When playing golf are there shots that cause you anxiety? Is there a situation you hate to find yourself because success seems impossible. How about putting that three foot downhill breaker for par, does that cause you angst? The emotional responses to all of these challenges are rooted in one thing: FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. When shoots that increase the pressure on our ability to perform arise, I had a tendency to think of all the wrong possible outcomes. Yup, I was so focused on missing, I actually forgot to believe that I could make the shot….is that not the definition of crazy for any golfer!
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Focusing On Confidence In Golf
Every golfer walks the tight rope on the links. It is that fine line between over-confidence and apprehension. You know the spot where each shot offers a player the opportunity to think about success, envision success, and execute a successful golf shot. Being an experienced player, I find walking this narrow path easier because I understand my strengths and limitations. Interestingly, my ability to focus on confidently hitting golf balls was developed over years of playing successful golf. The peaks and valleys of my play showed that there is a zone of success created in the six inches of real estate between my ears. I was able to do it and you can as well!
Continue readingDoes ‘Faking It Till You Make It’ Work In Golf
Confidence in golf is very important. Understanding that any aspects of our golf game could go off the rails at any time, it is important to stay confident regardless of how well we play. Using the old adage ‘fake it till you make it’ sometimes is the only approach to help keep our game afloat. I have experienced poor play and could not get out of my funk in the short term. The only thing I had in my back pocket was to will my game in to success! I have had to fake it till I made it many times and will likely have to do that in the future as well. But, what exactly does this mean?
Continue readingTrust In Your Golf Game And Magic Happens
There are many instances over the course of my 2022 golf season where I needed to trust in my game and let it unfold. There is no specific tell when my game falls off the rails, but when it does I must rely on my previous training to right the ship. Sometimes I cannot chip, other times my approach shots, and rarely my driver lets me down; the challenge all amateurs have is not knowing when catastrophe is going to happen. So, what do we do to improve our game in quick manner? That is the real question isn’t it?
Continue readingAre You Influenced By Your Playing Partners?
In my earlier years of playing golf, I would often be influenced by my playing partners. If they exhibited a certain excellence, I would change my game to try and match their efforts. Unfortunately, this approach to improving my golf game never worked and I usually ended with a much higher score than expected. I think it is natural for players to want to feed off of each other, but without the required skill or training, changing my swing mid-round never worked. As I matured as a golfer, I learned to play my game and not focus at all on what other players were doing. I became mentally stronger with a propensity to look inward for success.
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The Grateful Golfer 