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Our special guest,
Dr.Bob Phillips "Golf
Psychologist" will be here exclusively every
month to reveal to you techniques used by top
level professional golfers to mentally prepare,
maintain focus, bring about their peak
performance and to help you improve your score!
AUGUST, 2001:
Focus
There
is a lot of talk about focus in golf. You hear a
golfer say, "What a lousy day, I really lost
my focus." You will hear a coach yell
"Focus on what you’re doing". So
what is focus?
Just
like when you are looking through a microscope
and it is in focus, you are looking at or paying
attention to the one thing or the one group of
things that you are supposed to be looking at or
thinking about. In mental training focus has a
similar, yet expanded, role. In mental training
focus is a process that has several factors.
One
of the most important factors has to do with
internal verses external focus. Internal focus
means that you are focusing on things that are
mental constructs, like thoughts or images.
Internal focus takes you away from the external
and frequently away from the present time.
An
example of internal focus would be seeing the
ball land exactly where I want it to before I
even hit the ball. Another example of internal
focus is using a memory of a great shot to help
me establish a peak performance mental state of
mind. Obviously, the opposite of internal focus
is external focus. External focus is simply being
aware of a single or group of external things or
events.
Another
important factor is the concepts of broad and
narrow. If you look at the dot at the end of this
sentence, that is narrow focus. If you look at
the entire paragraph above that is broader. If
you look up and see the wall and floor and
furniture in the room you are in, that is even
more broader. You can be broad or narrow
internal, or you can be broad or narrow external.
Wherever your attention is that is where your
focus is.
Another
factor that I mentioned briefly above is the time
factor. By this I mean present past or future.
When determining which club to use you will use
the past (what you have learned) to determine
which club has served you well in this situation
in the past and you will also use the future to
check out your decision and build a positive
expectation. When you make your shot or putt you
will want to be in the exact present so you can
focus all of your attention on accomplishing the
task at hand.
All
four quadrants (broad internal, broad external,
narrow internal and narrow external) are all
important in golf. When you combine these with
the time factor you have the entire concept of
"Focus". The trick is to control and
manage your focus so that you can produce your
best golf.
Obviously
being in the wrong quadrant or in the wrong time
frame can cause real problems. You have already
become very adept at using these concepts in most
areas of your life. Taking the time to really
understand and master them in golf will provide
you with a powerful tool for control and
performance. Remember understanding is the first
step in mastering a new skill.
RETURN
TO DR SPORT MAIN MENU
Bob
Phillips, Ph.D.
Aspire
Training and Coaching Personal coaching for
success in sports, business and life. Helping you
achieve your goals. 748 Holcomb Bridge Rd.
Norcross, Ga. 30071 (770)729-0030 Fax
(770)449-5758
Ask Dr. Phillips about any
mental game of golf question or problem you have
and he will e-mail you an answer.
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Bob Phillips, Ph.D., has
been helping athletes, sales people and managers
perform at their best for over fifteen years. As
a leading performance psychologist and coach, he
has developed several methods of evaluating and
maximizing performance.
In this series of articles
Dr. Phillips gives golfers the information and
techniques used by top level athletes in all
sports -- especially golf -- to mentally
prepare, maintain focus and bring about their
peak performance. A number of articles will focus
on Junior Golf.
ONE-ON-ONE
COACHING
Now Available
- First Session Free -
Dr. Bob Phillips offers
one-on-one coaching by phone to home or office
for golfers who are "stuck" and want to
move up to the next level of play, taking 5-10
strokes off their game. For more information,
call Dr. Phillips at 770-729-0030 or e-mail him
below.
E-Mail
Dr. Phillips
"Check
out your mental game for FREE"
Visit
Dr. Phillips'
web site
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