The Mental Game
There is a story about Jack Nicklaus’ reaction to a missed putt. A fan said to Jack after he missed a short putt, “Sorry you missed that one, Jack.” Jack’s response was: “I didn’t miss the putt. It just didn’t go in.” • Jack was right. He hit the line and speed he wanted, so in his mind everything was fine. This mental approach protected his self-image and allowed him to move on without dwelling on it like many of us do after missing a short putt. By doing so, he prevented the miss from affecting his self-confidence on future putts. In other words, he just let it go! • Getting mad at yourself over a lack of performance is non-productive and can erode your confidence. The human body is not a machine. Some days it works better that others, and for many different reasons. • So when you see yourself starting to get mad or losing your focus, think to yourself, “I did the best I could, given all the circumstances,” and let it end there. • The point is simple: Stop putting yourself down. Think about the things you are telling yourself on the course. • Everything you tell yourself is programming, so make it productive. Choose carefully what you think about. Don’t work against yourself. • Most negative dialogue is a bad habit that you can change. You start first by listening to what you are telling yourself, recognizing the negative and working to put an end to the negative. • In short, focus on the positive.
Have a Game Plan
When you play a course, take notes. Build a yardage book of your own. And hopefully, do it with Track Notes from GolfSteady. This will be one of the easiest ways to lower your scores.
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