepping off your yardage, your thought focus should be nothing but positive and on. And the anticipated success of the shot you were about to hit the procedures described in the following pages will assist you in developing techniques to increase your mental toughness by restructuring and changing thoughts that lead to poor performance use these strategies and your on-course performance will improve. If you also use these techniques off the course, you will have a happier, less stressful and more productive life. This instruction will also give you a better understanding of the automatic nature of thinking and how many of us fall prey to nonproductive. And sometimes self-destructive automatic thoughts.

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00:06:02

It’s important for you to recognize that you have control over your thinking. All you need to do is assume that control as part of this change, you’ll begin to notice positive on-course performance and enjoyment. As you begin to apply these strategies, thoughts as habits. Now, the nervous system consists of billions of neurons. As we experienced thoughts and images, these neurons begin to communicate at lightning speed. The pathways of these neurons fall into a pattern circuitry and are triggered by conditions in the environment. These patterns are the physical structure of learning. Your thinking tends to follow a predictable set style. It’s like turning on a light switch. You flip the switch and the current causes the lights to come on conditions in the environment around you trigger a particular style of thinking in much the same way. Thoughts styles are habits. If you are going to learn to control your thinking, the first step is to understand what conditions trigger thinking when you perform your best and what conditions trigger, thinking that hinders performance, all of this from thinking, yes, thoughts play a major role in both your mood and internal physical state.

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00:07:19

The more aware you become of your thoughts, the more you will be able to actively control your physical self and your mood. These changes will positively affect your performance. The neurophysiology of habit, brain researchers have identified and photograph biochemical representations of mood states. For example, a group of depressed individuals showed a particular use of radioactive tracer, which was glucose in their brains that non-depressed people did not show when non-depressed people were asked to engage in negative thoughts, a cluster of use of the radioactive tracer identical to that of the depressed individuals begin to appear in the brain images. Similar findings were made with individuals suffering from panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, both anxiety related problems. A variety of treatments were attempted across three groups of individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder. One of these procedures was cognitive therapy, which basically is another way of saying thinking therapy.

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00:08:21

A significant part of the content of this chapter changes in brain chemistry were monitored through an imaging procedure, described in the visualization chapter, a pet scan. Interestingly, as the obsessive compulsive symptoms diminished, the brain chemistry has shown from the imaging also changed to a normal state. One of the most effective treatment strategies used was cognitive therapy. This is the same therapeutic style used in the treatment of depression. Cognitive therapy can just as easily be used to change thoughts than interfere with performance on and off the golf course. For example, we all worry. Some of us are just more proficient than others. The first thing to recognize is that this future focus or nervous, anxious anticipation is represented in the brain as a neurochemical pattern or clusters. These clusters are triggered by a variety of environmental conditions and represented in thoughts that make up a particular thinking style.

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00:09:22

For example, worry, changing patterns of worry is just as involved as changing negative thought patterns that fuel the mood of depression, a dedicated effort that includes a daily diary of success is important for sustained change. Bobby Jones described worry and golf like worry anywhere. It’s a fear of the future, which is pointless. There isn’t anything you can do about something that hasn’t happened yet. He further stated the ability to play the shot you visualized and let trouble take care of itself is a rare quality in a golfer. One, the average players should strive for more than perfection in a swing, automatic thoughts and behavior. It is important that you understand the concept of an automatic habit or routine is related to our thinking. The automatic habits that make up a good part of our day to day routines include our thoughts. Sometimes these thought habits promote desired performance.

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00:10:20

Other times, these thoughts interfere with performance. The golf swing is queued by the conditions in our internal and external environment. The external environment is lie when target type of play, whether it’s tournament or casual round and so on. And the internal environment would be our thoughts and physiology. Let’s look at how thoughts are cued both on and off the course. Few of us recognize that we can exercise voluntary control over our thoughts, becoming aware of your thought patterns is not easy. Our thoughts and thought patterns are learned much like most of our behavior patterns. In fact, 99, plus percent of all behaviors, automatic behavior occurs without direction by thinking the movement of your eyes across the page of a book is automatic. The way you hold the book, the way you take a drink, open a door. And so on. All of these things are automatic.

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00:11:13

Automatic behavior means that you don’t actively think through each step of a particular behavior. For example, as you take a drink, you don’t say now I need to extend my right arm, open my hand, grasp the glass, bend my elbow and so on and so forth. This behavior was learned as a habit and is produced without thought thinking and performance 1981, British open champion. Bill Rogers also won three times on the PGA tour that year PGA tour player, Bruce Lecky reflected on Roger stature during the early 1980s. For a period of time, he dominated the world. His record certainly reflects that. Then he began to struggle by 1988, he had made three cuts in 15 tournaments and had won only $5,482 on the tour. When he left the tour, he still had three years left on his exemption for winning the world series of golf.

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00:12:09

In 1993, he talked about his struggle in the eighties. I think I was motivated for a lot of the wrong reasons, not wrong necessarily, but reasons that were shallow and prideful. How am I stacking up? What do people think? Stuff like that when describing his win at the 1992 British open Nick Faldo indicated that he wasn’t discontinuing his search for perfection. He was just not being so hard on himself when he didn’t achieve it. You answered questions regarding conditions and thoughts that promote poor performance. At the beginning of this book, let’s review them again. How do you think and behave when you play your worst rounds of golf, do you feel focused on the game? Are you relaxed? You expect to be successful. Are your movements and swings, relaxed, automatic fluid, and non-mechanical do you follow the same routine on every shot? If you’re going to improve performance, it’s important that you recognize internal and external routines, which contribute to good and poor performance, both on and off the course.

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00:13:19

Now what type of thinking promotes poor performance in your day-to-day life. Consider the following. You’ll wake up in the morning and selectively focus on problems with your family difficulties at work. The many things facing you that appear to be insurmountable, what you failed to accomplish yesterday. And the list goes on. These thoughts are negative and unless restructured will create an undesired mood loss of concentration, acceleration of your nervous system, irritability of movement in thought impulse of judgment, inaction, and subsequent poor performance. When you take this emotional physical state to the golf course, it results in poor performance there as well. When you awaken and begin to worry about how you will pay your bills, or you anticipate the disapproval of others for something you have done, or you worry about your children or other family members, or you begin to think about the big tournament, your mood is most likely going to be anxious.

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00:14:21

This selective focus is a habit. Many people begin upon awakening. This mood adversely affects your performance both on and off the course. What kinds of thoughts promote enhanced performance? Top athletes from a variety of sports were asked to describe their mental state during their peak performance periods. Their descriptions include the following. Number one, there is a 100% concentration in the moment on what they are doing. Number two, a state of total relaxation exist. Number three, a feeling of confidence that they can do. Anything is present. Number four. There is a perception of everything moving in, slow motion, number five, a feeling of 100% control and a totally effortless automatic state surrounds them. Number six, during their event, they’re void of thoughts of anything other than that, which they are doing number seven, they don’t bring the mental or emotional experiences of other parts of their lives with them to the event.

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00:15:34

Number eight, these top athletes don’t perform for anyone but themselves, not the crowd, their family or others. They perform for the personal enjoyment. They experience number nine. They assume full responsibility for their errors. They don’t blame equipment conditions, et cetera. Number 10, they all describe a routine. They follow as a pre-performance behavior pattern. These routines are both external and internal, the internal being thoughts and physiology and the external being, if it’s golf course management and so on and so forth. Item number nine and item number nine is they assume full responsibility for their errors. They don’t blame equipment conditions. And so on. Item number nine fits my value system quite well. And I personally believe that we should all assume responsibility for and the consequences of our actions. My work with top golfers contradicts this ethic. As I noted in the confidence chapter, I’ve had some great players tell me they were told by other great players.

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00:16:41

Don’t ever let it meaning a bad shot or a bad break don’t ever let it be your fault. Again, if you assume full responsibility, your confidence will begin to fade in practice. I counseled that accepting or not accepting responsibility for poor play is a fine line to walk. I’ve had good players tell me they aren’t putting well because the greens are bad. And so on. I remind them that the entire field is putting on the same greens. Their usual retort is. Yeah, but the greens aren’t spiked up at the times they play. And the arguments go on the conversation always returns to questions of whether they are doing they’re putting drills, what their routine is like and what thoughts they’re having in stroke. As they make the putt. Additionally, we discuss whether they have purposely or inadvertently changed their posture, their grip, their alignment, their eye position, or if they’re following the putter blade back or the roll of the ball with her eyes and so on, it is easy to rationalize poor play.

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00:17:40

When you don’t assume responsibility, don’t blame and get down on yourself. If you can honestly say you have been working hard on the mental side and not thinking mechanics, if you don’t experience success with a solid mental practice program, it’s time to look for help, have your PGA or LPGA professional check your setup and the fundamentals around your golf swing and your stroke in pudding. When you consider it thinking is the foundation of the majority of the 10 characteristics of top athletes as noted. Your thinking is ingrained in a neuroanatomical structure that is predictable across any number of situations. Each time you change the situation, your behavior changes. The situation triggers different behaviors is like walking into a room and turning on a light switch. The room is pre-wired to turn on a light. Your nervous system is pre-wired to respond differently in different situations.

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00:18:37

This wiring is laid down during development and learning. If you want to change your behavior, you have to reroute the circuitry of your nervous system, rewiring or rerouting. The behavioral circuitry of your nervous system is accomplished through repetition for the majority of players. The more aroused you are, the more interference you will experience in your thinking and performance. Your thoughts don’t have a life of their own. You can gain active control of your thinking. However, due to the neurophysical and neurochemical foundations on which these predictable thought patterns evolve, extensive practice or repetition is necessary to change these physical neurochemical structures, positive versus negative thought themes. Most of us have heard about the importance of being positive from our coaches, teachers, peers, and or parents. We acknowledge agree. And most of us returned to our themes of negativity. Why the automatic thoughts we learned as children were most likely negative negativity, varies from complaints about weather or health to judgmental or critical comments regarding others.

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00:19:43

Negative themes in thought and discussion, produce frustration, anger, unhappiness, and depression. As you begin to listen in on your thinking note, how many of your thought themes are negative set goals to change? I’ve heard stories and read that Gary player would leave a room if he heard any negativity at all. Listen, in on your thoughts as suggested on the following pages and see for yourself, are they negative people who are judgmental of others tend to be most focused on how others perceive them. If you want to decrease your concern regarding how others perceive you. The first step is to set a goal, to be nonjudgmental of others. The following pages provide an overview of thought restructuring procedures. You will learn for example, to discontinue patterns of worry and anticipation, or to control anger and frustration and develop patience and a more positive focus on both yourself and others.

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00:20:44

The purpose of this chapter is to teach you communication strategies that will enhance your mental toughness and make you more resilient when faced with difficulty or when you have thoughts that set you up for failure thought tracking. The first step to assuming active control over thinking is an awareness of thoughts. Thoughts occur is habits or routines and repeat and patterns. We look at these internal behavior patterns like external as a chain thought. One is the first link in the chain thought one serves as a cue for thought to the second link in the chain, which cues thought three, the third link, et cetera. This behavior chain is like the one I presented in the overview on routine and the physiological chains of relaxation and arousal thought chains and themes. Your first task is to develop an awareness of these thought chains as presented in the overview on confidence, listening on your thoughts and record them in a diary format.

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00:21:47

As you become aware of these patterns, ask yourself, are these the kind of thoughts I would want to have often, should I increase or decrease these thoughts? Are these thoughts helping or hindering me? Well, these thoughts make me calm, comfortable, and happy, or will these thoughts make me nervous, 10 sad or angry? How do these thoughts affect my performance on the course? How do these thoughts affect my performance off the course? Now the following are a few of the various themes of thoughts, the positive thought theme. And then the negative thought theme. We have the positive thought theme of confident and the negative of pessimistic. We have the positive theme of calm and controlled and the negative theme of anxious and worried. We have a positive theme of self-supporting a negative theme of self-critical. We have happy and comforting versus sad and depressing. We have caring and loving versus critical and judgmental.

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00:22:43

We have a present focus versus a future or a past focus, and we have relaxing versus tension producing. Once you determine the themes, you can decide whether your thoughts are something you choose to continue or end. Thoughts can be tracked very easily thought tracking will help you become aware of both positive and negative themes in your thinking. It is a procedure where you begin to listen in on your thinking, take the following day to day life situation. As an example, once again, you awaken in the morning lion bed and begin to think of all the things you need to do today. Begin to feel a sense of urgency and an internal agitation of pattern of thoughts begins, thought one leads to thought two. And so on. What theme do you think would characterize your thoughts as you lie in bed considering your day in this example, remember that each person is different.

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00:23:37

The chain of thoughts that evolves in the situation presented would vary from one person to another. And your answer in response to the question was probably something like negative, nervous, anxious, worried, anticipatory tension producing. Now is this theme going to help you? What will happen to you physically with a thought theme like this? What were your thoughts when you played your best rounds of golf, where you focused on bad shots, were you angry? Were your thoughts supportive? Were you thinking about hazards or targets? Were you worried or thinking about off-course things like family finances or work? Were you thinking about how much money you were winning or losing? You have a bank of thoughts and behaviors to draw upon from your past peak performances. Your goal should be to practice internal and external behavior that draws upon these memory banks to produce this state. You should also consider your physical and mental preparation.

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00:24:33

The meaning pre-round prior to these peak performance periods, recall that Gary player quieted his movement in everything he did in preparation for the 1965 us open, you can practice focused concentration during day-to-day life, by being mindful during all routine activities, thought tracking exercise. Now it’s your turn to try thought tracking. I want you to consider the following. You’re going to have to once again, picture a series of chain links numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and six. Okay. Now the situation is as follows. It’s 10:00 PM. The night before a big tournament, you were preparing for bed. What are your thoughts and images? Now? I want you to list them as they occur. Okay? I want you to think about thought one again. It’s 10:00 PM the night before a big tournament and you’re preparing for bed. What are your thoughts and images? What’s thought one and thought to thought three and so on and so forth. Just consider your thinking.

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00:25:34

Okay. Now, what was the theme of your thinking here? And we’re going to shift gears. I want to ask you a question. What were your thoughts and images prior to the best round of golf you ever played? I want you to think about that. What were your thoughts and images prior to the best round of golf you ever played and given that consideration, those thoughts and images, what was the theme of your thoughts? What were your images and thoughts during the round, consider that? What were your images and thoughts during the round and during this round, how did you handle frustrating situations? Bad shots, bad breaks, bad conditions, and so on. How did you handle them? I want you to give that some thought. Now, were you tense? Anxious? Were you easily frustrated? Did you exercise a great deal of patience? Were you self-supporting when you hit a good shot, did you focus on those good shots? Now let’s look at another situation. You’re on the first tee of a big tournament. Now there are 10 to 15 people around the tea waiting. Cheer turned to tee off. What are your thoughts and images? Again? I want you to list these. Think about a chain again, you’re on the first tee of a big tournament. There are 10 to 15 people gathered around the tea waiting. It’s your turn to tee off. What are your thoughts and images? Okay. Now, given this situation, identify the theme of your thoughts. Again, were you tense, nervous, anxious?

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00:27:13

Are these thoughts, themes, supportive, and comforting and confidence building well, these thoughts, cue good or poor performance. Do you need to consider a plan to change this thought pattern at the beginning of your next round or tournament? You’ll see a similar pattern of thinking in your off-course behavior, where you can begin to change these patterns. I also want you to note that in each of these two situations, I ask you to picture the interlocking chain links. I want you to recall now it’s important that we have a picture of this, that fraud. One serves as a cue for thought two, that cues thought three, that use thought four and so on how behavior can be changed by simply learning strategies to break these behavior chains or pulling out a link you learn. For example, in the chapter titled fine tuning your nervous system, that you can break the chain of arousal by quieting your breathing, slowing down your movement and relaxing your muscles.

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00:28:09

Similarly, you can learn to substitute chains of desired behavior, and you are ready to discover ways to break the chains of the behavior. Thinking changing undesired thinking chains. Now let’s look at how you can begin to change. Undesired thinking. Remember that a chain breaks when a link is removed. Therefore if you catch the chain at the beginning, you can interrupt and avoid the rest of the chain. It is likely that you will be close to the end of the chain. The first few times before you become aware of the thought pattern, however, with repeated practice and a plan for change, you will be avoiding the undesired pattern altogether. When you become aware of the early signs of predictable thoughts, note, the associated behavior patterns that evolve. These patterns are predictable. Learn patterns are repeated in the same or similar situations and undesired chain of thoughts on the first tee is automatic and might be something like the following for some players chain link number one, oh boy, chain link.

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00:29:13

Number two, here it goes. And three, I hope I can get this off the tee. And for all these people are watching link five. If I can just get this shot out of the way, link six, the first hole is always a bad one with a crowd like this link seven. It’s so embarrassing. When I hit a bad shot, link eight, I have to stay out of the trees on the right, just don’t it right here. Now remember the nervous system consists of billions of neurons. Your thinking follows a predictable set style. This style is automatic and will not change unless you do something to break the behavior chain. The first step you will learn to break the unwanted behavior chain is called thought. Stopping thought, stopping Don. Co-led the LPGA money list in March of 1992, after recording her first victory in eight years, she attributed her newfound success to learning to block out distractions thought stopping is a cognitive therapy procedure used to block thoughts that serve no purpose other than a result in undesired, physical, emotional, and performance consequences.

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00:30:28

What thoughts would fall into this category? Well, suppose you find yourself repeatedly thinking about a decision you made about what you should have done in a recent situation or what you should have said, or your club selection two shots ago, your score, or what others are thinking about you, or you may have some intrusive thoughts in the middle of your routine. For example, do I have enough club thoughts? Stopping is a strategy you can use in all of these examples. Let’s assume you’re set to hit a shot and begin to think about the shots you hit into the hazard. Your last round on this hole. The following is a summary of the thought stopping technique you could use in this situation. Step one, step off the ball, begin diaphragmatic breathing and that’s deep breathing and do so very slowly, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth note.

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00:31:21

The increased relaxation as you exhale, exhalation should take twice. As long as inhalation purse, your lips to slow down your exhalation. If necessary, do a body scan. As you exhale purposely slow down your physical movement. Step off the ball. If you were in the middle of your routine step to say to yourself, sub vocally, stop, relax, or knock it off or shut up. Be quiet. Tell yourself to relax each time you say relax, concentrate on that relaxed feeling. Each time you exhale, say to yourself, relax, slow down your pace. If you are aroused, you have likely quickened your movement. And this will be expressed as a faster than normal swing pace. Slow down your walking pace and breathe deeply. Step three. Once you have stopped the undesired thoughts and feel more relaxed, bring yourself into the present, feel the club in your hand and the ground under your feet, develop a 100% here and now present focus confidently.

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00:32:32

Tell yourself what you were going to do in this situation. Recall the same shot you have hit. Well, the past experienced the feelings and images of that shot visualize your success. As you described the shot you were about to hit. Once you have successfully input the confident images, bring yourself back to the moment as you move deliberately through your pre swing to set up position and Marie Polly won the LPGA 1993, Atlantic city ShopRite classic in a playoff against Laura Davies. And Marie had knocked her second shot to three feet on the par four. And Laura had bogeyed the hole as Ann Marie stood over her putt. She said, this would be embarrassing. If I miss this, then she stepped back and said, shut up, just stay in your routine and knock it in the hole. She resumed her routine, saw the ball, rolling the whole set up, made the putt for birdie and won the tournament.

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00:33:31

Now, in other situations, you may use the following step one. If you were applying thought stopping and your day to day routine, and you were involved in a project that does not permit you to use imagery, focus all of your attention on that project. If the undesired thoughts, return, repeat the procedures. Step two at bedtime. When thoughts interfere with sleep begin counting backwards from 100, visualize each number painted on a wall. As you say it to yourself, use deliberate slow movement. As you be in counting and visualizing, relax your head, neck, shoulders, chest your back stomach, legs and feet. As you feel each area sink into the mattress, you slow deliberate movement. As you position yourself in your bed, be mindful of the sensations and comfort of your bed. If you have the mind under par series routine guided practice and developing consistent performance, listen to one of the arousal reduction tapes and repeat the phrases to yourself.

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00:34:37

Rational dialogue. Our internal dialogue can be considered either rational enhances performance or irrational disrupts performance. Rational dialogue is a technique that is used instead of, or in conjunction with thought stopping this technique will help interrupt and redirect thought patterns that are negative or irrational. Let’s move directly to the steps involved in rational dialogue. And then consider an example of how this technique could be applied to specific thought themes. The steps to rational dialogue include step one, awareness or recognition of the irrational and nonproductive thoughts you were experiencing. Step two, begin diaphragmatic breathing. That’s deep breathing and do so very slowly, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth note. The increased relaxation as you exhale, exhalation should take twice. As long as inhalation purse, your lips to slow down your exhalation. If necessary, do a body scan. As you exhale purposely slow down your physical movement.

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00:35:46

Step off the ball. If you were in the middle of your routine, focus on the relaxed feeling, repeat the relaxation procedures in movement, breathing and heaviness again and again, until you were experiencing a relaxed sensation. Step three, remind yourself of the consequences to you. If you continue this irrational nonproductive thinking, for example, there’ll be no change in the situation. Irritability, loss of concentration, and an inability to improve or deterioration performance will be the outcome. This is the time to be a good internal coach. You might say, for example, to yourself, come on, you can still have a decent realm. Get back in this shot and forget about those bad breaks. Step four, actively redirect your thoughts and images to success in your next shot. Again, recall similar successful shots of the past and the associated feelings and images of those shots. You can use thoughts stopping at this point.

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00:36:48

If you’re having difficulty keeping a positive focus, continue using relaxation and positive imagery as you approach the next shot and during your pre swinging routine continue deliberate movement. And moment to moment focus again, be an aggressive supportive coach, stop crying, and play. You’re too good to behave like this. Get your head back in the game. You have this shot. Feel it. Get into your target and knock it stiff. If you experienced distressing or disruptive thoughts during your day to day, life situations use the following strategies. Number one, make an appointment with yourself to worry. Remind yourself. For example, I can’t do anything until Monday at 9:00 AM. I’ll take care of it. Then life is too short not to enjoy each moment to its fullest. I’m going to assume control and enjoy it. Now. Step two, remind yourself that you have control over your thoughts. All you need to do is assume that control applying cognitive therapy procedures for improved performance.

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00:37:55

Now let’s consider how you might apply these techniques to a specific situation you’re on the 10th tee. You would decided to apply the recommendation of not adding your score at the turn. A well-meaning fellow competitor tells you your score. You were two strokes lower at the turn than in any previous round. You can feel the excitement in the thought of having a career best round. Now, the speed of your thoughts accelerates you can see your scores. It’s totaled in this clubhouse, unbeknownst to you. Your heart begins to beat faster and muscle tone increases causing the tension. And this happens, begins to do so. Quite moderately, you were so occupied with the events nine holes from now, you lose track of the fact that you were on the T until you hear a voice from beside you say you’re up and you’re a startled back to the present.

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00:38:42

You take your driver to the T, then realize it’s a 300 yard sharp dog leg, right? And you don’t need a driver. You quickly return to your bag, grab a three iron and hurry back to the T. So you don’t hold up. Play the speed of your swing and quick and movement on the T matches the acceleration of your heart and breathing rate. You hook your tee shot into the trees. By the time you recover, you take a double bogey on the whole. As you approached the 11th tee, your thoughts are as follows link one in this thought chain, I can still have a good round linked to that. Double brings me back a little, but I can still recover. Link three. All I need is a few pars. And, and then that’s when you catch yourself in this link and you decide you’re going to break it.

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00:39:29

You say to yourself, be quiet, knock it off. And you start the new chain of links that are much more rational and performance supporting link one. You were moving too quickly and focused on score, linked to you. Stop your physical movement and breathe deeply with a long exhalation. You regroup and say in link three, okay, this is a 425 yard par four link for the flag is in the back left. And I can see my approach shot to the elevated green link five. I recall the same shot I hit well on the fourth team, I recall the feeling and image of the swing and I can picture the ball flight link six. I’m going to hit my first shot to the shady area in the right center of the fairway link. Seven breathe deeply and slow down my movement. Link eight. I can feel the head covers.

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00:40:23

I slowly deliberately remove my driver from the bag. I’m 100% in the present and nine I moved deliberately and comfortably as I place my ball on the tee. LinkedIn, I feel the ground under my feet and my club and my hands. As they walk slowly behind the ball link 11, I breathe deeply with a feeling of control link 12. I’m going to start this ball over the right edge of that divot. Take it at the top branch of that tallest evergreen and draw it into that shady area in the right center of the fairway link 13. I see the ball landing there and rolling several yards, link 14. I make a practice swing in a slow motion and feel the relaxed swing I made on number 14, link 15. I moved with deliberate confidence back to the ball. As I continue to look at my target link 16, I take another deep relaxing breath link.

speaker 0

00:41:27

17. I square my club face with my intermediate target and look at my primary target link 18. I shuffle into my stance with my eyes on my primary target link. 19. I stared my target and glance at the ball linked 20. I glanced back at the ball and start my swing. I hold a picture of my target in my mind’s eyes. I started my swing like 21. I have a background feeling of the swing I want to make. This is one of many examples in which you can use thought stopping and rational dialogue to interrupt an unwanted chain of internal dialogue and substitute a performance enhancing chain. As noted in the chapter title of routine. These skills must be practiced on the range of you’re going to have success on the golf course. Now the following is a thought restructuring exercise. I want you to take the following situation. You have birdied three of the first four holes at a club. You are visiting and you step onto the 53 under par. Now, considering your usual level of play, given this situation, I’d like for you to track your thoughts, think of them as link. One is the first thought link two is the second and so on.

speaker 0

00:42:41

Okay. Just give some thought to you’ve buried three of the first four holes at a club you’re visiting and you step onto the fifth tee three under par it’s possible. Okay. Now the thoughts that came to you as I described this situation, do these thoughts? Support continued peak performance. Are your thoughts in the present? Are they supportive? Are they relaxing? Thoughts? Do you need to restructure them? And if so, I want you to use the thought stopping and rational dialogue to interrupt this thought chain. And next, I want you to give some thought to the kinds of conversation. They’re kind of conversation. I should say that you’re going to have with yourself. It will ensure that you stay focused in the present and in a desired mental routine. Just consider that for a moment. What are you going to say to yourself now? Now in this consideration, you might’ve said link one, just breathe deeply and stay focused in the present.

speaker 0

00:43:40

Linked to I’m going to play this whole one shot at a time in link three. I’m just going to keep hitting shots that are eights, nines and tens one at a time. All right, now you step onto the T of the fifth hole. It’s a par four. You set up and swing and pull your shot, left into the trees. You find your ball in the trees, and you also find a large window between the branches of a tree through which you want to hit your shot. Now, again, you’ve set up on the fifth hole. You’re three under you’re in the trees and you find this large window in the trees between which you want to hit your shot. You set up, you swing and your recovery shot hits a branch and your ball settles in the center of the card path. You have a free drop. However, the shot off the concrete cart path is better than your relief would be with a drop. What are your thoughts?

speaker 0

00:44:30

Okay. Just give some, take a moment and consider what you’re thinking. Now, given this situation here you stand on a par four. You’ve already hit your second shot and you’re on a cart path and you’ve got a long approach shot to the green. What are your thoughts here? Your thoughts? I blown it. There goes by three under, are you focused on score or are you focused on how you’re going to get this ball on the green again? Are your thoughts supportive of continued peak performance? How are you doing with the frustration of missing your recovery shot after playing so well at this point, are your thoughts indicative of patients? Do you need to restructure your thinking?

speaker 0

00:45:11

You just played out three quarters of a situation that occurred to John Houston in Florida during the 1992 PGA tour. Let’s see how it ends. John Houston, birdied three of the first four holes in the last round of the 1992, Walt Disney world Oldsmobile classic. He pulled his tee shot on number five, left into the trees and his recovery shot hit a branch and settled on a concrete cart path rather than take a drop in tree roots. Houston played the 160 yard shot off the card path onto the green. He then made a 30 foot putt for par. He said of this experience I thought right then that maybe it was my day. He went on to shoot a final round 62 and win the tournament by three shots.

Do you focus on your good play and turn your focus to what is going well? Or do you think to yourself that was luck. I wonder when the wheels are going to fall off, I’m playing way over my head or, okay. I’m still three under if I can just hold on and at least bogey that tough par three and not get too greedy on 10 and 13, I can shoot a really good score. Either of these thoughts. Styles is self destructive, both break your mental and physical routine chains. Both are thought chain links that will lead to poor performance. Let’s look at a few other Encore situations that were required. Calming your thinking to keep you relaxed and focused. One member of the group you were playing with is painfully slow. You aren’t holding up play. However you find a speed of play is beginning to irritate you. What might you say to yourself in this situation that will keep you focused and in your routine. I want you to give that some thought for just a moment. What could you say to yourself? You’ve got a member of your group. Who’s painfully slow. You’re not holding up play. You find a speed of play though is beginning to irritate you. What might you say to yourself in this situation that will keep you focused and in your routine?

speaker 1

00:01:17

Okay. Let’s look at another situation. You’re playing in a tournament and realize your group is being timed. One of the members in your group is playing slowly. What should you say to yourself at this time? Remember Quicken physical movement will likely increase your swimming tempo and nothing will compromise your golf swing faster than changing your swing to impo and speeding it up. Now your group is being pushed by the group behind you. And there are one-on-one half holes. Open ahead of you. Again, one of your playing partners is painfully slow. What would you say to your playing partner about delaying play and what should you say to yourself to maintain consistent performance? So once you have asserted yourself, what do you need to say to yourself? Then now let’s look at day-to-day life situations and apply the same strategies. Situation one, you have an important appointment for which you are late.

speaker 1

00:02:19

You encounter one red light after another. The tension builds as you begin to anticipate being late and the potential consequences. What’d you list in your mind, your mental and physical correction strategies, but the first one would be arousal reduction. How are you going to start to relax yourself? The second one might be thought stopping and rational dialogue. What are you going to say to yourself in this situation? And lastly would probably bring your focus. Thinking back to the present, I’m going to review with you what I would suggest your thought restructuring and arousal reduction in focus, thinking in the present should be your correction should be something like the following arousal reduction. I breathe deeply inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. My exhalation is twice as long as my inhalation, rational dialogue, quiet movement and focused concentration. That’s these are the strategies.

speaker 1

00:03:18

Now you’d be using, getting upset. Isn’t going to do anything positive for me. I’m going to let my arms and shoulders go and slow down my movement. I’m going to direct this intensity into the rest of my day, a moment at a time. And then your next step would be to go to focused thinking as follows. I’m not going to look at my watch. I feel the sensations of the heaviness in my body and my hands on the steering wheel. I look around me and think about the landscape and cars and to watch the people. Then you might apply some self reinforcement. We’re going to cover that in a little bit. I can feel my nervous system slow down and I’m getting more and more comfortable. I’m going to continue this situation too. You have four days of work with a two day deadline. This is an addition to your usual workload.

speaker 1

00:04:10

You begin to feel overwhelmed and worry that you will never finish. Even if you work the next two evenings during the day, your worry increases and you find you can’t concentrate on simple task. You feel tense, upset, and irritable with your coworkers and with your family. Now, I want you to list the corrective strategies you would use in this situation. So first let’s look at arousal reduction. How are you going to relax, rational dialogue? How are you going to talk to yourself? Focused thinking, what are you going to say about staying present and what kind of self reinforcement light you use here that your written responses should be something like the following, your arousal reduction strategies. You may say to yourself, I breathe deeply inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. My exhalation last twice. As long as my inhalation, I slow down my movement and begin to think about what I am doing.

speaker 1

00:05:07

Thought stopping and rational dialogue. I interrupt my undesired thought focused by saying, be quiet. I tell myself that worry and negative anticipation will not produce any positive change in the situation. I say, if I continue to think like this, I’m going to make myself very anxious, tense, ineffective in my job and irritable with those around me. I’m going to redirect my thoughts to each job I do and take things one at a time. Now your next phase would be quieting your movement and focusing your thinking. I started thought focus on each physical activity, moving slowly and deliberately. I redirect my thoughts and hold my attention on each movement in every job I do. I practice moving slowly from a broad focus to a narrow focus. I hold each focus for 30 to 60 seconds, self reinforcement. I would say to myself, I note that as I practice these corrective strategies, I feel more relaxed in control and free of distraction.

speaker 1

00:06:14

I want you to note success with rational dialogue and thought stopping will only last a brief time when you first began to use them with repeated use. However, these strategies will bring relief for longer and longer periods. If you will begin to use these procedures off the course in your day-to-day life, they will be well-practiced and more effective when you need them on the course. Now, when it says a brief time, we’re talking maybe 15 to 30 seconds, but with practice, you can turn that into minutes. If you find yourself returning to the same worry repeatedly, consider using thoughts, stopping after completing the steps of rational dialogue, problem-solving you use problem-solving daily. Each time you choose a club, you weigh a variety of considerations from distance confidence in shot-making ability, the wind lie. And so on each time you read a restaurant menu, you review your alternatives and weigh the consequences and costs, calories, money, or taste based upon your mental review of the consequences of each alternative.

speaker 1

00:07:19

You make a decision written problem-solving is the identical decision-making strategy on a larger scale written problem solving is obviously something you would not do during play. However, you may bring problems to the course that will affect play. Therefore, I have included a strategy to assist you in unloading the burdens of problems before you get to the course, this technique is useful when you are facing a problem that requires a decision or some action. When confronted with such a problem, you might be tempted to make an impulsive decision or to ponder the problem for a long time, without feeling able to make a decision. In either case you experienced negative consequences, these consequences can include arousal resulting from indecisive illness. These thoughts go everywhere. You do and affect internal physiology, mood, concentration, and performance, both on and off the golf course. Problem solving helps structure the process of making a decision, and generally helps you feel that you made the best possible decision.

speaker 1

00:08:24

Consequently, you carry on with other day-to-day activities, less mentally burdened. Now the five steps of problem-solving include the following step. One sounds simple, but it requires some, some thought. Describe the problem as fully as possible. Step two, think of and write down all the possible alternative solutions. Step three, ask yourself if this is a problem on which you need to act and step four, if the answer is no, then start a list of alternatives and the list doesn’t have to be exhaustive since you will be returning to it to write more. Now, make an appointment with yourself and others involved to come back to the problem at a specific time, make an appointment to worry and use that appointment time to redirect your thinking. For example, you might say, I have set aside tomorrow at 4:00 PM to meet with my supervisor, worrying about the problem will only ruin the rest of my day and tomorrow he won’t do me any good to worry.

speaker 1

00:09:26

Now, B practice, the relaxation procedures and positive predictive imagery is presented in this audio book. SI redirect your thoughts to something positive and productive. He was thought stopping and rational dialogue is necessary. Di come back to the problem at the appointed time. And that’s the appointed worry time and complete step five, which is the following step. Step five is if the answer is yes. And recall that the question was, is this a problem on what you need to act immediately? If the answer is yes, I must act on this problem. Now, a identify all the reasonable alternatives B list the pros and cons of each alternative on paper. See, make your decision or take action based on the pros and cons D reinforce yourself for the decision or action and stay with it. IE, if you find your thoughts returned to the problem, or you question your decision, practice, the relaxation, the strategies, and use thought stopping and racial dialogue. Using the steps outlined here for problem-solving will help you feel confident in your decisions and actions and you won’t experience the consequences of impulsivity. Use these techniques to help guide your decisions in everything. From job changes to relationships, to which many tour you’re going to play, and the list goes on, you will find it interesting to note how many of your pros and cons are based on emotion versus tangible consequences.

speaker 1

00:11:00

Assertion players on both the ladies and men’s tours get reputations for things like slow play or doing something distracting. As another player starts, his routine. Other players have reputation of verbal negativity about their play, moving around the green or practicing a stroke. While another players preparing to putter hit these habits, serve as distractions and interfere with another player’s concentration. I’ve heard all of these complaints. What would you do in this situation? Well, you can be sure you’re going to handle it the same way you would handle any irritating problem off the course. If you say nothing, and the irritation is repeated, you will move from a simmer to a boil. This anger will flood your nervous system with irrelevant information that will interfere with your concentration and your performance suffers. What should you do? Well, that depends on with whom you are playing. If it’s a friend from your usual foursome, it will be easier to communicate your displeasure.

speaker 1

00:12:01

That is if you are to communicate displeasure off the course of your someone who is not assertive off the course and unable to communicate your displeasure, they’re the same habits is going to be carried onto the golf course. If you were in a competition or don’t know the person use the following strategy first, minimize your distraction from your routine. Take a deep breath. Step off the ball and look at the other player. Establish eye contact don’t smile and start your routine over. If that doesn’t communicate your displeasure with his behavior, you may need to comment in a calm and relaxed manner. Something to the effect of that’s distracting. I would appreciate it. If you wouldn’t do that, then take a deep breath, tell yourself to refocus and channel your attention back to your target. As you start your routine over. If the behaviors repeated, follow the same strategy with a firmer request to discontinue the action.

speaker 1

00:12:59

Remember if another player’s goal is gamesmanship and a disrupt your concentration, he wins. As soon as you boil, most nonassertive people become concerned that the other person is going to be upset with them. If they speak up or once they speak up, they begin to worry that the other person may be upset with them. When this occurs, concentration is lost and performance deteriorates by using thought restructuring strategies of thought stopping and rational dialogue concentration can be returned to the shot being played and away from what a plane partner is thinking or doing not assertive. People are usually well liked by all. They don’t make waves and they agree with most everything or yield to other’s decisions and direction. Their perception is that if they speak up, they will lose this unconditional positive regard by others. Or at the very least, they will be judged unfavorably and emotionally intolerable state that is mediated by thinking and related perceptions.

speaker 1

00:13:59

In reality, when they are assertive and sensitive to other’s needs, they will be more respected and internally calm. It’s difficult to be themselves when they are constantly performing and doing for others. In order to safeguard this perception of being the good guy by all, you are going to handle situations on the course that produced frustration and anger, the same way you do off the course. What happens when you don’t speak up off the course? What happens when you say yes and you really want to say no? What happens when you want to tell someone something, but you were concerned he might get upset or become angry with you. You say nothing. Then you may think about what you should have said or done, or you complain to someone else who isn’t involved or the situation is repeated and you become increasingly upset. First, your concentration goes, you have intrusive thoughts and you can’t think of much except what is upsetting you.

speaker 1

00:14:54

And when you become irritable in small things, you usually tolerate, and these things will set you off. You may find yourself raising your voice at your children or taking out your frustration on another loved one, or even a family pet the frustration and thinking backs up for so long that you blow up usually in a safe environment. What should you do? You make eye contact with the person you were addressing, you use I-statements for example, I feel I suggest, I believe I would like. And so on. Then you ask for some change in the situation. For example, you might say something to the effect of when you stand in my line, while I putt it’s distracting, please stand to one side or off the course. My toast is burned. Please ask the cook to prepare some more lightly toasted. If after reading this section, you recognize that this pattern of nonassertive behavior fits you and you feel you’re lacking in assertive skills.

speaker 1

00:15:53

I suggest you begin with a class at a local college on assertive or social skills training. You will find it in the psychology or communication section of the school catalog. Now let’s return to the golf course. These same irritations build up and have the same effect. If you don’t address them, as soon as you allow yourself to become distracted and your focus turns to the irritating person or situation you’ve lost control, and your performance is going to suffer again, address the problem as often as necessary. Let your fellow competitor become irritated. Show him. You mean what you say in a relaxed, calm, and controlled manner. It is only when you allow these situations to build up inside that they will affect you. I would suggest that most of the irritations on the course are not meant to be distracting or to interfere with your game.

speaker 1

00:16:46

If other players become upset, when you commonly point out these things, let it be their problem. Not yours. Sam Snead recalls an incident with the mustache Lloyd Mangrum. Sam says Mangrum would stand in the front corner of his vision on the tee box. And as Sam would start, his backswing Mangrum would cross his legs. After a few times, Sam says he backed off of the ball, walked over to Mangrum and said, you’ve driven your ball. Now get off the damn tee while I have my chance. Not all irritating habits of other players are purposeful. However, if you don’t address them, you’re going to boil and nothing will change except the deterioration in your mood and game, not assertive behavior and its consequences off the course will be taken to the course. If you arrive at the golf course, tense, irritable, or upset, your frustration tolerance is lowered.

speaker 1

00:17:40

You won’t handle bad breaks and miss shots as well as you do when you were relaxed and calm. You also will be quick to anger with other players resolve problems before you get to the course when possible, when it isn’t possible to take immediate action, establish a plan to make a phone call, meet with someone or write a letter after the round. Set it aside mentally, if you were reminded of the situation on the course, mentally, recall your plan and redirect your thoughts back to the round mindfulness flow state focused concentration. Mindfulness was described in the chapter titled fine tuning your nervous system as a calming strategy and in the concentration chapter. As a technique for developing a present one shot at a time focus, it is a calming strategy because it incorporates changes in movement breathing and thinking recall that aroused, nervous system results in faster physical movement and thoughts that are focused in the future.

speaker 1

00:18:43

Quieting your movement and thinking while breathing deeply will quiet your nervous system and bring your focus to the present. Mindfulness is also called flow state concentration or focused concentration. The flow state is described by athletes as being synonymous with the peak performance condition of the zone. Let’s look at practice strategies for developing this deep state of concentration necessary for peak performance. Number one, develop a plan to practice mindfulness upon awakening in the morning, keep a writing tablet by your bed upon awakening, right? All things to do that come to mind on the tablet after you complete each entry, turn the tablet phase down. So you cannot see your list. You’ll refer to this list once you were addressed and ready to start your day, not before, keep the tablet close. When you have an intrusive thought of something, you have to do write it down on the tablet.

speaker 1

00:19:42

Instead of continuing to recall and recite to yourself a list of things you have to do. Use the written list as your memory and reminder and returned to focused concentration. Most thoughts are future oriented and excitatory. Focusing on the various things you have to do is part of that process. Use the tablet to assist you in getting out of future and back to the present. Be sure to turn the tablet face down so you can’t see your list. Looking at your list will likely trigger a future focus. People whose thoughts focus on past events tend to be angry, sad, or frustrated like anxiety, these emotions cause arousal and interfere with the present focus. Number two upon awakening begin deep diaphragmatic breathing, continue breathing as you make your entries on the tablet. And as you follow the concentration exercises during times of arousal, you either hold your breath or begin shallow, rapid breathing, deep diaphragmatic breathing will take you out of these states.

speaker 1

00:20:52

If you do not change your breathing to diaphragmatic, you will continue to drive your nervous system at a high rate. You will not get adequate oxygenation to your brain or deep muscles. Your level of concentration will diminish and mental and physical fatigue will evolve. Number three, be certain your movement is slow and you continue your deep diaphragmatic breathing. Most dentist have a skill of soft, quiet, gentle touch and movement. This is the type of movement you want to practice slowing or quieting. Your movement is one of several ways of slowing the activity of your nervous system, quiet or slow down your movements in everything you do and be aware of this quieter movement. Number four, as you start to get out of bed, notice the sounds of birds. Singing, see the colors and experience your sensation of touch, feel the sheets. And that means the texture, the pressure of the bed and the floor into your feet.

speaker 1

00:21:55

Keep your movements slow and relaxed. Note the sensations of your slowed movement, your deep diaphragmatic breathing and the sensations of the sheets, the bed, the floor, the shower, your dressing, and so on. Number five, narrate every move you make. For example, I’m going to slowly extend my arm and turn the hot water valve. Now I’m going to feel the texture of the faucet and the sensations. As I opened the cold water valve, I hear the water running and experience the temperature changes. As I balance the water temperature. I feel the sensation of the shampoo bottle cap. As I open it and notice the weight of the bottle. As I turn it up to pour the shampoo into my hand, I feel the texture of the shampoo here or the water running and feel the water as it gently hits and runs down my body. Your goal is to be able to sustain this practice for up to five minutes.

speaker 1

00:22:51

Don’t get discouraged. When you begin this practice, you will probably have success for five to 30 seconds. You will have the most success. If you schedule your concentration practice four times a day by the clock or paired with some activity, broad and narrow focus, practice going from a broad or general focus to a narrow, specific focus, and then returned to a broad focus. And then again, to a narrow attention focus, spend 60 to 90 seconds in each of these concentration states, Jack Nicholas described going from abroad to narrow focus on the golf course with every shot he hit. This is something you unwittingly do off the course at various times. Your goal is to learn to voluntarily move from abroad to a narrow focus. When you read a book in which you are interested, your thoughts are narrowly focused on everything you read when you read content, that is not interesting.

speaker 1

00:23:49

You easily lose your focus. The same focus occurs when you watch television commercials take you away from a narrow focus on the program. Content sexual behavior is another example of broad and narrow focus for women. An inability to focus or a loss of interest causes a deterioration in performance or a less than pleasurable experience. A prolonged narrow focus produces climax for men to narrow focus too soon results in intense arousal, thoughts and images of the sexual experience and early or premature performance. A broad focus extends performance too broader focus causes the decline in sexual arousal and performance ability. You have the ability to focus on a specific sensation. Anytime you choose, think about the feeling of your big toe on your right foot. That information was always being transmitted through your nervous system, to your brain. You simply used a mechanism in your brainstem to focus your attention.

speaker 1

00:24:51

This is an example of a narrow focus. The more precise your attention is, the more narrow your focus becomes. Thinking about the sensations of your big toe on your right foot is a narrow focus when practicing a broad or narrow focus, be certain, your breathing is deep diaphragmatic and rhythmic, and that you make no sudden or abrupt movement. Your movements should be unhurried and deliberate. Integrating these skills into daily living. When you eat with a narrow focus, concentrate on the color texture and taste of your food. Your hand and arm movements are smooth and chewing is slow. You have an awareness of each of these sensations. Your breathing is deep diaphragmatic and rhythmic, broad focused drain. Eating is a concentration on the room. Colors people in general sounds again, your movement is slow and your breathing deep diaphragmatic and rhythmic return to a narrow focus and become aware of a distant object in the room.

speaker 1

00:25:56

Direct your narrowed attention to the details of that object. It may be a painting or a piece of furniture. Again, your movements are slow and your breathing deep dive from attic and rhythmic. Another time you can practice abroad to narrow focus is during conversations. When you were talking with someone, be their focus, all of your attention on every word you hear, be aware of the content, the color of the speakers, eyes, their hair, color, clothing, and mannerisms. Your movements should be slow and your breathing deep diaphragmatic and rhythmic as an alternative. If you have children, a good time to practice focused concentration is during your conversations in time with your children, always be certain, your movements are slow and your breathing deep diaphragmatic and rhythmic, you will find it helpful to decrease the amount of external stimuli. When you practice these concentration strategies, such as turning off the television or radio or closing your eyes momentarily.

speaker 1

00:27:03

If you take yourself out of your home or office to less familiar surroundings, when you first begin your practice, you will have more success. A narrow focus while driving is an awareness of the texture and feeling of the steering wheel, the sensation of the seat, a single number or letter on a license plate and so on. Again, be certain your movements are slow and your breathing deep diaphragmatic and rhythmic abroad focus while driving is the traffic signs, the traffic, the color, and make of cars and the pattern of traffic and a resumption of narrow focus may be a letter on a roadside align in the road or the number on a license plate or similar small feature of a car in the distance. When you listen to music, a broad focus is listening attentively to combined aspects of the song. A narrow focus is listening to one instrument, for example, a piano or a wind or string instrument, or listening to every word of the lyrics with the background sound or the melody be aware of your breathing with this awareness practice, deep diaphragmatic breathing, be aware of the sensation of your stomach expansion with deep inhalation purse, your lips as you exhale and make your exhalation last at least twice.

speaker 1

00:28:25

As long as your inhalation note, the sensation of your exhalation through your mouth and over your pursed lips, count your breaths. Set a goal of practicing focused concentration on your breathing. See how many breaths you can count before you have an intrusive thought practice at times of stress, the skill of mindfulness or flow state focused concentration is most useful at times of stress. It must however, be practiced repeatedly in relatively non-stressful situations in order to be learned and integrated at times of stress. In addition, recognize that you must develop skills of focus concentration at times of stress and meaning this period of internal arousal off the course. If you’re going to have success, staying mentally focused during stressful times on the course, stress off the course produces the same aroused and distracted internal stage. You will experience at times of stress on the course. If you practice these focused concentration strategies off the course, you will have familiar and trusted techniques that will hold up under stress on the course.

speaker 1

00:29:37

Although a broad and narrow focus may be present throughout your day. This does not necessarily mean it is easily accessible. Anytime you choose, especially at times of stress, when a flood of intrusive thoughts begins, it is important that you have the ability to initiate focus concentration during times of stress, as well as it set times during the day, when you find yourself in a situation that creates anxiety, a sense of urgency, feeling of conflict, anger, or any other condition that takes you out of the present, you will experience arousal of your nervous system. Begin to practice focused, concentration, slowed movement and deep diaphragmatic breathing to counter the arousal. When you have difficulty falling asleep, it is almost always your mind that is too active. You will find your focus either on the past or the future, write down things you need to do. Then take your focus to the present, feel to heaviness of your body.

speaker 1

00:30:42

As it sinks into the bed and pillow note, the texture of the sheets be certain, your movements are slow and your breathing is deep and diaphragmatic problems. Falling asleep are minor forms of stress. Use this focused concentration in other more stressful conditions as well. Many tournament players describe being on the clock as a stressful event in times you are going to be on the clock. If you play competitive golf, this is a good example of a time on the course where slowed movement and focused concentration will help you stay in the present and out of the urgency, this situation produces. Have somebody time your routine on the practice range. As you quiet your movement and practice your deep diaphragmatic breathing and focus. The knowledge that your routine is within a 45, second period will assure you that you do not need to rush when you are on the clock.

speaker 1

00:31:40

The other obvious OnCourse events that produce distraction arousal, or when you let the play speed of play or behavior of others, intrude on your thoughts. The slightest distraction can interfere with your focus concentration if you allow it to do so simply begin deep diaphragmatic breathing, say something to another player or a spectator. If the situation calls for it, then returned to your mindful focused concentration. For example, we need to pick up our pace guys, or please don’t move until I’ve played my shot. Once you have made the comment mentally recenter, for example, think now, leave it and move on. Limo. Limo is an acronym for leave it and move on. And it’s very useful at these times. OnCourse concentration practice. What kinds of things can you do on the course to help maintain your concentration? Number one, never add your score until the end of the round.

speaker 1

00:32:41

Nothing will take you out of the present faster than becoming score conscious. You’ve already read what tour players say about a score, focus, or looking at the leaderboard. Make a conscious effort to play one shot at a time. Use your scorecard to rank each shot on a one to 10 scale, 10 being the best shot you can hit set a goal of hitting a 10 on every shot. The mine under parts series scorecard provides a detailed strategy for using a scorecard to develop focused. One shot at a time, concentration confidence, a memory bank of good and great shots and an analysis of strengths and weaknesses in your game. Number two, follow the same routine on every shot, a consistent pre swing in swing and post swing routine cues, the same internal and external behaviors on each shot and ensures that you focus only on the shots you were playing.

speaker 1

00:33:35

Practice abroad focus as you do, yardage is wind and so on. Narrow your focus from behind the ball. As you stare at your target and move into your setup. Number three, stay target focused, pick a target for every shot you’re going to play and keep that target integrated through your entire routine. Maintain that target focus during your swing LPGA tour player in us open champion. Meg Mellon says when I’m playing my best, I know I’m focusing right down to the leaf on the tree on Mamie net. Number four, never analyze mechanics during around swing mechanics analysis belongs on the lesson tee. If you don’t have it during the round, remember what Sam’s need said dance with the one you brought. Sam probably said dance with the one you brung, but you understand the meaning returned to the lesson tee and asked for drills to work on the changes you need to make after the round.

speaker 1

00:34:36

Number five practice, deep diaphragmatic breathing before, during and after your round deep breathing will keep your nervous system arousal to a minimum and enhance your ability to purposely focus your thoughts on the shot. You were playing. Number six, practice, quiet movement and mindfulness quieting your movement before and during practice and play will help you develop a desired rhythm and tempo that will build a foundation for peak performance mindfulness. During this quieted movement, places you in the present and minimizes distraction, practice being non-emotional and dispassionate with regard to your performance, except the outcome of a shot or situations, and remind yourself to return your thoughts to the present. Number seven, practice supportive, reinforcing internal dialogue, supportive dialogue, both on and off. The course will teach you to be patient and to manage emotional and physical decay that produces mental distraction and physical arousal. Number eight, feel the swing you want to make.

speaker 1

00:35:45

Then repeat that feeling. Focus your thinking on a feeling of the swing you want to make. As you take your practice, swings, focus your thinking on repeating that feeling as you swing. I once heard it stated that you can’t think of two things at the same time. I disagree. You can feel the swing you want to make and still hold an image of the target. It takes practice, but you can do it. You are accessing two separate sensory systems feeling envisioned simultaneously imagery takes in the same part of the brain as a vision. Remember none of these things turn on and off like a light switch. The more you practice them off the cores, the more accessible and successful you will be during play, develop a plan for on and off the course use of these concentration strategies, practice focused concentration on the range and putting green follow your full routine with each practice shot or punch.

speaker 1

00:36:40

You hit practice going from a broad focus to a narrow focus within each shot, change clubs with every shot you hit on the range, select a club you’re going to use and consider the shots you want to hit is at the beginning of abroad, focus, stand behind the ball and describe each shot. And this is where your focus begins to narrow. For example, describe where you’re going to start the ball over the divot, the line of the shot at the shingle on the top right side of that chimney and where the ball will land on that brown spot, about six feet from the flag. And so on direct all of your attention to a small target. For example, the brown spot on the green or the shingle on the top right side of the chimney. This is your narrow focus. As you approach the shot, stay focused on that narrow target through setup and swing stare at the target and glance at the ball.

speaker 1

00:37:34

As you make your practice swing, feel the swing you want to make and retain that feeling through the shot. As you make your swing, you should have a feeling of the swing you want to make, which is background and an image of the target in your mind’s eye. Foreground, both are a narrow focus, practice working the ball left to right then, right to left to a specific target. Describe yourself a specific line. The ball will take it. Only one shot with a club. Then change clubs. Remember the average player sees the fairway and decides to hit the shot. Somewhere out there is practice. Swing is a meaningless ritual that is usually occupied with mechanical thoughts. The focus may be narrow on mechanical thoughts, but not on a feeling of the swing or consideration of a specific target or line of ball flight. If you’re going to learn broad and narrow focus practice first off the course, then on the range and then take it to the golf course.

speaker 1

00:38:36

As I already noted, you will enhance both your performance and enjoyment on and off the course. How do you know when you have achieved flow state focused concentration off the golf course? Well, you will feel a peacefulness. You will experience a relaxed, calm that is mentally uncluttered. Your sense of time will be altered and your movements and thoughts will flow effortlessly in the present flow state concentration practice will help you enhance both the quality of your life and your performance on and off the golf course. Be sure to plan times and situations where you will practice enjoy the sense of control and present focus. This state brings this quiet movement and focus will produce a sense of total calm and control with repeated practice established times throughout the day, you will practice being mindful. It is an excellent way to start the day upon awakening while grooming, dressing, driving, and so on.

speaker 1

00:39:37

Finally take this practice to the range and onto the course, it will help you stay focused in the present and keep you calm and relaxed. Mindfulness is a strategy you can use to build your concentration skills, quiet your nervous system, and block nonproductive thinking. The following are three additional strategies of mindfulness that with practice you can apply on and off the golf course. This is particularly true when behavior from others promote some momentary distraction and an emotional response or similar interference in concentration dispassionate or non-emotional reaction. When an event on or off the golf course creates a disruption in concentration or an emotional response, remind yourself to be objective and not emotional. For example, you may hit a bad shot or start to become irritated with the speed of play of another player off the course. You may find yourself becoming upset when cutoff by another car or when interrupted while working on something, tell yourself to accept the intrusion without an emotional response or intellectual judgment.

speaker 1

00:40:47

Remind yourself to be dispassionate or non-emotional practice. Deep diaphragmatic breathing, assume the emotional posture of an un-involved observer. Leave it and move on limo. You can practice this style of thinking upon awakening in the morning, driving to the golf course up on the range during play or at home or work. Listen to your thoughts, recognize recurrent themes that drive your nervous system and produce arousal and irritability. Listen for thought themes that can produce relaxation and comfort. Be detached. As you listen in, then remind yourself to return to 100% present focus limo 100 present focus on the course direct your thoughts to the feeling of the grip weight of the club and the ground. As you walk direct your attention to the color of the target, and only on the shots you were playing remain completely void of any thoughts of swing mechanics, incorporate all five senses in this attention.

speaker 1

00:41:52

Focus. If you are awakening experience the sensation of the bedsheets in your hand and on your feet. As you roll over to get out of bed in the shower, experience the sensation of the feeling and sound of the water. Be in the present, recognize the impulse to rush. As you shower acknowledge the impulse accepted, treat the impulse as if you are a detached observer and return your thoughts to the present limo. Note your intention to shampoo you soap or rents. Turn your thoughts to breathing. When you eat experience the texture of the food. Again, recognize the impulse to rush from one bite to the next, quiet, your thinking and returned to one bite at a time. Be aware of your movement, swallowing and intention to eat. Be aware of intrusive thoughts during eating that may result in a mood, which drives your eating behavior. Is it hunger, anxiety, depression, anger, or time of day.

speaker 1

00:42:59

When you dress experience the sensation of the feeling and color of each item of clothing, become aware of your intention to raise your arms, to put on a shirt or to raise your leg. As you dress, be aware of your thoughts that create the intention of your clothing selection, for example, where you were going home, you will see and color match. He experienced the sensation of each article of clothing. As you dress breathing awareness, be aware of your breathing. As you go about your day experience, the sensation of breathing as you inhale and exhale note the expansion of your chest and stomach. As you breathe, note that with deep breathing, your stomach protrudes more than your chest as your diaphragm pushes downward on the contents of your stomach. Remember that the common denominator for behavior change is keeping positive daily diaries. You will find that writing your restructured thoughts in a diary will be useful and facilitate continued change what you feed attention grows.

speaker 1

00:44:04

These certain your entries are all positive. If you have a habit of negativity, your entries will tend to be negative. Negative entries will only fuel frustration, anger, sadness, or depression. You will also find helpful to create reminders, to practice the various thought restructuring strategies. For example, make notes to yourself, to remind you to self reinforce or focus on what is right with your life. Remind yourself to be mindful scheduled times to be mindful. Start with awakening in the morning and getting out of bed. Continue mindfulness until you finished dressing. As you become more proficient with mindfulness, you will begin to feel more relaxed, happier, and in control you won’t mentally be residing in the future or the past. You will be experiencing the only part of life over which you have control the present, extend your practice into the day. Continue to remind yourself through written notes or other cues to bring yourself back to the present. This chapter has covered many different mental strategies for improving performance. Most of these are procedures to be applied, informing your reaction to disruptive nonproductive thinking, which interferes in some way with your performance. The following chapter presents examples of how to behave differently. In particular situations. These examples are a comprehensive integration of the thinking relaxation and concentration strategies presented in the prior chapters.