Part 1 Lift Clean and Place

Lift Clean and Place

lift clean in place. Applying what you’ve learned process versus outcome.

This chapter we’ll show you how to combine thought. Restructuring arousal management, and focus strategies to move you closer to your peak performance state.

Now, do you have calm, reassuring thoughts, or do you engage in outcome? Thinking that creates an undesired arousal of your nervous system?

A focus on outcome is a major contributor to arousal and disrupted performance.

Positive process behaviors, reduce undesired arousal, produce a flow state and enhance performance.

• Consider the following OnCourse outcome Thoughts.
  • Do you find your thoughts going to score or hazards as you prepare to set up to a shot?
  • Do you ever call up similar Ms. Shots as you address the ball?
  • Do you ever stand on the first tee hoping you will get your first shot in the fairway?
  • Do you think about the value of a putt, whether it’s for birdie, bogey or double bogey, as you read, set up or stroke of putt.
  • Do you find yourself embarrassed by your performance on the course or worry that others will judge you unfavorably?
  • You find that attention for your performance or approval from others is important to you.
• Prior to competition.
  • Do you go to the range and compare yourself to your fellow competitors?

• What about off the golf course?
  • Does your thought focus tend to be on outcome?
  • Do you ever awaken in the morning and begin to think of all the things you must do for the day or upcoming week?
  • Do you begin to feel overwhelmed?
  • Do you start to toss and turn or complain aloud to yourself?
  • Do you recite to yourself the things you need to do for the day as you shower and dress?
  • Do you find yourself going about your day with a sense of urgency?
  • Do you wonder what people think about something you have said or done?
  • Does your mind jump from one thing to another?
  • Do you find that your thoughts are routinely on the events of the future?

These thought patterns, both on and off the golf course, carry images of negative anticipation. Take you out of the moment, create acceleration of your nervous system, increase your ability, lower your frustration tolerance, and disrupt performance.

These behaviors are all outcome in nature. That is to say these behaviors are all related to some future event. I’ll be at that event, maybe five seconds or five weeks away The focus is not in the present.

Please continue with: Let’s look at examples of process behaviors.

Okay.

The next situation. I am short tempered. At times I become irritable in traffic at home or at work. I don’t like being this way. I seem to get caught up in anger and it takes on a life of its own. I find myself getting upset and angry when I hit a series of bad shots or when I have a few bad breaks during a round, I’m going to develop a plan to deal with his anger, write down the plan and read it before each round of golf. And each morning when I start my day, when I find myself getting angry, I’m going to allow myself 10 seconds to be upset. After 10 seconds, I’m going to say thought, stopping, okay, knock it off. Stop it. As if personality I’m going to recall what Sam’s Snead said about anger. At some point in every outburst of anger, if it lasts long enough, you throw yourself into reverse gear.

The minute you blow a charge seems to go through your opponent and he begins to play better golf by blowing you bleed off your own energy from the job of making shots, getting sore and staying that way is hard work. I also recall that Sneed advised not to hold anger in. He said, show me the fellow who walks along calmly after topping a drive or missing a kick input, showing the world he is in perfect control yet burning up inside. And I’ll show you one who is going to lose this boy is a fake his nervous system. Won’t take what he’s handing it. If you bottle up anger entirely, it poisons your control centers. But if you go all the way in the other direction, the practice of kicking team markers, abusing shrubbery and wrecking equipment can become such a habit that it spoils your muscular reflexes.

Good golfing, temperament falls in between taking it with a grin or a shrug and throwing a fit. I believe you should blow up at times if it helps, but only if you can keep your wits about you. I couldn’t beat any pro. If I couldn’t get my temper outbreak over with fast, then start thinking out the next shot. It’s like opening a steam valve for a moment. Then shutting it. Rational dialogue. If I stay angry, my play is only going to deteriorate you, let it out. Now, get your head back in play and leave that behind you. Getting upset and staying upset is only going to result in poor play. I’m going to break this pattern. I’m going to work on being mindful and treat situations that routinely make me angry with detached indifference. I’m going to remain unemotional. As I accept the consequences of my performance.

If I feel anger, starting to build I’ll open steam valve and vent a little, however, I will keep it under control. As if posture, I assume a posture as if I am happy. I smile both outwardly and inwardly. My shoulders are down and relaxed and my hands are open. My movement is quiet in deliberate relaxation. I breathe deeply with each exhalation. I drop my shoulders, open my hands and allow the feeling of relaxation to travel from my forehead to my feet. I mentally searched for the tension produced by my anger and relax those areas, rational dialogue movement, and broad to narrow focused concentration. Now the tension won’t spill into my golf swing. I’m just going to quiet my movement and go from abroad to narrow focus. As I moved to my ball and next shot, my entire focus of attention is on my next shot.

I go through my broad focus. Of course management decide the shot and club I’m going to hit. I narrow my focus and pick a small precise target on the horizon. The V formed by the branches of that tall tree in the left center of the fairway. I stay focused on that target as I feel the swing I want to make. I pick an intermediate target in line with a V formed by the branches, my primary target. As I move slowly into my setup, I square my club face with my intermediate target. Then my return, my eyes to the V formed by the branches. As I assume my stance, I stare at that V and glance at the ball as a waggle in preparation to swing, I hold a foreground image of the target and experience a background feeling of the swing I want to make through my entire swing.

Two shots later, self reinforcement. This is working. I’m feeling more relaxed and in control. My mood is so much better. I’m going to stay focused and continue working on my anger management and stay in my routine and targets one shot at a time. Moving from a broad to narrow focus really helps the next situation. I find myself looking at others to see if they have noticed me or I look for praise from others for something I have done. I seem to thrive on the approval of others, both on and off the golf course. When I had a good shot, I look at my plane partners right away to see if they noticed how good it was. It seems that what they say and think is more important than what I say to myself. I recognize that I give control of my behavior to others with these habits, in order to change these habits, I’m going to review the following each morning.

When I awakened, this is a plan for LM going to think and behave around others, both on and off the golf course, rational dialogue. What I think and believe about my appearance, my behavior and performance on and off the course is more important than what others say and think when others compliment me on my appearance or performance, I say, thank you. I don’t dwell on their comment. I praise myself for my appearance and performance daily. When I find myself looking to others for approval or acknowledgment, I say the following thought, stopping, knock it off. Relaxation, focused concentration and mindfulness. I take a deep breath. And as I exhale, I drop my shoulders, open my hands and let go of all the muscle tension in my body. As I continue to breathe deeply and rhythmically, I began to return my focus to my senses and become very aware of everything in the present is I relax.

I practice going from abroad to narrow focus and back rational dialogue. What I think and feel in these situations is most important. If I began to think about what others think about me and my performance, I will start to behave for them, become tense, lose control. And for sure, my performance will deteriorate. It’s nice to hear the positive comments from others. However, these comments should only reinforce my thoughts and beliefs not be the reason for my existence. When I am able to reinforce my performance and behave for the enjoyment and satisfaction of my accomplishments, I remain in control.

Next situation. I find that how I play the first few holes, determines how my round will go. I tend to give up. If I play the first six or seven holes poorly, when air myself start an internal dialogue of letting poor play, the first few holes dictate the rest of my round. I’m going to do and say the following as if personality. I recall what Jack Nicholas said about his week to week performance, 12 years after joining the tour in 1974, no matter how much work I did one week, I would have it. And the next I couldn’t hit my head. This is still true today. I’m a far better golfer than when I started out on the tour 12 years ago. And I feel that I have improved to some degree each year, but that is more the result of maturity and competitive experience then of improvement in the mechanics game.

I also recall what Sam Snead said about giving up and tossing in your cards. After a bad beginning, you also undermine your whole game because to quit between T and green is more habit forming than drinking a high ball before breakfast. I’m going to adopt the attitude of Jack Nicholas when determining how I will play my round. If he was flying the ball at the flag, his first few holes, he played aggressively. If his ball striking was off, he played for the center of the green. As if posture, I assume a posture as if I am confident in myself and my abilities, my shoulders are back and my head is erect. My eyes never dropped below the horizon. I move as if I have all the time I need, I act as if I am internally confident and independent relaxation. I breathe deeply and do a body scan, feeling the muscles, relax through my entire body.

As I purposely scan for any tension and relax focused movement and mindfulness, I feel the ground under my feet and breathe deeply again. As I moved deliberately to my bag to pull my driver, I feel the temperature of first, the club ed, and then the shaft as I remove my driver from my bag and move quietly onto the tea set, my tempo, my movement around the ball is the same tempo as my golf swing focused concentration. My thoughts are only on the shot I’m hitting. My goal is to edit 10, feel the swing. I can feel the shot as I make my practice swing. I stay focused on the feeling of a slower tempo. I’m going to repeat that feeling in my swing target focus. My eyes are focused only on my target. As I moved back to the ball, set up relaxation and target focus.

As I moved deliberately into my setup position, I take another deep breath and relax. I glance at the ball and stare at my target. I own image of my target through my swing and repeat the feeling of my practice swing. My goal is to stay in this process on every shot. If I can stay in this process on every shot, regardless of what the outcome of the shot is, I will feel I have had a successful day. My evaluations of my play are going to change from score to how well I stay mentally focused on my targets. And in my routine, I am going to score a 10 on the process and forget about shot outcome. Next situation. When I’m playing in competition, I arrive at the practice range the first day and begin to size up my fellow competitors. I compare myself to others by the time I am finished comparing myself, I am either convinced I am going to win the tournament, or I have no chance when I arrived at the tournament site and began to make these comparisons.

I’m going to say and do the following. As if personality, I recall Ben Hogan’s approach to tournaments. He never concerned himself with competitors or leaderboards. His focus was the course. The contest was between his plane ability and the course, he would walk the course during a practice round, assess the conditions and decide what score he had to shoot to win. As part of his tournament, preparation Hogan walk the course backwards, starting on the 18th green. He determined the best landing areas for approaches to the greens. He would place his skills in a contest with a course, not his competitors, rational dialogue. As I relax like this, I tell myself that I’m here for me and to test my skills on this course. That’s the true competition. If I become occupied with thoughts of how good someone is or isn’t, I won’t be in my game, I’ve decided where I’m going to finish.

Before I tee it up on the first hole, I’m going to think and act in ways that are totally in the process of preparing for each phase of the tournament. Without consideration of who was playing. I am a good internal coach. I’m going to play this tournament one hole at a time, one shot at a time. Staying in the process of my game is my primary goal, not score or whom else is competing. When I noticed any variation from my routine or focus, I will bring myself back to the present. Next situation. When I am playing in multiple day tournaments, I tend to focus on making the cut rather than staying in a present focus. One shot at a time. I noticed that I frequently finish on the bubble. When I find myself thinking about making the cut in the future, I’m going to do and say the following thought, stopping, be quiet, knock this thinking style off rational dialogue and mindfulness.

When I think like this, I get out of the present and begin to play poorly. I’m going to refocus my thoughts and think only about what I am doing. I’ll stay in the process. I treat intrusive thoughts with detached indifference as if personality, I recall what Gary player said about thought focus, a golfer has to discipline his mind to keep absolute attention on what’s happening. That very moment, not on the bogey he made on the last hole or on the tough par five coming up next, but on the particular shot at hand to the exclusion of everything else during every major championship I’ve won, I concentrated so hard that I played rounds without knowing my score. I’ve often been in a don’t know who I am sort of days, total relaxation with complete control relaxation. I breathe deeply and do a body scan, feeling the muscles relaxed through my entire body.

As I purposely scan for any tension and relax of course management. Okay. The ball is slightly above my feet. That means the ball is going to move a little bit left out of this lie. I see a dark area on that, right of the green. That’s my target. Let’s see. That’s 180 yards. I’ll set up and make my normal swing with my five iron focused, recall and visualization. I had a similar five iron shots Saturday on the 14th hole. I made a great swing there. I can feel that swing and see that shot. As I think about it, I see this ball. Start at my target, draw bounce on the green and roll to the hole. As if posture, my shoulders are back and my head is erect. My eyes never dropped below the horizon. I move as if I have all the time, I need focused movement and mindfulness.

I feel the ground under my feet and breathe deeply again. As I moved deliberately to my bag to pull my five iron, I feel the temperature first, the club ed, and then the shaft as I removed my five iron from my bag and move quietly behind my ball set my tempo. My movement around the ball is the same tempo as my golf swing focused concentration. My thoughts are only on the shot I’m hitting. My goal is to hit a 10, feel the swing. I can feel the shot as I make my practice swing. I stay focused on the feeling of a slower tempo. I’m going to repeat that feeling in my swing target focus. My eyes are focused only on my target. As I moved back to the ball. As if posture, I move with confidence, I assume a posture as if I successfully hit this same shot.

A thousand times set up relaxation and target focus. As I moved deliberately into my setup position, I take another deep breath and relax. I glance at the ball and stare at my target. As I set up broad to narrow focused concentration, I feel the swing. I want to make my focus narrows to my target. As I set up behind the ball, I see the shady spot on the right side of the green. I hold an image of that spot in the feeling of the swing through my shot. Next situation, when I am playing well, I think something awful is going to happen. This can’t continue to go well. When I catch myself thinking like this in the future, I am going to say the following thoughts stopping, be quiet. Knock this style of thinking off rational dialogue and mindfulness. When I think like this, I get out of the present and begin to play poorly.

I’m going to refocus my thoughts and think only about what I am doing. I’ll stay in the process. I treat intrusive thoughts with detached indifference, relaxation. I breathe deeply and do a body scan, feeling the muscles relaxed throughout my entire body is a purposely scanned for any tension and relax as if personality. I recall what late teaching, great Harvey painting said, you reach your reward stroke by stroke. 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. I also recall what PGA tour player mark weedy says. The guys who are champions are guys who are really good at clearing their minds and just playing the shots, rational dialogue. Okay. I’m playing well. So what I got here playing one shot at a time.

That’s what I’m going to keep doing now. Be quiet and continue the process of going from a broad to narrow focus course management. Okay. The ball is slightly below my feet. That means the ball is going to move a little bit right out of this lie. I see a light area on the left side of the green. That’s my line. Let’s see. That’s 140 yards. I’ll just set up and make my normal swing with my eight iron right down my target line. Next situation. When my fellow competitor is playing well, I find myself pressing to knock my approach shot inside his. If he birdies a hole, I began to think as much about his game as mine thought, stopping and rational dialogue, stop be quiet, shut up, move off the ball and start your routine over now. Be mindful, hit a 10 on every shot.

That’s the only thing I’m going to focus on. One shot at a time. As if personality, I began to recall what Ben Hogan, his focus was during play. He never concerned himself with competitors or leaderboards. His focus was the course. The contest was between his plane ability and the course not his competitors, breathing body scans, deliberate focused movement and mindfulness. I stepped back from the ball slowly and deliberately. I walked behind the ball. As I become very aware of the heaviness of the club. In my hand and the ground under my feet, I breathed deeply doing a body scan and releasing all the tension from my shoulders and arms. I feel the heaviness in my shoulders, positive predictions and images delivered movement and focus, breathing, body scans, mindfulness set up and balanced posture. I find my target in the fairway dark green patch that shines in the sun. I described to myself the shot. I’m going to hit. As I breathe deeply doing a body scan. I think about that same shot I have hit well in the past, I experienced the feeling of the shot and recall an image of the ball flight. As I breathe deeply a second time describing the shot, the image begins to become clear.

I move slowly and deliberately back to my ball, feeling the ground under my feet and the heaviness of my club. As they maintain a visual focus on my target, I assume my grip and align my club face with an intermediate target. I stare at my primary target. As I slowly and deliberately shuffle my feet into my stance. My posture feels balanced. I looked from my target to my ball and back again, continuing to deliberately shuffle and waggle. I stare again at my target. I feel grounded as I settle in and start the club back, maintaining a visual picture in my mind’s eye of the target and a feeling of the swing I want to make. I make my swing with that focus, self reinforcement. I tell myself how good it was that I stepped back from the ball. When I lost my concentration, I positively evaluate my shot and the feeling of my swing, rational dialogue.

And as if personality, I’m going to continue to play every shot like this, no matter what my score shot outcome, I’m going to stay in a positive process. I’m going to remember that the only competitor Ben Hogan focused on was the golf course. The course is my competitor. Next situation, I never get a break in. My shot has a chance to kick into the fairway or rough. It will. There’s a bad breakout there waiting. You can be sure I’ll get it thought. Stopping and rational dialogue. Be quiet, knock it off. This is an old habit. You’re not so special at all. The bad brakes are bestowed upon you. That’s magical thinking dream on this focus on bad brakes is an old habit that you have to stop. If you’re ever going to get anywhere in golf, everybody plays from the same tees and fairways and putts on the same greens.

Now, knock it off. You are not special. Stop playing as if personality, when I began to think like this, I’m going to remember what Sam Snead used to say about breaks. Whenever I’ve been able to pull myself out of a slump, it’s because I didn’t forget that brakes always even out over the long pole and that the Bain of golf and life in general is to remember your mistakes and not your right moves in clubhouses. You’ll see men sitting around complaining, going over their bad shots. They should think back to their good shots. Then try to repeat them. This is the only way to build that feeling called confidence. You can build it or tear yourself down. The choice is up to every individual. If you know yourself to be a whiner, you’ll never play up to your full ability. It takes guts to be an optimist in golf.

He who thinks like a winner will win next situation. When I’m playing with another player, I admire who doesn’t me. I find myself telling them about my abilities scores. I have shot or tournaments. I have one rational dialogue I want to perform for me. Not for them. The only reason I’m saying these things is that I want them to know how good I am. I want them to like me. As soon as I start worrying about what they think I lose control. I’m going to perform for me no matter how I play. I’m accountable to me, not to them. I’m going to continue to ask myself for whom am I behaving the answer isn’t for myself. I’m going to restructure my thinking and get back to performing for me. My game speaks for itself.

As if personality, I recall what Greg Norman said about how important it is to praise yourself. He said, everybody likes to hear words of encouragement as he faces a tough shot and congratulations after he pulls it off. Unfortunately, unless you play golf with your mother, you can’t depend on hearing these things. That’s why I talked to myself, not allowed, but inside my head, after a particularly long straight drive, I’ll often say, damn, Greg, I’m pretty impressed with that one. These inner words can be more encouraging than the cheers of the gallery. You don’t want to linger too long on your shots, good or bad, but you do want to stamp the good ones on your mind for future reference in pressure situations. Silent self congratulations is one way to do that next situation. When I’m playing in a tournament and I’m not playing well, I began to think about staying out of the way of a known player in my group.

I get more concerned about not being in their way, then playing my game, rational dialogue. I’m out here to play golf, not collect autographs. I’m as entitled to be here as anyone else. I’m going to allow myself to be comfortable with that entitlement. I really don’t care what these people think. As soon as I do care, I lose control as if posture and broaden narrow focus. I assume a posture as if I am relaxed, calm, confident, and as if this is the only place I belong, I drop my shoulders and open my hands. My head is erect and my movement is slow and deliberate. My concentration moves from abroad. Focus on lie, shot in club selection, to a narrow focus on the feeling of the swing. I want to make ball flight and specific chimney corner, which I want to start my ball. I know the more precise my target is, the better my performance will be. This is my only concern and focus for the rest of my round.

Okay? Now let’s look at some off-course situations and look at applying the very similar techniques. I often awaken in the morning and negatively anticipate the day in the future. When I wake up, I’m going to body scans and mindfulness. I tell myself, breathe deeply inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. My exhalation last twice, as long as my inhalation and I note the relaxation progressing from my forehead to my feet, as I feel my body is saying deeper and deeper into the bed. Thoughts, stopping and rational dialogue. As I breathe and relax, I tell myself, stop, relax, stop, and continue breathing and doing body scans. I am responsible and competent. I do all I am capable of doing, and I am satisfied with my efforts, rational dialogue. I’m only going to make myself tense. If I continue to think negatively, I’m going to start my day one minute at a time and take things one at a time.

I have a full day ahead, mindfulness and focused concentration. I remind myself to remain mindful and listen to my thoughts. As a detached observer, I focus on my inhalation and exhalation. I returned my thought focused to all my senses and become 100% present focused deliberate activity and mindfulness. I’m going to continue my body scans and slow down my movement. I can feel the pillow beneath my head. As I sink deeper and deeper into the bed. Now my shoulders and back are relaxing. My speech is slow and deliberate self reinforcement and deliberate activity. This is working. I’m feeling so relaxed and in control. I’m going to continue this focus and relaxation. I can feel my legs as I very slowly move my left leg. And then my right as I get out of bed. Now, I’m really feeling in control five minutes later, negative thoughts about the day, resume, rational dialogue, and thought stopping.

I can feel myself getting anxious and tense as I think about my day and all the things I need to do. Stop, relax, stop body scans. I’m going to continue my breathing and let go of the tension. Deliberate focus. Now I’m going to slowly get dressed. I feel every move, self reinforcement. This is great. I really am feeling much more in control, rational dialogue. I’m going to follow my plan schedule and take one thing at a time. If I have negative thoughts or feel overwhelmed, I’ll simply return to these strategies, prevention, deliberate focus and body scans. I’m going to practice prevention throughout the day, continuing to here and now present focus and doing body scans. Every time I walk through a doorway or hear a phone ring, next situation. When I stand in lines or wait in traffic, I find myself becoming impatient and irritable with the situation.

As I look repeatedly at my watch, relaxation and mindfulness, I breathe deeply inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. My exhalation last twice. As long as my inhalation, as I exhale, I drop my shoulders and arms and open my hands. I become mindful and quiet. My movement, rational dialogue. I let these situations control me and I become aroused and impatient and irritable patients is something I need to work on. I’m going to put my watch in my pocket and not look at any clocks. I’m going to be mentally tough, relax and wait patiently as if posture, diaphragmatic breathing and deliberate movement. I assume a posture as if I am relaxed and calm. I drop my shoulders with each deep breath and open my hands. My movement is slow, relaxed, and deliberate mindfulness. I’m going to treat all intrusive thoughts with quiet, detached indifference, and then return my focus to the present moment.

I can feel the heaviness in my arms and shoulders. I see the colors and hear the sounds around me. I’m going to stay focused in the present self reinforcement I’m doing well. I feel more relaxed. I can see how this is going to help me on the golf course. The next situation I find myself wondering what others are thinking about what I am saying or doing. When I think like this, I tend to think and behave for others. Thought stopping, be quiet, knock it off relaxation. I breathe deeply. Several times, relieving my arms and shoulders of all tension and opening my hands. I become mindful in quiet, my movement, rational dialogue. If I focus on what others are thinking, I’ll behave for them rather than for me, I’m going to be myself. I’m going to continue to redirect any thoughts of what others are thinking back to this theme.

People will either accept me for me or not at all. I don’t do things that offend or upset people if they don’t like me or my behavior. That’s their problem. As if posture, I assume a posture as if I am totally independent and void of any concerns of what others might be saying or thinking. I never look at others for their approval, self reinforcement and rational dialogue. This isn’t easy, but it’s a good first step toward making an important change. The more I practice this, the more comfortable I’m going to be on the first tee in tournaments and off the course around other people. Life is too short to worry about other people I’m going to please myself. It actually feels pretty good. I feel more in control. Next situation. I find my thoughts focused on anticipated events of the future. During routine daily activities.

I find myself impatient short-tempered and difficult to please thought stopping, be quiet, knock it off. As if posture, diaphragmatic breathing and deliberate movement. I assume a posture as if I am totally relaxed. I breathe deeply drop my shoulders and arms and open my hands. I become mindful and quiet. My movement, rational dialogue. When I think like this, my nervous system accelerates and I become internally and externally agitated. This is physically and emotionally unhealthy and interferes with my day-to-day performance in relationships with the people I care about most I’m going to change this state. I’m going to write down the things I need to remember so I can set them aside and return mentally to the present mindfulness quieted movement and posture. I’m going to think about only what I am doing and quiet my movement. And my mood is I do I’ll trade intrusive thoughts with quiet indifference. My eyes are always above the horizon. Relaxation.

I breathe deeply as I began to quiet my movement and focus only on the activity in which I am involved. Next situation, your thoughts returned to future events and you feel the tension began to build thought, stopping, stop, knock it off rational dialogue. I’ll make an appointment to think about those things tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. When I can call somebody and resolve the situation, thinking about it now is only going to put me in a bad mood and give me a miserable evening. I have a choice here. I choose to have a pleasant evening. I’m going to think only of what I am doing. I’m going to slow down my movement and practice going from abroad to narrow focus, relaxation, mindfulness, and focused concentration. I quiet my movement, take a deep breath, drop my shoulders and open my hands. I continue breathing deeply. As I began to flood my thoughts with all the input from my senses, as I become increasingly more mindful, next situation, I frequently feel a sense of urgency throughout the day.

My movement accelerates. And I find myself getting ahead in my thinking. These are the times my frustration tolerance lowers, and I am easily irritated. Thoughts stopping stop. Wait a minute, slow down your thoughts and your movement. Relaxation. I quiet my movement and breathe deeply. As I drop my shoulders and open my hands. The relaxation increases with each exhalation. Quieting my movement enhances the relaxation, concentrated focus, quiet movement, and mindfulness. My thoughts are on every sensation I experience as they focus on each quiet, relaxed movement. I make my thoughts are a 100% in the present. I began to treat intrusive thoughts as if I were a casual observer with detached indifference. I note the theme of these thoughts and direct my focus to 100% in the present. Next situation. I am short tempered at times I become irritable in traffic at home or at work. I don’t like being this way.

I seem to get caught up in anger and it takes on a life of its own relaxation. I breathe deeply and quiet my movement. I drop my shoulders and open my hands with each exhalation, rational dialogue. I know this agitated feeling as a result of an acceleration of my nervous system and future focus, I’m going to stay focused only on what I am doing. Mindfulness and quiet, my movement and focus my thinking. I experienced all of the sensations of touch, sound, taste, hearing, and smell and everything. I do. I feel the sensation of the toothpaste tube. As I unscrew the cap, I taste the toothpaste and experience the sensations of the bristles of my toothbrush. As I brush my teeth with quiet movement, I know that the intention of my movements, I continue deep, rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing. As I go about my morning routine, my movements remain relaxed and fluid. I noticed this sensation of control that comes with this quiet, relaxed style. When I find my thinking drifting to the future or past, I resume listening to my thoughts in a detached non-emotional style. Then I remind myself to return to a 100% present focus.

I feel the texture of every article of clothing I removed from my dresser and closet. As I continue the same relaxed fluid movement, I experienced these sensations on my body. As I dress, I maintain this relaxed fluid movement and 100% present focus every morning upon awakening. I returned to these same strategies at predetermined times throughout the day, while driving, working, and playing in particular, I am present focused with my family and those I care about most. I continue to remind myself that if I want to improve my concentration on the course, I must develop these skills off the course.

Next situation. There are times when I find a difficulty to get to sleep or return to sleep upon awakening. I find myself looking at the clock and mentally calculating how many hours of sleep I can get. If I can just go back to sleep right now, when I have difficulty falling asleep, I’m going to recognize that it is my thinking. That is keeping me awake. When this happens in the future, I’m going to use the following strategy, relaxation and mindfulness. I’m going to begin breathing deeply with each exhalation. I allow my body to sink deeper and deeper into the bed. I feel the weight of my body. As it sinks into a state of relaxation, I focus my thinking on my breathing and begin to count each breath. I turn all of my thinking to the present. As I count my breathing, I continue to focus my thoughts on the sensation of the heaviness of my body, rational dialogue, and thought stopping.

When I find my thoughts returning to the future or past, I use the strategies of thought stopping and rational dialogue to bring my thinking back to the present, the sensations of the bed and my breathing. I make an appointment with myself for a time to think about the things that are keeping me from sleep. For example, I might say thinking about these things now is only going to keep me awake. I’ll be tired tomorrow and less alert than normal. I’ll think about these things tomorrow at 10:00 AM at the office. When I can do something about them. If these thoughts return, I resumed the strategy of being a detached listener to my thinking. And the next situation. When I awakened in the middle of the night, look at the clock and begin to calculate how many hours of sleep I’ll get. If I can just get back to sleep. Now I will do the following. I’ll get out of bed, turn the clock around. So I can’t see it and begin to follow the same procedures I use to fall asleep.

Note one of the primary sleep disturbers for many people is worrying about how much sleep they need when trying to go to sleep mental calculation of time. As part of this process. Now, if this pattern fits you, it’s a good idea to set your alarm, turn your clock around before you go to sleep. If you’re worried about it, that your alarm won’t work set two alarms in place, both clocks out of your sight. Next situation I set my watch ahead. I have a sense of urgency. And most of the things I do, I worry about being late. My thoughts tend to be on things in the future. I always seem to be rushing to do list and relaxation upon awakening. I began breathing deeply before I get out of bed. I make a list of all the things I need to accomplish or pending problems. I prioritize my list and decide what can be accomplished for the day. I schedule a time to think about things that don’t require my immediate attention, focused, concentration, movement, relaxation, and stretching. I feel the sensation of first the bed and then the floor as I quietly get out of bed. My breathing is deep and my focus is on every step I take. I moved to a comfortable area and begin a gentle stretching program. I feel every muscle stretch as I continue breathing, deeply focused concentration movement and breathing.

I am completely aware of every sensation of each movement I make. I feel the water of the shower, the sensation of the shampoo and the soap leather. I continue to breathe deeply as I go about my morning routine, experiencing the present. I experienced the present in everything I do from putting my arm through my shirtsleeve to feeling the sensation of the steering wheel of my car. As I drive, I focus on colors and sounds that I have not noticed in the past rational dialogue and relaxation. When I find myself rushing, I take a deep breath and begin an internal dialogue that is calming. I remind myself that hurrying will only increase muscular tension and create an internal irritability, which interferes with my mood and performance. As I quiet my movement, I return my focus to every move I make. If I have intrusive thoughts about things to be done, I write down those things I need to do and schedule a time to do each one. Then I returned my focus to the present.

Okay. That’s the end of our off-course situations in closing, let’s talk about developing a plan, develop a plan, European and PGA tour player, David ferret. He made an interesting observation about the importance of how you handle adversity. He said, it’s not what happens to you that matters in the long run. It’s your attitude. That’s what determines how you cope with the next experience that comes along quite often. It’s how you deal with failure. That determines how you achieve success. The mental process is like building a muscle. It’s not letting your whole framework of thinking fall down around you. It’s having the resolve and the mental toughness to take it on the chin, keep your head up and feel good about yourself for having done that. You can either feel bad because you failed or good because of your positive reactions to it. That will give you the armor to cope with it.

The next time our behavior off the course dictates the way we will behave on the course. Therefore, if you’re going to change the way you mentally approach golf, you will need to change the way you mentally approach your day-to-day life. Practicing the mental strategies presented in this book, both on and off, the course will provide you with well-rehearsed skills, for play, keeping a daily diary of your goals and successful completion of these goals will help you stay on track. As noted in an earlier chapter, a common denominator to successful behavior change programs is a daily journal or diary. This diary should include specific monthly, weekly and daily goals. Your daily entries should be in reference to your success in accomplishing your daily goals. Keep the process positive. Remember what you feed attention grows. I’m sure you have found examples both on and off the golf course that apply to you.

If you want to change your mental behavior in these situations, you must develop a plan of action, make a copy of the situations and the recommended change strategies from this chapter review each of these at least daily and preferably multiple times a day as part of your morning routine. And prior to, and following each round of golf, make an audio tape recording of your plan change and listen to it on the way to work, driving to the golf course. And as many other times, during your day as possible, every player I work with has an audio tape of changes they’re working on this tape is updated as necessary change will occur most rapidly through repetition and over learning. This is most easily accomplished by reading your plans for change and listening to your new ideal behavior on audio tape, upon awakening, and as frequently as possible throughout the day, put your audio tape in your car and listen to it.

As often as possible, you have an opportunity to experience changes both on and off. The golf course is going to require setting goals, structuring change, and following the plan daily over several straight weeks, you will find the change will follow. And as you experienced success, your tendency will be to think I am fixed subsequently. You will notice regression. All you need to do is get back on the program and success will follow. Again. The change you will experience will be like climbing a ladder. When you discontinue setting goals and practicing the change strategies, you will plateau at times and regress at others. Once you get back on the program, setting goals and following a daily plan, he will find yourself doing well. Again. Remember an important part of this process is a daily recording of your goals and successes in a diary. The key to changing your mental mechanics as in your swing mechanics is repetition.

The more you saturate yourself, visually auditorily and through practice with your plan, mental mechanics change, the more automatic these new behaviors will become. When our military has a mission, they rehearsed their actions in writing in classroom discussions, by teaching each other and by practicing mock exercises of their drills. When it is time to execute these behaviors in the real situation, they’re automatic. In fact, soldiers who were interviewed after a military action described their behavior as automatic and without having to think improvement on and off the course is a lifetime pursuit set goals, establish a structured plan, follow your plan and your changes will soon become automatic. Then set new goals and new structure. You can take these changes as far as you choose. I’m sure you have realized that this book was not written just to impart information. It was written as a manual offered for continued reference review, study and planning of further personal changes both on and off the golf course. May your dries belong and your putts be short.

This concludes mind under par for information regarding other mined under par products. Visit us on the internet at www dot mind, hyphen under hyphen par.com or call our toll free. Number 1-888-620-GOLF. That’s 1-888-620-FOUR 6 5 3. Thank you for listening.

Chapter eight, lift clean in place. Applying what you’ve learned process versus outcome. This chapter we’ll show you how to combine thought. Restructuring arousal management and focus strategies to move you closer to your peak performance state. Now, do you have calm, reassuring thoughts, or do you engage in outcome? Thinking that creates an undesired arousal of your nervous system? A focus on outcome is a major contributor to arousal and disrupted performance, positive process behaviors, reduce undesired arousal, produce a flow state and enhance performance. Consider the following OnCourse outcome. Thoughts. You find your thoughts going to score or hazards as you prepare to set up to a shot. Do you ever call up similar Ms. Shots as you address the ball? Do you ever stand on the first tee hoping you will get your first shot in the fairway, you about the value of a putt, whether it’s for birdie, bogey or double bogey, as you read, set up or stroke apart, do you find yourself embarrassed by your performance on the course or worry that others will judge you on favorably?

You find that attention for your performance or approval from others is important to you prior to competition. Do you go to the range and compare yourself to your fellow competitors? What about off the golf course? Does your thought focus tend to be on outcome? Do you ever awaken in the morning and begin to think of all the things you must do for the day or upcoming week? You begin to feel overwhelmed. Do you start to toss and turn or complain aloud to yourself? Do you recite to yourself the things you need to do for the day as you shower and dress? Do you find yourself going about your day with a sense of urgency?

Do you wonder what people think about something you have said or done? And does your mind jump from one thing to another? Do you find that your thoughts are routinely on the events of the future? These thought patterns, both on and off the golf course, carry images of negative anticipation. Take you out of the moment, create acceleration of your nervous system, increase your stability, lower your frustration tolerance, and disrupt performance. These behaviors are all outcome in nature. That is to say these behaviors are all related to some future event. I’ll be at that event, maybe five seconds or five weeks away. The focus is not in the present. Let’s look at examples of process behaviors. All process behaviors are ongoing in the present or serve to return your focus to the present. These are the same behaviors you’ve been learning in the preceding chapters. The ideal process behaviors in golf are following a set routine images of successful performance and a concentrated focus.

Only on the shots you were playing. Other process behaviors include positive, supportive confidence, building conversations with yourself and practicing movement, breathing, thinking, and postural strategies that promote relaxation and a sense of peacefulness and calm. Ideal life process behaviors are identical to those for golf. I teach positive process behaviors. I tell players I don’t care what score they shoot. If they can tell me their behavior was 90 to 100% in a positive process. I am happy with their performance. If a player practices, positive process behaviors, exercises, and sets performance goals for every aspect of their golf game and life, they will perform their best. When players become consumed by score, future and mechanics, these are outcome and negative process behaviors. They are last thoughts from the top. One of the greatest teachers of all time, Harvey Penick said the following regarding thinking a simple thing to remember, but a hard thing to grasp and do is this.

If you want to change yourself, you must change how you think. Jack Nicholas says that a lifelong basic of his mental approach has been to learn his capabilities and his warmup, and first few holes, and then to play within those capabilities. He says that his capabilities allow him to fly the ball right at the flag stick one day and the next day might dictate that he headed the fattest part of the green. Nicholas allows his performance during his warmup and first few holes to determine his pre swing thinking regarding strategy and expectancy as a golf professional. I know there is no substitute for a good set up and good swing mechanics. As a psychologist, I know that bad mental habits will only make good or bad mechanics, worse PGA tour player. Mark wavy says the guys who are champions are guys who are really good at clearing their minds and just playing the shots.

One of the greatest players of all time, Walter Hagen reportedly wrote in an unpublished instruction book that one of his most important mental strategies was his ability to forget about the bad shot. Gary player describes the comments and outcome of negative thinking. He refers to the effects of negativity and comments like gee, I’m unlucky. I never get a good bounce. I know I’m going to land in the water. I work hard and don’t get anywhere. These golfers are beaten before they begin to win. First, you must want to win second believe you will win. And third only positive thoughts in follow-up correspondence. I had with Gary player in 1995 regarding permission to use this quote, he added a statement. The harder I practice, the luckier I get Gary is probably one of the most positive golfers who ever played the game, perhaps right up there with chip Beck.

He wasn’t just positive with everything he did. He worked hard to correct negative thinking in order to stay positive. He relates the following story. As an example at Indianapolis, one year, I said, there’s no way I could win on a golf course like this. The fairway grass is too long. All I’m doing during practice is hitting fliers. There’s no way you can control the ball. I made the double mistake of saying this to newspaper reporters. The next morning I read my words. And so did everyone else lying in bed that night before the tournament? However, I realized I’d been doing my best all day to talk myself out of winning. So I had decided to change my thinking. I’m going to win this tournament. I told myself, I love to play from these kinds of lies. I did win the tournament. Now you’ve read quotes from the top players in the world from over a 90 year period, they described how they think and behave when they play their best.

And when they play poorly, remember that these same great players shared many things in common. One common characteristic was that they had a model they observed and emulated. These players copied their mentor, swing, how they thought and behaved and how they played under pressure or how they hit particular shots. This is an opportunity for you to take the thinking and behaving strategies of the world’s greatest players combined with an understanding of human behavior and to incorporate these changes in your life, both on and off the golf course, moving from outcome to positive process behaviors. If you’re going to decrease the frequency of negative thoughts, you must pay close attention to what you think and say to yourself and to the associated images, which emerge selectively applying the content from the following material can help you change. Some of these habits, review the following examples and apply the correction techniques you have learned to your undesired thought and behavior patterns notice that these examples contain an outcome focus or negative process behaviors.

The corrections are all positive process behaviors. I frequently hear about the player who has all the talent in the world, but they just can’t put it together during tournaments or at tour school. Most players agree that the only thing that separates good players from great players is their mental approach. The majority of the corrections shown draw upon quotes from some of the world’s greatest players and their thoughts in same or similar situations. These statements are from some of the greatest golf psychologist who ever lived. I would encourage you to begin to model their thoughts, styles. If you want to improve your game. Now I’m going to go through a list of both on and off course situations. I’m going to cover Encore situations. First, I’m going to read the situation and then I’m going to give you a summary of given this particular situation. This is how you should be handling it on the golf course.

First of all, first situation I planned to go to the course early. However, I routinely find myself rushing at the last minute. I often don’t have the time or take the time to warm up. I go to the first tee with this feeling of Quicken to movement and urgency. It often takes me a few holes to calm down and relax. Okay. As if personality, I recall what Jack Nicholas said about the hurry up mode. You can overcome the, get it over with can’t the suspense syndrome by consciously slowing down step back and take a deep breath or two or three. Well, focusing your mind exclusively on the various practical factors, distance lie, ground conditions, wind hazards, et cetera, that you must evaluate to decide your best course of action. Don’t even take a club from your bag until you’ve done this clearly. And conclusively. I also recall what Byron Nelson did for Tom Watson to help him slow down his swing.

Byron Nelson, Todd, Tom Watson, to move more deliberately as he set up to his shots by shuffling his feet into his stance at a slower speed and feeling the slow waggle of the club before his takeaway, he ingrained a more fluid feeling into his swing, deliberate movement, breathing, body scans, focused concentration and mindfulness. Now these are other strategies I’m reviewing now that you can apply in this situation where you’re rushing to the golf course. As I drive to the club to play, I purposely slowed down my movement and breathing. I can feel the steering wheel in my hands. I’m very aware of every sensation around me. I feel very much in control. I do a body scan with each exhalation. My body is free of all tension. I continue this movement and relaxation strategy as I pull into the parking lot. Now the next strategy might apply in this situation is called focused concentration. I get out of my car slowly, feeling every movement and sensation. I feel the door handle having this in my arms and shoulders and the ground under my feet. As they put my shoes on, I feel the sensation of the slow deliberate movement of putting my foot into my shoes. I feel the laces. I deliberately tie my shoes. I continue this style of moment to moment focus. As I enter the pro shop, my speeches, calm and deliberate, and I feel very much in control.

Next might be an as if posture, my shoulders are back and my head is erect. My eyes never dropped below the horizon. I move as if I have all the time I need, and then a quiet, deliberate movement and focused concentration. If I have time to warm up, I maintain this quiet, relaxed movement as I go to the practice, green and range. If there isn’t time to warm up, I make my way slowly and calmly to the first tee where I meet my group aware of every sensation as I do. I feel the head of my driver. As I slowly remove it from my bag. I feel the sensations of my deliberate movement. As I remove a tee from my pocket and a ball from my bag. As if posture, I assume a posture as if I am totally relaxed, confident, and calm. I walk with my shoulders back and relaxed.

My eyes are above the horizon and my head is erect and finally mindfulness movement and focused concentration. If I have intrusive thoughts during these focus thought and relaxation procedures, I remained as passionate, detached and not emotional. I remove myself emotionally and do not react to the thought. I continue deep diaphragmatic breathing and return my thought and movement to a deliberate focus to concentration. Okay. That situation, those are, those are behaviors that you might apply. Again, if you’re rushing or you find yourself rushing this again, what easily applied to on or off the core situations. Okay. The next situation. And as I go through these, some of these are going to apply and some of them aren’t. So just bypass them if they don’t apply, but you’re going to find we’re going to have probably 30 or 40 of these by the time we finished this chapter.

So you’ll find some that do apply as I go next situation. As I approached the T my thoughts and mental images go to the trees, to the right, a frequent placement of my first shot. When I find myself thinking like this, I’m going to, and the first is thoughts, stop eating, rational dialogue. I say to myself, stop, be quiet, relax. I tell myself, step back from the ball and start your routine over from behind the ball. As if personality, I recall what Nick price said after he won the 1993 Western open. My concentration was unbelievable this week for the 10 seconds leading into every shot. All I focused on was the target, or I’ll think about what Meg Mellon said when I’m playing my best. I know I’m focusing right down to the leaf on the tree I’m aiming at next strategy would be relaxation, breathing, body scans and mindfulness.

I’d take a deep breath and do a body scan. I focus my attention back to the moment and upon my movement, then rational dialogue. I tell myself if I focus on the trees, the trees will become my target. I’m going to focus my thoughts on that brown discoloration in the center of the fairway positive, predictive images, rational dialogue breathing, and an as if posture, I began to think about similar shots, I’ve hit well in the past, I experienced the feeling and image of that shot. I tell myself I’m going to hit my tee shot to that spot in the fairway. As I breathe deeply and exhale, I noticed the images of the shot become clear. I see my ball landing and rolling through the brown spot. I’ve picked as a target. My shoulders are back in my head is erect. I have an as if posture of confidence and calm, and my movement reflects this attitude, deliberate movement, narrow focused concentration, mindfulness and balanced posture.

As I moved back to the ball slowly and deliberately, I continue to see my target. I assume my grip, I aligned my club face with an intermediate target and slowly and deliberately shuffle my feet into my stance. My posture feels balanced as I feel an athletic position in my setup. My thoughts and images returned to my target. I stare at the target and glance at the ball. I slowly and deliberately waggle as I look to and from my target to the ball. And back again, I maintain an image of the target in my mind’s eye. As I make my swing and then apply self reinforcement. I positively evaluate my performance. I tell myself what was good about my swing. For example, the tempo felt good. I felt balanced. I made solid contact. I liked my finished position and I hit my target. And so on.

Now, the next situation, when I miss a shot or I don’t like a swing, I have made, I find myself getting upset or self-critical, I’m going to say. And the first strategy is thought, stopping rational, dialogue, body scans, and deliberate focus, stop, be quiet, getting upset. Isn’t going to do anything, but make me tense. I’m going to stand right here and make the swing I wanted to make. I’m going to set up, go through my pre swing routine slowly and deliberately, and maintain a comfortable tempo with a balanced finished position. I’m going to hold a visual image of my target. As I feel my practice swing as if personality I’m going to recall. The Jack Nicholas said that what he and Hogan were playing when he and Hogan were playing their best game, they expected to hit only a handful of shots and around exactly the way they wanted to.

He further says that even at the highest levels of golf, perfect shots are mostly accidental and extremely rare. I’m going to work toward being like Walter Hagan and expect to hit bad shots. During my round, I will recall that when he had a bad shot, he just chalked it up to one of the seven bad shots. He was going to hit that day. Mindfulness. And as if posture, I presume a mindful detached non-emotional internal state, I accept the consequences of my actions as a passive observer and go find my ball and next target with an even temperament. My eyes are always above the horizon. I move and carry myself as if I just hit the greatest shot of my life. Now, the next situation I find myself thinking of score on the eighth hole and say to myself, first of all, an as if personality, I recall what Gary player said about concentration in score.

Golfer has to discipline his mind to keep absolute attention on what’s happening. That very moment, not on the bogey he made on the last hole or on the tough power five coming up next, but on the particular shot at hand to the exclusion of everything else during every major championship I’ve won, I concentrated so hard that I played rounds without knowing my score. I’ve often been in a don’t know who I am sort of days, total relaxation with complete control, rational dialogue, and focus. A score focus takes me out of the moment, creates pressure and disrupts my concentration. I’m going to focus all of my attention on this shot. I’m not going to add my score until the end of the round. When I begin to think about my score, I’m going to bring my thoughts and images back to the shot. I’m about to make all I’m going to do is play each shot.

One shot at a time as if it is the only shot I’m going to hit today. My goal is to hit a 10 on every shot. I play next situation. I think I find myself thinking about score again, as I addressed the ball on the 10th tee. And I say as if personality again, I think about what Gary player said. And I recall what Greg Norman says about his best rounds of golf Darale and Turnberry stand out the 62 at bay hill and the 62 at the 1986 Canadian open come to mind. All it is you get so focused on what you’re doing, that you don’t even know what score you’re shooting thought, stopping and rational dialogue. Stop be quiet, shut up, move off the ball and start your routine over. Be mindful, hit a 10 on every shot. That’s the only score I’m going to focus on one shot at a time.

I’m going to hit a 10 breathing body scan, delivered, focused movement and mindfulness. I stepped back from the ball slowly and deliberately. I walked behind the ball. As I become very aware of the heaviness of the club and the ground. Under my feet, I breathe deeply doing a body scan and releasing all of the tension from my shoulders and arms. I feel the heaviness in my shoulders, positive predictions and images delivered movement and focus, breathing, body scans, mindfulness set up and balanced posture. These are all techniques that you apply. Next. I find my target in the fairway, a dark green patch that shines in the sun. I described to myself a shot. I’m going to hit as I breathe deeply doing a body scan. I think about same shot. I’ve hit well in the past, I experienced the feeling of the shot and recall an image of the ball flight.

As I breathe deeply a second time describing the shot, the image begins to become clear. I move slowly and deliberately back to my ball, feeling the ground under my feet, and to having this in my club. As I maintain a visual focus on my target, I assume my grip and align my club face with an intermediate target. I stare at my primary target. As I slowly and deliberately shuffle my feet into my stance. My posture feels balanced. I look from my target to my ball and back again, continuing to deliberately shuffle and waggle. I stare again at my target. I feel grounded as I settle in and start the club back, maintain a visual picture in my mind’s eye of the target self reinforcement. I tell myself how good it was that I stepped back from the ball. When I lost my concentration, I positively evaluate my shot and the feeling of my swing. I want you to note that this same strategy is very effective in putting as well. How many times have you stroked a putt with your thoughts on score your last shot and not on rolling the ball into the hole or your target?

Okay. The next situation, I have a habit of feeling as if people are watching me and judging my performance. When I play golf or I need acknowledgement attention and approval from others. When I feel this way in the future, I’m going to do and say, the following first is body scans. I breathe deeply filling my lungs completely. And I make my exhalation last twice. As long as my inhalation, I do a body scan as they focus on relaxing each muscle group from forehead, defeat, rational dialogue. As I relax like this, I tell myself that I’m here for me not to please or behave for others. I’m going to think and act in ways that are comfortable for me. I am a good internal coach. What I think and feel is most important in this situation. As if personality, I recall what Greg Norman said about the importance of self reinforcement.

He said, everybody likes to hear words of encouragement as he faces a tough shot and congratulations after he pulls it off. Unfortunately, unless you play golf with your mother, you can’t depend on hearing these things. That’s why I talked to myself, not allowed, but inside my head, the tougher, the shot I’m facing, the more I talk, if I’m on the last hole of a tournament facing a long iron shot to the green, needing a birdie to win, I’ll say to myself, you know, this shot cold. You’ve knocked it stiff a thousand times, and now going to do it again. I also talk after I hit shots after a particularly long straight drive, I’ll often say, damn, Greg, I’m pretty impressed with that one. These inner words can be more encouraging than the cheers of the gallery. You don’t want to linger too long on your good shots or bad, but you do want to stamp the good ones on your mind for future reference in pressure situations.

Silence, self congratulations is one way to do that. Next strategies, pause to predictions and images and deliberate focused movement and mindfulness. As I stand behind the ball, I described the shot. I want to hit. I think about all the great drives I’d ever I’ve ever hit. I moved deliberately and slowly back to the ball. As I stare at my target, I am 100% focused in the moment I maintain this positive focus through my swing. My tempo matches my movement around the ball, body scans and deliberate movement. I noticed my breathing is faster than normal. So I’m going to continue my deep breathing and body scans and slow down my movement. Rational dialogue. I’m going to continue to ask myself for whom am I behaving? I will practice saying and doing things for me. I will not behave for others as if posture, I assume a posture as if I possess all the confidence in the world as if I need only to perform for me, nobody else, self reinforcement.

My post, when routine is a focus on what went well, I am self-supporting in my internal dialogue. I enjoy my game. Rational dialogue. If I become concerned about what others are thinking or saying about me, I remind myself that I’m here for me, not for them. Then I refocus my attention and play one shot at a time mindfulness focused concentration. I focus only on the moment. I slow down my movement and relax and enjoy myself. And the next situation you’ve had trouble getting out of sand bookers. Your last few rounds, you find yourself in a Greenside sand bunker for the third time. And around begin to think about the difficulty you had from the prior two bunkers vivid, vivid images of the first two missed bunker shots. Flood your mind as you survey your line in the sand slope of the green and position of the flag, your confidence in this shot is low.

Your posture is slumped and you look puzzled and uncertain about your ability to execute the shot thought stopping. I tell myself to be quiet and I step away from the ball rational dialogue. I remind myself, this focus will only lead to poor performance relaxation. I take a deep breath and relax my shoulders, arms and open my hands. As I exhale, I become mindful and quiet my movement. As if personality, I tell myself that PGA tour player, Fred couples never hits a shot without calling up a similar shot. He hit well in the past visualization. I recall a similar shot I’ve hit well in another round, I experienced the feeling of that shot. As I replay it in my mind, I see the shot trajectory and feel the swing I need to make. I picture the swing I want to make in my mind’s eye feel and visualization.

I make a practice swing outside the bunker and feel and see the swing. I want to make confidence in visualization. As I recall the shot out of the past, I described that same shot. I’m going to reproduce. I described the ball flight landing roll to my target, and I see each phase of my description. I’m going to land my ball on that dark green spot. The ball will bounce twice. Move about two inches left to right, hit the flag, stick and drop into the hole. As if posture, this internal dialogue eases me into a confident posture. I behave and look as if I’ve knocked this same shot, stiff a thousand times movement. My movement is quiet and confident and reflects the tempo of my swing. As I step into the bunker focused concentration, 100% in the present. As I move around the ball to my setup position, my eyes are constantly on my target.

I only have thoughts and images of the shot. I’m going to play feel the swing and target focus. As I set up to the ball, my focus is two-fold the target and the feeling of my practice swing. I want to put on the ball. I stare at my target and glance at the ball. Now these procedures will apply to any shot you play. The next situation I noticed when I play well and begin to think about what a great round I might have. I add my score. I find myself calculating my score in my head and my performance begins to deteriorate. I lose my concentration, my swinging tempo increases, and I began to try to create shots rather than let the shot happen. My concentration level diminishes this style results in poor play in the future. When I find myself thinking like this, I’m going to say, first is thought, stopping, be quiet.