Psychology is merely a study of one's mental behavior, the key is to change your perception of the situation in hand, which will in turn change your thought process and consequently the chain of events that follow. I believe that golf is ninety nine percent between the ears.
Most of the psychological problems that occur whilst playing golf, stem from trying too hard and expecting too much from each and every shot, this places too much pressure on having to perform and succeed. We all need to know our limitations and learn to play within them. Going for the flag every time has been the cause of many spoilt rounds, try to have a plan from the start and set yourself some realistic goals. Such as playing for the middle of the green. Stay in the present and concentrate on the shot in hand. Try to see the shot clearly in your mind with a vivid picture of the ball going into the hole or finishing in the fairway. But above all, don't allow anything or anyone to distract you from your goal.
Every golfer has to face up to their demons at some stage. Let me set the scene with a typical drive from the tee. It's a long par four, 435 yards long, the fairway is narrow and there's out of bounds down the right, there's water to the left and a stiff breeze against. A daunting tee shot to say the least. The trepidation and anxiety kicks in and you slice it out of bounds, you feel annoyed and disappointed. You play your third from the tee and without a care in the world your ball sails down the middle of the fairway. Oh why couldn't I do that the first time is the immediate reaction. With the second ball you had no inhibitions about the result and just got on with the shot in hand, as you normally would.
I believe you need to double bluff yourself sometimes and use reverse psychology to trick yourself into the desired result. So the next time your faced with a tough shot like the one I've just described, try telling yourself that you have already messed up and hit it out of bounds and your now going to hit your next as if you were playing three of the tee. We both know that normally your second shot is a good one, so you need to imitate that scenario with your first ball. Give it a try you'll be amazed how relaxed you will be and nine times out of ten you'll overcome the tension and negativity that's associated with it.
My Top tips for improving your mental behaviour
Most of the psychological problems that occur whilst playing golf, stem from trying too hard and expecting too much from each and every shot, this places too much pressure on having to perform and succeed. We all need to know our limitations and learn to play within them. Going for the flag every time has been the cause of many spoilt rounds, try to have a plan from the start and set yourself some realistic goals. Such as playing for the middle of the green. Stay in the present and concentrate on the shot in hand. Try to see the shot clearly in your mind with a vivid picture of the ball going into the hole or finishing in the fairway. But above all, don't allow anything or anyone to distract you from your goal.
Every golfer has to face up to their demons at some stage. Let me set the scene with a typical drive from the tee. It's a long par four, 435 yards long, the fairway is narrow and there's out of bounds down the right, there's water to the left and a stiff breeze against. A daunting tee shot to say the least. The trepidation and anxiety kicks in and you slice it out of bounds, you feel annoyed and disappointed. You play your third from the tee and without a care in the world your ball sails down the middle of the fairway. Oh why couldn't I do that the first time is the immediate reaction. With the second ball you had no inhibitions about the result and just got on with the shot in hand, as you normally would.
I believe you need to double bluff yourself sometimes and use reverse psychology to trick yourself into the desired result. So the next time your faced with a tough shot like the one I've just described, try telling yourself that you have already messed up and hit it out of bounds and your now going to hit your next as if you were playing three of the tee. We both know that normally your second shot is a good one, so you need to imitate that scenario with your first ball. Give it a try you'll be amazed how relaxed you will be and nine times out of ten you'll overcome the tension and negativity that's associated with it.
My Top tips for improving your mental behaviour
- Stay focused on the present
- Picture the shot you require
- Give it your best shot (it's all you can do)
- Learn from the outcome (how did you react?)
- Trick yourself with reverse psychology
- Stick to your plan (breathe)
- Be committed and execute