Bad rounds in golf often have as much to do with poor behavioural chains as with bad swings or poor shot selection.
Recognise this familiar scenario?
“I had great expectations for the British champs… my golf swing had definitely improved… got too excited, too focused on the outcome… hit a bad tee shot on the first, made double bogey… got angry… wondered if I had been working on the right stuff… made a couple more bogeys… self doubts increased… started to blame my teacher… had he been telling me the right things?… Front nine a disaster… angrier and more negative… frustrated, embarrassed, doubting my ability… won’t go back to my coach… will try someone else… may even give this mental stuff a try…
This is what is known as a thought chain, whereby we attach one thought to another, then another, and before we know it, we can become a mental wreck.
Recognise (and break) your habitual thought chains and you’ll set yourself free!
Kind regards,
Karl
Ps – If you are cursed by self talk and those disastrous thought chains, you might find my Players Programme Deluxe a great help.
Chris says
February 5, 2010 at 5:58 pmThis is one of the best pieces of mental advice a golfer can adhere to I’d say. I believe thought chains are why the game is so much easier without a card in your hand; as a bad shot just gets forgottten about and your focus soon returns to the next shot in hand.
When a bad shot occurs in a competitve round, the golfer continually beats himself up and plays the next shot in a negative state.
Noel says
February 6, 2010 at 2:58 pmSome top pro’s plan on X- number of bad shots per round, say 7. When the first happens, say “That’s one”, and fuggedaboutit!!
My personal one that works for me is “S-L-O-O-O-W MOTION”. That’s mine, because I tend to get “quick” starting the downswing. Another is “This is just another golf shot that I’ve made hundreds of times”, which is true for YOU, TOO!
I love the pressure of competition….that’s when it MEANS something! Learn to LOVE THE PRESSURE, and just grin when your opponents’ knees are knocking!!!
I started playing golf at age 45. By age 50 I had a pair of 6-under 66s, a county Senior Championship, and a handicap of two on public courses. Now I’m 68 and can’t do that, so I just enjoy the good ones, and FUGGEDABOUT the bad ones! LOL!
As someone said, “Golf is 90% mental, and the other 10% is …..mental!” Or as Yogi said, “Baseball is 90% mental and the other 50% is in your head!”
Anyone can learn to control their mind… Just do it.