Friday, August 9, 2013

Use The Psychology Of Golf To Become A Better Player

By Nita McKinney


Most golfers have times when their confidence dips or they have issues with their game which they cannot seem to resolve. The solutions can often be found in the psychology of golf rather than in any technical books. If the mind set is correct, then your game can be improved hugely.

When a golfer's game is in bad order, they tend to be low on confidence, they play bad shots at crucial times and nerves get the better of them when they are near to winning. Many enthusiastic golfers stop playing the game altogether because they cannot get themselves into a positive mindset.

When a golfer visualises a shot but doesn't execute it correctly, it can cause self-loathing. Many amateur golfers can be seen on a course berating themselves, swearing or displaying negative body language after a bad shot. In some cases, a feeling of helplessness takes over the player, as though they will never be able to get their game back on track again. This is especially true when they miss easy putts.

Much of a golfer's negative response to a missed shot is really a projection of themselves on to the game. They think that because the shot was a failure then they are failures as human beings. Golfers try to tell themselves it's only a game but their subconscious will not accept that point of view. This mindset stems from the failure to live up to perfectionist ideals.

The way you react to failure is influenced by your experiences as a child. If your parents were too protective of you then you can lack confidence when growing up. If your parents overreacted to failure by becoming angry or frustrated, then you may never be able to face up to failure and so don't bother to start anything in the first place. If you grew up in a positive environment though, chances are failure will not crush you and so you will try new things in order to learn.

One technique for fixing a negative mindset, is to visualise the worst possible outcome of having a bad round. Then, when you actually have one, watch the thoughts which arise in your mind closely. Avoid trying to get rid of them, just try to be conscious of them. Then make a comparison between the way you think when you play well and when you play badly. This will help you make adjustments to your thinking which will help your game.

Improving your confidence can have a positive impact on your mindset too. Setting tasks during practice sessions is a good technique for this. Whenever a task is completed successfully your confidence is boosted. The greater confidence in practice can then spill over into your match play.

Another technique for boosting confidence is to observe other golfers of a similar standard doing well. Even the very best players have role models to give them a lift. Watching other players succeed shows that you can too. This demonstrates just how important the psychology of golf is to becoming a good player.




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