Gymnasts, ice skaters or divers perform intricate maneuvers of their bodies in mid air. They do not have time to think about what they are doing. What they do have is a strategy to activate those maneuvers that they have practiced.  

Athletes train their minds and bodies to do the same thing in sequence over and over until it becomes a habit. They then activate the sequence by a trigger to start the process.

Basketball players bounce the ball on the foul line. Tennis players bounce the ball before serving. Baseball pitchers go through the same “touching” ritual every time they throw a pitch – first the cap, then the shirt, and finally a shrug of the shoulders.

These “routines” are the maps that give direction to your brain about what you want to do. Successful golfers go through the same consistent routine before every shot so their unconscious mind has specific instructions to move the body.

When you “lose your swing” on the golf course, you need to go back to the routine because you have deviated from your map and are going in a different direction and getting a different result. Some of these deviations could be fear thoughts of avoiding hazards, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, frustration at slow play, annoyances with other players, weather conditions and anxiety about your performance or your score. This is the time to narrow your focus by concentrating on your preparation routine.

I like to think of the pre-shot routine as a dance that moves you from behind the ball to the place over the ball where you are eager to swing. When you are concentrating well you are not thinking…. You are totally absorbed in the routine process for creating your shot. For more specific information on forming a routine go to http://bit.ly/J3pe53

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game. Add your comments below.

He is now also known for his spectacular 155-yard gap wedge shot hit out of the pine straw at Augusta National that hooked 40 yards to land on the unseen green for a 10-foot birdie putt to win the Masters championship. It was the shot of the week that will be replayed over and over again. 

How did he hit that spectacular shot with the pressure of the 2^nd playoff hole? 
What was he thinking?

When he hit his tee shot into theGeorgiapines, of course it crossed Bubba’s mind that he might have lost his chance to win the Masters. Seeing that Bubba’s tee shot was in the trees, Louis Oosthuizen put his driver back in the bag and hit his 3-wood. It also went to the right side of the hole, but a lucky bounce kicked it back in the fairway, 220 yards from the green.

When Bubba saw that the South African had over 200 yards to go from the rough, he thought Louis probably wasn’t going to make birdie, but might make par. Bubba then figured out a way to make par. When he got to his ball he found that he had an opening, but had to hook the ball severely around the pine trees to avoid the fairway bunker to make it to the 10^th  green that he couldn’t see. “I was there earlier today, during regulation,” he said. “So I was used to it. I knew what I was facing there. I had a good lie, had a gap where I had to hook it 40 yards or something. I’m pretty good at hooking it.”

What did we learn from Bubba’s performance?

How did he create this miraculous shot? 

He doesn’t have a golf coach, has never had a lesson, and has never seen his swing on video. He is his own swing coach. 

Bubba practices on the range by shaping shots that curve right and left a lot with every swing. He says he never hits a straight shot.

With this kind of practice he has taught himself through trial and error how to hit draws, hooks, fades and slices. He uses his imagination to create shots instead of calculating distances and producing repetitive shots. 

He relies on his ability to visualize a ball curving to the green. At the Masters he pictured every shot. We all remember the 2005 Masters when Tiger Woods used his visualization skill and creativity to chip his ball 25 feet above the hole from the second fringe to drop it in the 16^th hole. 

Watson relies on his sense of feel to get the ball to do precisely what he wants it to do. 

Use target imagery and your intuitive skills

Believe in your ability

 One of the most valuable lessons I learned was when I was asked, “When will you know that you have learned the golf swing? When I decided that I didn’t need any more lessons on the swing and just played the game, I had more fun and consistently had my lowest scores. For most players this means letting go of conscious thoughts and slowing down your brain to produce the information you have put into it. Bubba skipped the step of mechanics, accepted his different swing, and enjoyed creating shots with his awareness. 

Visualize the shot you want to hit 

What kind of visual pictures can you imagine for your swing or the flight of the ball?  Does the ball look like an airplane taking off and then making a left hand turn? Your mind is full of these kinds of images. The more visualization you have and the less thinking you do, the easier it will be for your mind to create the shot you want. Imagine hitting your tee shots down the narrow aisles of a grocery store. What does your swing feel like, and what does the ball’s trajectory look like? The stripe on a highway is about the same width as your putter. Imagining this stripe on the putting surface between you and the hole will provide a specific picture for your mind to follow. 

Develop your sense of “feel” 

In golf you can’t look to see where your backswing is, so you have to “feel” where it is. To access this awareness, swing with your eyes closed. Tee up a 7 or 5 iron, and take a practice swing with your eyes closed. Then hit the ball with your eyes closed. You can do this because the ball doesn’t move. By focusing internally on the feel and image of the swing, you will use your sensual awareness instead of thinking about mechanics. To practice awareness in your short game, pitch balls to a target without looking at the result. Before you look up “feel” whether the ball went right, left, short or long of your target. Feel what happened in your swing to make that happen.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game.

He is now also known for his spectacular 155-yard gap wedge shot hit out of the pine straw at Augusta National that hooked 40 yards to land on the unseen green for a 10-foot birdie putt to win the Masters championship. It was the shot of the week that will be replayed over and over again. 

How did he hit that spectacular shot with the pressure of the 2^nd playoff hole?

What was he thinking?

When he hit his tee shot into theGeorgiapines, of course it crossed Bubba’s mind that he might have lost his chance to win the Masters. Seeing that Bubba’s tee shot was in the trees, Louis Oosthuizen put his driver back in the bag and hit his 3-wood. It also went to the right side of the hole, but a lucky bounce kicked it back in the fairway, 220 yards from the green.

When Bubba saw that the South African had over 200 yards to go from the rough, he thought Louis probably wasn’t going to make birdie, but might make par. Bubba then figured out a way to make par. When he got to his ball he found that he had an opening, but had to hook the ball severely around the pine trees to avoid the fairway bunker to make it to the 10^th  green that he couldn’t see. “I was there earlier today, during regulation,” he said. “So I was used to it. I knew what I was facing there. I had a good lie, had a gap where I had to hook it 40 yards or something. I’m pretty good at hooking it.”

What did we learn from Bubba’s performance?

How did he create this miraculous shot? 

He doesn’t have a golf coach, has never had a lesson, and has never seen his swing on video. He is his own swing coach. 

Bubba practices on the range by shaping shots that curve right and left a lot with every swing. He says he never hits a straight shot.

With this kind of practice he has taught himself through trial and error how to hit draws, hooks, fades and slices. He uses his imagination to create shots instead of calculating distances and producing repetitive shots. 

He relies on his ability to visualize a ball curving to the green. At the Masters he pictured every shot. We all remember the 2005 Masters when Tiger Woods used his visualization skill and creativity to chip his ball 25 feet above the hole from the second fringe to drop it in the 16^th hole. 

Watson relies on his sense of feel to get the ball to do precisely what he wants it to do. 

Use target imagery and your intuitive skills

Believe in your ability

 One of the most valuable lessons I learned was when I was asked, “When will you know that you have learned the golf swing? When I decided that I didn’t need any more lessons on the swing and just played the game, I had more fun and consistently had my lowest scores. For most players this means letting go of conscious thoughts and slowing down your brain to produce the information you have put into it. Bubba skipped the step of mechanics, accepted his different swing, and enjoyed creating shots with his awareness. 

Visualize the shot you want to hit 

What kind of visual pictures can you imagine for your swing or the flight of the ball?  Does the ball look like an airplane taking off and then making a left hand turn? Your mind is full of these kinds of images. The more visualization you have and the less thinking you do, the easier it will be for your mind to create the shot you want. Imagine hitting your tee shots down the narrow aisles of a grocery store. What does your swing feel like, and what does the ball’s trajectory look like? The stripe on a highway is about the same width as your putter. Imagining this stripe on the putting surface between you and the hole will provide a specific picture for your mind to follow. 

Develop your sense of “feel” 

In golf you can’t look to see where your backswing is, so you have to “feel” where it is. To access this awareness, swing with your eyes closed. Tee up a 7 or 5 iron, and take a practice swing with your eyes closed. Then hit the ball with your eyes closed. You can do this because the ball doesn’t move. By focusing internally on the feel and image of the swing, you will use your sensual awareness instead of thinking about mechanics. To practice awareness in your short game, pitch balls to a target without looking at the result. Before you look up “feel” whether the ball went right, left, short or long of your target. Feel what happened in your swing to make that happen.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game.

This kind of miss happens in golf if you aren’t focused in the moment. The way to prepare your mind is with a consistent pre-shot routine on every shot whether it is a tee shot or a putt. 

Why have a pre-shot routine?  (www.pmi4.com, Archived Newsletters, February 2005)

• The pre-shot routine prepares your mind to hit a shot.
• A consistent pre-shot routine will produce consistent results.
• The pre-shot routine moves you from the thinking phase to the automatic doing phase.
• It keeps you engrossed in the moment and your thoughts away from the pressure of the results.
• It is a signal to the unconscious mind to get ready to perform.
• It is a series of actions to get you totally absorbed in the routine process of getting the ball to the target.

Why have a post-shot routine?

The post-shot routine helps you to build positive mental consistency. After the shot is hit, the routine prepares your mind to anchor a good shot or to let go of a missed one. Our minds are very active and the memories we remember the most are the ones connected to good feelings or negative feelings. Repetition of the post-shot routine will result in more self confidence.

Anchor your good shots. Anyone who has had a hole-in-one can describe in great detail where, when and how it happened. Why? Because of the excitement generated which anchored it into the memory bank. If a shot comes off as you plan, anchor it by replaying it in your mind with a good feeling, good visualization and a trigger such as a smile or fist pump.

Let go of your bad shots. To release the emotions of a miss-hit and become positive:

1. Release the frustration and anger with a swear word. It has been proven that this works.
2. Take a deep breath to calm your mind and body from the tension.
3. Do not try and analyze what went wrong with your swing.
4. Step aside and swing the club you used until you feel the swing you wanted.
5. Focus on accessing your timing and tempo.
6. Visualize the ball going to the target.
7. Anchor the good feelings and visualization.
8. Don’t move on down the fairway until you have completed your post-shot routine.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game.

Pros understand what an unpredictable game golf is. The attitude for dealing for this kind of failure is different for every player.  Here are some of the ways pros mentally recover from uncharacteristically high rounds.  

• It happens. I laugh at myself.
• I just forget about it and go out and play the next round.
• If it happens on Friday and I miss the cut I can get away from the golf course.
• I remember the good holes that kept the score from being even higher.

The mental game of golf is about developing your mindset before you get to the golf course. If you don’t have a positive attitude, your emotions will take over and you will press to make up for your mistakes. It will then be harder to become mentally and physically balanced.

Adopt an attitude of acceptance

• Decide that you don’t have to hit every shot perfectly to score low.
• Accept that you will make mistakes and forgive yourself.
• Stay in the present to “let go” of mishits.
• Focus only on the positive thoughts of what you want.
• Practice patience for things to turn around.
• Know you can persevere by using your best mental tools.
• Know that failure is life’s greatest teacher.

                                        Play “In the Zone” With Joan  

         Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game.

What was he thinking?

All golfers can relate to having a spectacular front 9 and then sabotaging it on the back 9 by thinking of score possibilities, and pressing to repeat the front 9 performance.

In the final round on Sunday, Garcia self-destructed his game again. On the par-4 438 yard third hole he drove his tee-ball into the water alongside the right side of the hole. He took a penalty drop in the rough where the ball crossed the water hazard and then failed three times to clear the pond. With his 9th shot, he finally hit over both the water and the green, then chipped on and two-putted for a 12. The press called it an octuple-bogey.

What would your motivation be after a devastating hole like this?

Garcia regained his composure making 5 birdies in the rest of the round, but closed by hitting another shot into the water on 18 for a double-bogey. He finished with a four-over par 76.

How do you recover from a disastrous hole?

 We are all human and make mistakes. In life as in golf it is more fun if we keep our mistakes to a minimum so we don’t have to deal with the resulting emotional upset.

1. Learn from your mistake. All golfers have experienced hitting a shot out of bounds, or in the water, stepping up and hitting the exact same shot again. Take the time to decide on the correct club for the situation.

2. Be aware of the resulting emotion. Feel the embarrassment, humiliation, anger, etc. and then make a decision to release it by taking a deep breath and exhaling the feeling.

3. Slow down your thinking process. Replace the image of the missed shot by taking the time to rehearse in your mind your swing, the trajectory and curve of the ball and your target area.

4. Take practice swings. To eliminate repeating the first swing, take practice swings until you can “feel” the correct rhythm and tempo. Don’t hit the next ball until you are confident you have the timing you desire.

5. Trust and let it happen. Trust the picture in your mind and the feel in your body. Your mind tells your body what to do. You can’t force it to happen. Relax and enjoy the result you have programmed.

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

 Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

Since we are all part of the golfing community and want to improve, I would like to hear from you. Let me know what your concerns are, the parts of your mental game that you need help with, what excites you, and what you love about the game. .

 Both golfers showed their talent in different ways. Tiger’s “grip it and rip it” personality was evident in his two eagles (Big birds as he called them.) on the 3^rd and 18^th holes. His new game showed consistency as he hit 11 fairways, 14 greens and had 26 putts. Tiger did what he did best when he was number one in the world. He came from 9 shots back to shoot 62 with no bogies for a dramatic finish.

Rory played steady golf, showing his expertise in getting the ball “up and down” when he needed to. He made two clutch sand saves on the last four holes to save par. Instead of “going for” the green in two on 18, he played an easy wedge shot to the middle of the green for a 2-putt win from 35 feet. Amateur golfers need to take note of the stat that Rory missed 25 greens during the tournament and got the ball “up and down” 21 times adding credence to the golfers’ adage “It’s not how, it’s how many.”

Do you know which behavior you use on the golf course when you are under pressure?

As humans, everyone can be included in four basic types of behavioral tendencies. Everyone has some of each of the four basic styles but you probably have more of one type than the others. When you understand your personality type you can then consider the strengths and weaknesses specific to your style and relate your behavior to your golf game. Under pressure your strengths could become your weaknesses because you would probably use the behavior that makes you feel most comfortable.

The more you understand your own behavior patterns, the more you can adapt to the different situations that come up on the golf course. The less you understand, the fewer options you have. To determine how your personality style can affect your game under pressure, link on to the Archived PMI newsletters January 2004 to April 2004 http://www.positivementalimagery.com/

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Log on to the PMI website and Blog for more mental golf tips.

If you want to learn how to improve your mental game to score lower, and how to play on automatic pilot “in the zone” for your peak performances, contact Joan at joan@pmi4.com or 828.696.2547 for a free 15-minute consultation. Learn what is missing in your game so you can achieve the success you desire.

Golf is called a mental game because you need to manage your thoughts to play well.

Internal or external distractions keep golfers from playing at their peak performance levels.

The human mind processes thousands of bits of sensory information every second so it is no wonder that we have trouble focusing on one shot at a time. A lot of golfers believe they have to concentrate on the game for four or more hours. Actually it is a good thing to relax and joke with your golf partners between shots and focus only when it is your turn.

As you approach your ball, begin to change your outer focus of attention to the inner mental process of creating the shot you are about to hit. Imagine that you are wearing blinders and can only see the execution of the upcoming shot.

Analyze the wind, yardage, type of shot, target and club selection. Be totally committed to the club and shot you have selected. Narrow your focus further by standing behind the ball, connecting clearly with the target and visualizing the flight of the ball to the target. Finish narrowing your focus by feeling the swing, either by swinging the club or mentally imagining it in your mind. If you have practiced your swing using a swing-thought or swing-cue, activate it to initiate your swing.

Concentration is the art of allowing yourself to become interested. Allow yourself to become enraptured with what you are doing.

When you are watching an engrossing movie, your attention is focused on the action. In the same way, planning a golf shot can be just as engrossing. Focus your full attention along with your full intention on what you want to happen. Stay committed to your mental and physical routines. This will keep you calm, in control, and focused on hitting one shot at a time.

If this golf tip is of value to you and you would like to improve your mental golf game for lower scores, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, by email at joan@pmi4.com, or through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog. Other tips to improve your mental golf game are available on the website, where you can sign up for a free mental golf newsletter and purchase empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs

            Golf is a game where the position of your golf ball is vital for scoring. Without a strategy it is easy to beat yourself. Professionals have a plan to play each hole for the lowest possible score. With the plan in mind, they then focus by taking dead aim at each target, one shot at a time. 

            In planning your strategy, visualize the entire hole and ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the length of the hole?
• Is the fairway wide or narrow?
• Is it flat, undulating or sloping?
• Is it straight away or a dog leg?
• What is the yardage from the tee to the trouble (bunkers, water, trees, etc.)?
• Where do I want to land my tee ball to avoid all the problems?
• Is there trouble around the green (water, sand bunkers, trees behind, etc.)?
• Is it better to hit short or long on this green?
• What is the shape, slope, speed of the green? 

            You may have lots of talent, but if you don’t know how to think your way round the golf course, you aren’t going to play up to your potential. Here are some tips for managing your game: 

1. Play the percentages. Don’t expect to hit your best shot. Hit the shot that you can hit 75% of the time.
2. Hit the ball in the fairway. Sometimes that is easier said than done. Know where the widest parts of the fairway are. Hit to the largest landing area. This may require using a 3-wood instead of a driver off the tee. Know exactly how far it is to avoid the fairway bunkers.  
3. Par 3’s: Know where to miss it away from any possible trouble spots. Plan to land the ball where you haven’t “short sided” the next shot. Give yourself the best angle to hit to the green. If the pin is on the left, tee your ball up on the right and vice versa.
4. Par 4’s: Use the terrain of the hole to help you put the tee ball on a flat fairway lie. If you miss the fairway, knowing the layout of the hole will enable you to change your strategy for the best possible recovery.
5. Par 5’s:  These longer holes give you one more chance to recover. If you have to lay-up, place the ball where you can hit a full shot and have a good opening into the green. 

If these golf tips are of value to you and you would like to improve your mental golf game for lower scores, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, by email at joan@pmi4.com, or through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog. Other tips to improve your mental golf game are available on the website, where you can sign up for a free mental golf newsletter and purchase empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs

1. Don’t think too much about the golf swing. Take practice swings to feel and regain your tempo and timing.
2. Focus instead on the smooth pace of the swing. Stay balanced, steady and centered over the ball.
3. Breathe deeply to relax your muscles and to slow your brain waves for a sharper focus.
4. Don’t swing harder than you can control. Swing at 80% of your power.
5. Swing to your target. Pick a specific target and visualize the ball going there. 

This is the time to be patient and not give up. Every golfer knows that the game can turn around on the next shot. Stay relaxed by deep breathing to slow down your thinking and physical arousal level.

Use the following five strategies for planning your shot before you start your pre-shot routine, not while you are standing over the ball.  

1. Change all negative thoughts to decisive confident thoughts.
2. Convince yourself that the club in your hand is the perfect club for that shot.
3. Let go of previously missed shots by planning your next shot. 
4. Remember the good shots you hit in previous rounds.
5. Commit yourself 100% to each shot. Give every shot full preparation of what you intend to make happen. This is what it means to “hit one shot at a time,” and to “stay in the moment.”

If these golf tips are of value to you and you would like to improve your mental golf game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, by email at joan@pmi4.com, through the Positive Mental Imagery website or blog. Other tips to improve your mental golf game are available on the website, where you can sign up for a free mental golf newsletter and  purchase empowering self-hypnosis mental golf CDs.