MIND FACTOR

In case you missed it, my golf tips video series is now fully online.

And best of all, it is absolutely free.

In this series of 8 short ‘quick tip’ videos, I share some of the core concepts which you need to know if you are going to improve the mental aspect of your game.

You can get immediate access to all these videos for free here.

Put them to work for you and let me know how you get on by leaving a comment against each video in my golf blog.

Kind regards,
Karl

Ps – If you are totally new the mental side of your golf, or are not sure how important it is, take a look at my free golf report and find out how to tell what type of golfer you are.

What's your next move, after having read this post?

So much of the concept of mental toughness in golf is about being able to release negative emotion after the inevitable dropped shot or a missed putt or a poor decision.

When we make a mistake, the emotion we generate as a result can, if left unchecked, get in our way for the rest of the day and massively affect the final outcome.

That’s because golf is as much a game of SHOTS SAVED as it is of shots made.

And let’s face it – we ALL hit bad shots now and then. Not even Tiger Woods is able to control the golf ball 100% (although admittedly, he comes very close most of the time).

And there are times when we all get angry or frustrated on the course, aren’t there…

The problem is that as soon as we allow these frustrations to fester, the more the negative cycle of bad shots and frustrations is allowed to grow.

When you think about it this way, if you can let go of the frustrations and emotions of that one bad shot (or hole, or the front 9), you have a far better chance of limiting the damage and saving more shots on later holes.

See how well you can let go of the negative emotions in your next few games and the difference it makes to your score.

And please leave your thoughts below.

Regards,
Karl

Ps – If you are a charter member, you’ll find the topic just published in the ‘Building Mental Resilience’ course helpful. In this topic, Karl shares a simple but very powerful method to help you release emotions on the golf course. Members can login here (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).

What do you think? Please comment below to tell me.

Most players take a practice swing, but most people have no idea what they are trying to achieve when they do.

Why do YOU make a practice swing? What does a practice swing achieve in your game?

(Please leave your thoughts below.)

Now you have had a think about that, ask yourself this:

Am I achieving that goal every time I make my practice swing?

So many players I see out on the course are performing a practice swing out of pure habit. That’s ok if the habit is useful to you…. keep doing it!

However, if your current “practice swing habit” is not contributing to your overall game performance, take time to revisit this area and create yourself a new habit that actually achieves the results you want.

Regards,
Karl

Ps – If you are a member, you’ll find the topic just published in the ‘Building an Effective Pre-Shot Routine’ course helpful. In this topic, Karl shares the 3 golden rules for an effective practice swing, and how to ensure correct alignment when you address the ball. Members can login here (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).

Comment below.

Its all too easy to get distracted on the golf course. Hands up if you’ve ever had these kinds of thoughts:

• The way I have hit it today I should be at LEAST four under!
• How can that have missed – it should have gone in!
• This is straightforward, I should birdie this hole!
• There is no way this guy deserves to be level with me. I should be at least four up

Whenever you allow these kinds of thoughts – which are JUDGEMENTS about what you THINK the world should be like around you – you take yourself out of neutral and stop focussing on what really matters…

Your very next shot.

Worse still, these kinds of thoughts create frustration and tension, which not only ruins your enjoyment of your golf, but also impacts your performance.

Golf Mind Factor member, Matt Cooper, who has been writing up his experiences for Golf365.com gave a great example of this in his latest edition of ‘The Guinea Pig‘.

A regulation par on the 10th followed by three more successful up and downs (all for par) suggested I was pulling things around.

Cue two double bogies and the round disintegrating as I lost patience with a four-ball in front who, despite me repeatedly finishing my hole and reaching the next tee before three of them had teed off, refused to say “Hello” never mind allow me to play through them.

I know single players have no rights on the course, but, on an otherwise empty course, most people do the decent thing. This lot must have been MPs or something.

How many shots could Matt have saved on those last 5 holes by simply eliminating that ONE judgement – ‘they should let me play through‘ and staying focussed on his game?

3? 5? 8…?

What difference would saving that many shots make to your game?

It’s not easy to stay in neutral, but becoming aware of when you are not is a first step in the right direction.

See how many shots YOU can save in your next few rounds by spotting when you are making judgements and eliminating them, and please leave your comments and feedback below.

Regards,
Karl

Ps – Just published in the members area: two more tools to help you stay in neutral. Members can login here (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).

What do you think? Please comment below to tell me.

We have been live for about 2 months now, and in that time have so far welcomed 107 members to the online course and plenty more signups for my free golf videos.

In that time, whilst I was helping Graeme McDowell prepare for the Masters, my co-instructor online – MIND FACTOR Coach, Rob Woodgate – was busy ironing out the last few kinks with the IT guys, so that we can make this online golf coaching programme more widely available.

But before I tell you about that, I’ve got to say that The Masters is truly incredible and a MUST for every golfer to go to in their lifetime. I was incredibly lucky to be there working with Graeme McDowell who had a credible tournament finishing in the top 20. The sheer BEAUTY of the place does leave you speechless and I can safely say that TV does it little or no justice in describing its perfection.

I was very, very fortunate at The Masters to meet one of golf’s GENUINE legends, Arnold Palmer. “Mr Palmer” as he is affectionately known by everyone at Augusta will leave behind possibly the greatest of all legacies to the game of golf.

There are of course other players who have won more Majors but for the sheer impact on the game itself it is hard to better Arnie.

The amazing thing about him is how much TIME he has for everybody he meets and how much warmth there is in his personality. He still loves to PLAY golf at every opportunity and is a lesson for us all in how to keep our passion for the game alive.

To say that I was inspired would be an understatement. So, in addition to opening the doors to Charter Members again, I’ve put together a deal I hope will inspire you too.

I won’t spoil it by telling you the details here, but suffice to say, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Kind regards,
Karl

Ps – Please leave any comments you have on the 2009 Masters below!

What do you think? Please comment below to tell me.

Come on Be Positive!!
Make it happen with the power of your mind!
Just BELIEVE and it will come true!
It’s all about BELIEF!!

Sound familiar?
Have you tried that one?

I think one of the most destructive elements of the ‘self help’ movement is the concept that things are ‘all in the mind’.

You just need to get into the right frame of mind and WILL things to happen.

If you are tuned into the right channel, then you can literally make the earth move with the ‘strength’ of your mind.

Well, it’s a good story, it sells lots of books, seminars and courses but, unfortunately, for most people it has little or no real impact.

Generally, all that you get is a short span of what I call ‘false confidence’ whereby you hype yourself up with all the positivity you can muster.

Unfortunately, when the results from the outside world do not match up to your visions and delusions, then where do you go from there?

In the Effective Training for Mind and Body course this month, we discuss why positive thinking doesn’t work, and I introduce an astonishingly effective alternative that I call “neutral thinking”.

Regards,
Karl

Ps – Members can login here  (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).

Ideas anyone?

It has been said that the quality of our life is determined by the quality of our questions. Just think about that for a moment.

But don’t most golfers ask themselves the most shockingly poor questions? Things like:

• ‘Where’s the trouble here?’
• ‘Where do I not want to miss this?’
• ‘How difficult is this?’
• ‘Why have I dropped so many shots?’
• ‘Why am I swinging it so badly?’

The list goes on and on and you can probably think of many other examples (why not share yours in a comment below).

In the Effective Pre-Shot Routine course this month, we discuss the power of golfing questions and the magic question you need to ask yourself before every shot.

Regards,
Karl

Ps – Members can login here, (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).

What do you think? Please comment below to tell me.

How often do we see golfers with all the necessary attributes to becoming a fine player – good technique, great swing – yet SOMETHING just seems to be missing.

That intangible final ingredient that provides the difference between success and ‘having potential’.

Thinking about the greats of the game such as Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Ernie Els – do they not epitomise the very embodiment of belief in themselves?

How many times have we heard people say, “She would go a long way if only she would believe in herself” or “He just doesn’t seem to believe in himself”?

Beliefs are a core part of the way our minds work, and the things you believe can have a huge impact on your performance (both positive and negative), as well as your ability to learn new things.

In the Effective Training course, we examine how beliefs shape your perspective, and how to change the beliefs that are holding you and your game back.

Please leave a comment below.

Looking forward to the Masters next week.

Regards,
Karl

Ps – Members can login here (non-members can signup for my MIND FACTOR Players Coaching programme here).

Comment below.