Tips To Banish First Tee Nerves
It is important to understand that anxiety is a natural response. In situations of perceived threat, your brain instinctively releases adrenalin - the fight or flight hormone - named as such because it poises the body to fight or flee. This of course was a very appropriate response to perceived threat in cave man days. It is not, however, an appropriate response when you are standing waiting to hit your golf shot off the first tee box.
Nevertheless, this is our body's natural instinctive response to perceived threat. So when you experience the symptoms of anxiety they are simply your body's natural response to a perceived threat. Thus the cause of the anxiety is YOUR PERCEPTION of threat, and the symptoms are the physiological effects of adrenalin being released in your body.
You may consciously think yourself into being anxious, so that it is a self fulfilling prophesy. More frequently however, the thought process has become habitual and automatic, so that it just happens without you having to consciously think about it. This is how your mind works - you learn how to drive and once you are competent at driving you don't have to think about how to do it, it just happens. It is the same with walking, talking, tying your shoelaces and opening doors.
This ability of your mind to generalize patterns of behavior is fantastic most of the time - so long as the skill which has been generalized is one that you want to have. But when your mind generalizes a pattern of behavior which is counter-productive, what you have is a learned, habitual, instinctive response that you really do not want. The great news, however, is that what has been learned can be unlearned.
You may have heard the saying that it is not what happens to you in life but the way in which you respond which distinguishes champions. And no matter what situation you are in you can learn to respond to it in a different way. Your thoughts create your emotions and your actions.
Here are some tips which will help you to think in a different way when you are on the first tee box.
1. Breathe to relax - Your mind and body are intrinsically linked. Mind works on body, body works on mind. It's impossible for your mind to be tense and your body relaxed and vice versa. By relaxing your breathing you will automatically relax your mind. Breathe through your abdomen, not your chest. Five deep breaths will do the trick.
2. Always execute your pre shot routine. The reason for having a consistent pre-shot routine is to absorb your mind in the details of the task at hand, and in so doing any other not-so-productive thoughts are displaced. If you thought it unnecessary to have a set routine, think again.
3. Be in the "now". You might think you are, but are your thoughts really on the present moment? A Stanford University study found that the average person has 60,000 thoughts a day, 59,500 of which are the same as the day before - indicating that it's a really tiny percentage of time that people are really "in the now". If you're in the now, you can't worry about past failures, you can't worry about future outcomes.
4. Whatever you imagine you create. Your brain doesn't know the difference between a vividly imagined experience and a real one. Imagine a few perfect shots, build up that muscle memory and then you're more likely to hit a good golf shot on the first tee.
5. A picture is worth a thousand words. Where there is a conflict between your will power and your imagination, your imagination wins. To demonstrate this, try as hard as you can, right now, to NOT think about the ball going into the bunker. What are you thinking about? Your mind is exquisitely talented; the golf ball will go to whatever place on the course you are picturing...So picture the place where you want the ball to end up.
6. Learn to have selective memory. Turn a blind eye, put it to the back of your mind, and sweep it under the carpet. These phrases reflect another of the exquisite mental talents we all instinctively possess. Put the duff shots firmly to the back of your mind and instead remember the last time you hit a really perfect shot off the first tee and run it over and over in your mind so that it is very clear and sharp and stands out clearly in the forefront of your mind.
7. Focus on the golf shot you are about to play without generalizing. "I ALWAYS hit it in the water" is not a good thought to choose to have. Whatever you focus on you attract into your life; whatever you imagine you create. Be aware that you have, on occasion, hit it into the water, but that THIS TIME, TODAY, you are planning to hit the golf ball down the middle of the fairway, and visualize that outcome before you swing.
8. Choose your thoughts. Believe it or not, you can do this. Everything in life starts with a thought. How you see things depends on how you choose to look at them. You can choose to look at things from a different angle.
9. Be positive and commit to the golf shot you have decided upon. Positive thinking does work. Commitment does work. Take a committed practice swing and ask yourself would that swing have produced the outcome you want to achieve? Take your golf shot when you are confident of the swing you are going to make.
10. Let go; if you arrive on the tee feeling a bit tense, pretend you are a rag doll and shake your muscles out. Remember mind works on body and body works on mind. You cannot have a relaxed body at the same time as a tense mind.
11. Take a step back. Don't rush; think before you act. Take a moment to review the situation. Distance yourself, look at it from a different direction, and take a different perspective. Breathe deeply and take time to decide on the best golf shot in the prevailing conditions. The fact that you "always take a three wood here" isn't a good enough reason to grab that club out of your bag.
12. Think "smooth"; imagine a golf swing with perfect tempo, perfect rhythm, and ensure your practice swing is nice and smooth with good timing.
13. Talk to yourself nicely; talk to yourself with a confident encouraging tone; tell yourself that you can do it and that you are great at this type of shot. Trust in your talent, your ability to hit the perfect shot. Repeat a calm and positive word or phrase; if that is what you are focusing on, then that is what you will do.
14. Dissociation - This is a good mental skill to learn if you suffer badly from first tee nerves. Imagine how good you could feel, just drifting out of your body, floating up in the air and distancing yourself from all those unnecessary emotions? You can learn to watch yourself taking your golf swing.
15. Count to 10; an old remedy and it does work. Counting to 10 allows you some time to re-engage your logical mind and think clearly about the task in hand. When you are anxious the logical thinking part of your mind is bypassed and the lower brain functions take over. It is therefore important to use any method which works for you to take a step back and re-engage your higher brain functions. As your higher brain functions are re-engaged you can think and focus clearly on the task in hand.
16. Get help from professionals. If you have got into the habit of feeling anxious and tense on the first tee, golf hypnosis could be the answer to your prayers. Not only is hypnosis a state of relaxation, but you have access to your subconscious thought processes so that they can be changed quickly and easily.
Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.
Super Human Performance Is Not Just For Super Humans
Anyone who watched Usain Bolt sprint the 100 meters in the Berlin Olympics was witness to a super human performance. His speedy dash which lasted all of 9.58 seconds outstripped the silver medalist, Tyson Gay, by 0.13 seconds. Tyson had ran his socks off and was equally far in front of the bronze medalist, and yet he had to be satisfied with second place.
Some may say that Usain Bolt had a major advantage with being as tall as he is; a longer stride means fewer steps after all. But if this was the one factor which set him apart we would expect all sprinters to be similarly tall and to achieve similar speeds, which is not the case. Usain Bolt's performance was truly inspired. What sets the winners apart in all sport is in actual fact their attitude.
Looking back over the years the effect of one's mental attitude can be clearly seen. When Roger Bannister first ran a four minute mile he surprised a lot of people. It had previously been thought of as an absolute impossibility; it was even thought that the human body would somehow spontaneously combust if one did push themselves to run at that speed. But after he managed that land mark time others quickly followed simply because their minds had been opened to this opportunity.
There are many people who have achieved major sporting success despite physical impairments. Take Harold Connolly for instance; he won the gold medal in the hammer throw event during the 1956 summer Olympics in Melbourne. He managed this despite having one arm which was shorter and weaker than the other. Harold developed a different technique as a result of his handicap; would anyone who did not have such disability even think of using ballet slippers as a means of improving their performance, do you think?
It is abundantly clear that sporting performance is not dependent purely upon shape or size or even fitness levels. Yes, these elements all have a great impact; but the thing which sets apart the winners when competing at a high level is the way in which they use their minds. A super human performance is not just the domain of physically super humans. In sport this is now readily acknowledged, hence the number of sports psychologists and sports hypnotists. Mind control is essential if one wants to achieve great things.
This phenomenon is not restricted to sporting performance. Your mind is what makes the difference in everything in life. It is truly amazing what you can do when your mind is on your side. One of the most extreme examples which pops to mind is of a small lady who managed to lift a car off her son after a winch had broken and the car had fallen on top of him. She stopped her son from being crushed and was not even aware at the time that she had broken her own back in the process. That's mind control and pain control at its best.
Whatever you set your mind to do you will achieve, so long as you pursue your aim passionately enough. The more desire you feel, the greater the result you will achieve. To achieve a super human performance a super human effort is required; you have to learn to focus clearly and really see your goal in your mind's eye and also to feel what it would be like to achieve it. This is where hypnosis is invaluable. With hypnosis you have access to your subconscious mind, your creative mind, and so you can learn to really see and feel your goal, thereby increasing your desire to succeed. With hypnosis you can learn to change state and relax and to also focus single-mindedly upon your goal.
Hypnosis is a mental tool available to everyone who wishes to make a super human performance in anything in life. Hypnosis is easy to learn with the help of a hypnosis download; it is quick, easy, effective and totally natural.
Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis for success, good health and well-being.
Are You Mentally Fit For Golf?
"The game of golf begins in your mind, more than athletic ability, more than technique, more than practice or ability or anything else. The mind-set you bring to the game determines not only the enjoyment you desire from golf but also the level of proficiency you will achieve". The great golf teacher, Jim Flick, made this statement. He further stated "Golf is 90% mental...and the other 10% is mental".
Tom Kite has been quoted to say "I have to spend as much time on the mental side of golf as on the practice range".
No matter what level you are at with your golf, your mind set is an ultra-important part of your golf game. Your mind set will dictate your ability to learn, your ability to play golf and, if you are a teaching professional, it also massively affects your success in this domain. As with everything in life, a holistic approach is what is needed. There is no point honing in a great physical technique if your golfing mind is letting you down.
The right golf mind training helps you to learn more quickly, retain and use more of what you learn, and to perform at higher levels. This is undisputed fact. Your muscles in your golfing mind train up in the same way as your physical muscles - with repetition; it is therefore important to ensure that you are mentally rehearsing what you want to rehearse - a strong, powerful and positive golf mind. Whatever mental images and thoughts you are repeating, you are strengthening. It is easy to train up your golf mind so long as you know how your mind works; unfortunately, most people don't realize that their habitual thoughts are in fact sabotaging their game...so let's take a situation and see in what ways you may be thinking. Imagine now that you're on the Tee, playing a hole which you've played before, some trees nearby which have caused a spot of bother in the past.
Thought 1. "Ok, I do not want to go in the trees here" might seem to be the right thought, but in actual fact this thought will usually induce the opposite effect of that intended. The golf ball will, 99% of the time, end up in the trees if this is what you are thinking.
Thought 2. "I mustn't think about going into the trees. I'll think about that spot on the fairway instead" indicates a move in the right direction, but still isn't good enough; a lot of thought energy is still being focused on the trees, with an attempted change of focus.
Thought 3. "Ok there's trees there, the best shot is to aim along that line and end exactly there; That's where I'm going” is a whole lot better again, although still not perfect.
So what is the perfect golf mind set?
Thought 4. "OK, there are trees there; the best shot is to aim along that line and end exactly there; that’s where I'm going". Now visualize the shot, really see it, imagine the perfect swing, feel it, see the ball landing there, stick to your preferred pre shot routine and know that is where the golf ball is going.
That's the best golf mind set.
Let's return to the first line of this article. Are you mentally fit for golf? Is your instinctive thought process aligned with this fourth example? Because, if not, it should be...and it can be...with a little bit of golf mind training.
Like I said before, your mental muscles train up in much the same way as your physical muscles. You go for lessons and you practice your swing, you practice different golf shots - draws and fades, high and low shots, chips and pitches. You spend hours on the putting green. And all this practice pays off. How much time do you spend on your mental muscles?
Why not raise your game to a higher level by taking a more holistic approach to your golf game and get mentally and emotionally fit for golf? Golf mind training is the part of your game which takes the least time and effort to produce significantly better your results and lower your handicap. Get the right guidance, make sure you are honing in the right golf mind set, use a bit of golf hypnosis to relax and to make the most beneficial thought processes automatic. It really is very easy...so long as you make the decision to tackle your own golf mind.
Alternatively you can choose to play golf averagely as compared to your potential ability. It is your choice.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people know that their golf mental skills could be improved upon and yet they won't attempt to work upon them. Instead, a new putter, or a new driver is purchased, a new training aid, etc, etc. Why is this? I have come to the conclusion that it's because the majority of people think "this is how I am" and either don't think that they can change their thought processes, or think that it would be very difficult to do so. If you are one of these people, let me assure you that you are wrong on both counts. If you want to get mentally fit for golf, you can. If you don't want to, or cannot be bothered, you can't. Once you decide to work on your mental golf skills, they are relatively simple to hone in.
Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.
Playing Pebble Beach
I have just come across an article which I wrote last year for publication in a UK Golf Magazine. It is exactly one year since I played my first round of golf in the USA...and yes, it was at Pebble Beach. What an experience. I still can't believe it.
Driving along the 17 mile drive from Carmel, looking out of the car window, avidly seeking my first peek of this magnificent course, passing some incredible properties, I cannot describe my excitement. We had booked a two night stay in the Lodge, with a 9.30 am tee time on the Monday. The Lodge itself is a luxurious place to stay; It has a small lobby which opens out into a lounge and terrace with unparalleled views of the 18th green and the sea beyond. Everything is quietly understated. We had an ocean view room, with open fire and double doors onto a balcony which looked straight out over the 18th green. Logs were neatly stacked outside the room and the fire all set and ready to go. And with that sea fog, the warm fire was very welcome. It might be 100 - 110 degrees inland, but on the coast it was more like 55-60 degrees.
Unfortunately, the sea fog obscured a lot of the view for much of our stay, but allowed tantalizing glimpses of the rugged coastline and the sparkling ocean. It in no way detracted from the golf, I hasten to say. It's an integral part of the Pebble Beach experience. My playing partners turned out to be a gentleman from New York, who had brought his 13 year old grandson to play here for three days, and also a gentleman from Illinois. I was once again reminded of the international nature of the game and the immediate connection which you have with total strangers, simply by sharing a passion for this splendid game. I cannot think of an easier way in which to meet such a wide range of people.
My own partner (who had booked this as a treat for me - lucky, lucky me) hasn't played golf for years and decided to caddy...except that's not allowed, so he drove the cart instead, and assures me he got an equal kick out of the experience as I did; And we're off to the driving range at Stanford later (the scene of Tiger's university time practice), seeing as he's now caught the golfing bug!
Back to Pebble Beach..the borrowed clubs were, needless to say, Callaway, graphite shafted and not far off new. The range was just up the road, easily accessible with the assistance of the courtesy bus and once there the golf balls were neatly lined up in baskets. It was great to get a few swings in and relax on the range, although the fog made it a bit difficult to see where the ball was going!! Still, if you cannot see the result, it's easy to assume that all the balls flew well!! (A positive mental approach is always best for your confidence!) And, joking apart, it does help you to hone in your kinesthetic awareness, and learn to feel better where the ball is going. That's always a plus in golf.
On the tee box, our starter had a few words to say - no mobiles, no mulligans, we were expected to take 4 hours 20 and to keep half a hole behind the group in front. The advice given was that the course is eminently playable...although the greens are all small and so not to go for the pin, just aim for the centre of the green...and to have fun. Sound advice.
I was aware of the amount of adrenalin coursing through my body due to sheer excitement, and wondered once again at the task professional players have in controlling this instinctive response whenever they play. It pays off to have as many mental skills as possible to draw upon, so as to stay calm and relaxed and focused. It also pays to have a plan of how you are going to tackle each and every hole, particularly so when the greens are as tight as these ones. You need to know your yardages and plan your ideal approach to the green and then play your tee shot accordingly.
It's no good just smashing your driver down the fairway and then seeing what you can do from there...that's not the way to play any course, let alone Pebble Beach. I can fully appreciate why Tiger spent a lot of time shooting into every green, practicing with every pin position, from every conceivable approach position, so as to produce the phenomenal result he did back in the 2000 US Open - 15 shots under his nearest rival.
Tiger showed us just how playable Pebble Beach is, so long as you use your mind as well as your body - thinking clearly and logically so as to employ the best course management, and then remaining calm and focused so as to execute that plan. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But that's the way good golf is played. Unless you use your mind well, all you will ever do is aim to hit the ball forwards and hope for a good result - sometimes you'll get lucky, sometimes you won't.
And this isn't the only difference between a professional and a good club golfer. A professional practices and practices and practices; every available moment is spent practicing. I'm not suggesting that all club golfers should do the same; simply that one cannot expect to play like a pro unless you undertake to practice as diligently and also to learn the mental skills which are equally essential. The mental skills, of course, take far less time to learn and to rehearse, and so this is the quickest, easiest and least time consuming way in which to foster consistency and, ultimately, to lower your handicap.
Those club golfers, who play for their scratch league team, or your area team, or such like, should all be emulating the professional golfer. If you are on a team, you owe it to your contemporaries to do your best. For the rest of us, it only matters to ourselves personally how we choose to approach the game. Whatever approach you want to take is the right one for you...but to play your best golf, learn from the preparation habits of a professional - practice different shots, learn the mental game...and don't forget to have fun; remember, golf is a game - enjoy it!
I certainly enjoyed Pebble Beach. I, like many other golfers, I'm sure, would play there every day, if only that were possible. Jack Nicklaus once said that if he only had one more round to play, he would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. The fairways are magnificent, the greens aren't too slow or too fast, the rough is fair, the bunkers are full of white powdered sand (I know - I spent a lot of time in them!), the holes are interesting and challenging, the views are great (even when seen through a haze of fog!), and there's nothing quite like playing this legendary course.
The US Open is back there again in 2010, and I for one will be getting tickets. I'm already looking forward to walking upon that hallowed ground once more. And, who knows, perhaps I'll get to play there again sometime?...and hopefully next time I'll retain my ball on the 18th...which I unfortunately hit rather too enthusiastically out of the bunker, over the green and off into the beautiful blue ocean! I wouldn't mind but I'd used that same ball all the way until that fateful moment; quite an achievement I felt. A dramatic end to my round, which only serves to fuel my resolve to play there again at the earliest opportunity.
Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.
