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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!
JULY, 2000
To Grind or Not to Grind
Do you grind out each round? Do you
try to keep your head deeply focused on golf
throughout the entire round? Or have you
developed a way of snapping back into focus for
each shot?
How you use your time between shots and
especially between holes has a very important
effect on your final score. Grinders try to stay
totally focused during the entire round. They
think of nothing other than the next shot or
hole.
The problem with being a grinder is
that it is very difficult to pull off. Most
people find that they simply can not do it. Most
golfers find that after eight or ten holes they
simply become exhausted and drained of energy.
Because of this I do not recommend that you even
try to be a grinder. The grinders on the major
tours tend to be grinders only because they have
never learned how to play any other way.
The question of how to develop the ability to
snap back is an important one. Snapping back
means that you can really take your mind off the
next shot until you need to focus on the
"planning" and then on the pre-shot
routine. I like to separate out the planning
phase, which includes the gathering of facts on
the hole, judging distance, selecting the club
and the swing, as well as the strategy for the
hole and the selection of the exact target spot,
from the pre-shot routine, which includes
visualizing the path of the ball or recalling the
feel of the shot, addressing the ball,
step-breathing and completing the swing or putt.
Your snapping back ability depends
on your ability to refocus and let go of any
unnecessary thoughts, images or feelings. I am
sure if a rattlesnake suddenly appeared at your
feet you would have no trouble snapping into
focus about it. Some people can go as far as they
like and still snap back to the shot at hand.
Others find it hard to think of anything other
than the next shot. Most golfers can improve
their snapping back by practicing.
One way to practice is while you are at home pick
up an object and really study it. Notice how it
feels. What is its weight? Is it rough or smooth?
Move your hand while holding the object. How does
it feel? In this way you are bringing your focus
into the present and putting all of your
attention on the one object. Set the object down
and think of a past experience or a recent TV
show.
Think about it and how you felt in
that situation. Now, bring your thinking and
feeling back to the present. Focus all of your
attention on the current situation. Repeat this
little exercise until you can move freely back
and fourth. After you have done this for fifteen
or twenty times. Move on to another object and
practice again. After several sessions begin to
experiment at the practice range. Pick an exact
target, decide how you will hit the target,
complete your pre-shot routine and hit the ball.
Now, think of a TV show or past non-golf event.
Spend one whole minute thinking of
the event. Now, bring your mind back to the next
shot. Plane the shot, complete your pre-shot
routine and hit. Do this exercise thirty to fifty
times. Go slow and notice how you can gradually
make yourself snap back with greater ease.
Most people find that emotional topics or
memories are harder to let go of. Learn to select
energizing, positive or enjoyable topics or
memories to use during your between hole thinking
breaks. For between shot thinking on the same
hole, most people do best by staying mentally
close to the current situation. But even here,
you can talk to yourself or others, think of
music or recall a really great time playing golf
in the past. There are some people who can talk
about anything and still find it easy to snap
back.
Explore your limits and build up
your abilities. Remember that going inside and
giving yourself a hard time is not a good place
to go between shots. If you have a habit of
beating up on yourself, make sure you take your
thinking someplace else, even between shots.
Using the above suggestions you can learn how to
not grind it out over the entire course. Yet you
will be able to refocus and set up a mental wall
between yourself and the current situation as
well as the other golfers. You only need to focus
when you are gathering information, mentally
separating yourself from the situation,
completing your pre-shot routine and executing a
shot or putt.
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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