From time to time, I hear clients refer to other people as “good golfers,” but they don’t always apply the same label to themselves. What do you say when someone asks, “Are you a good golfer?”
Your thoughts matter, and will determine your success.
In the game of golf (and life), your thoughts drive your decisions and your actions. What you think tends to become your reality. This is called the self-fulfilling prophecy, and it’s something I encourage my clients to be on the lookout for in their approach to the game.
Have you ever thought —
- I just can’t get any putts to drop today.
- Why does this game have to be such a struggle?
- I feel like I’ve lost my swing.
If you know this sounds familiar, I want to let you know that this type of thinking will do nothing but hold you back from playing like you know you can.
When you think that you can’t make any putts, you probably won’t anytime soon.
When you think that the game is a struggle, then you will likely play in a defensive posture and make it tougher than it is.
When you think that your swing has disappeared, your uptight thoughts will echo through your body and create physical tension preventing you from swinging freely.
Watch your thoughts before, during and after you play. Catch yourself when you start thinking and speaking negatively about your game. In the event that your thoughts drift to the dark side, give yourself a proverbial swift kick and make the decision to turn them back to the things that are worth celebrating in the game. In any round you hit more good shots than bad, even when you allow your thoughts to convince you otherwise.
If you are struggling with how to improve your bad thought habits, here are some suggestions…
In the event that you just missed a putt, instead of beating yourself up, take a moment to assess what parts of your process were well-executed. When you take the time to read your putt, line it up, go through your full pre-shot routine, and make a good stroke, hard as it might be to realize, you DID make the putt even if it didn’t go in the hole.
Let’s say that you bogied your last three holes. You have two choices: (1) Allow your frustration to continue to mount, or (2) Recognize that despite your best efforts, sometimes stuff just happens in this game. To lose control of your emotions will only diminish your ability to approach your next shot with focus and confidence.
And what if every shot with your driver today is flying uncharacteristically left instead of straight? Consider how you can use it to your advantage by slightly adjusting your alignment to your target, rather than trying to figure out how to fix it during the round.
Your thoughts matter.
So spend your time producing thoughts that will help you play great.
Are you tired of struggling?
Don’t let another day go by without investigating what working with me could do to improve your game. CONTACT ME to learn how you can start playing consistently from tee to green so you can lower your handicap and love your game.
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