Golf Is A Game Of Precision

Your thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don't follow it.

Golf is a game of precision and so should our mental approach be precise. Doubt, fear, lack of concentration, or being angry over your last missed putt are all factors that affect your scores. You must deal with cause and effect. Is it your putting stance that causes you to miss a two foot putt? Doubtful! Is it the fact you fear missing it, or doubt yourself in front of your peers? Of course it is. Most six or seven year olds can make a two foot putt. Understanding the fact that mental lapses exist and that they are the cause of errors in our games is a great step in creating a foundation for improvement. With improvement comes more satisfaction, with more satisfaction comes more fun.

Doubting yourself, huh? Well, unless you have played golf every day for a living and hit three hundred balls a day, of course you are going to doubt yourself. Let's talk about it for a minute. There are numerous reasons why doubt creeps into one's mind, affecting your golf game. One of them is not trusting our ability to carry out a certain action. We're not talking about hitting our drives as far as Tiger here. Not making a four foot putt is more like it. Doubt can be caused by past experiences. Our competence is questioned, therefore our ability to carry out simple actions is hindered. When faced with a tap in, there is no doubt. A four footer, on the other hand, increases our anxiety level. When you get anxious, the result is a tightening of not only the body,
but also our minds. You can't feel the clubhead, so your awareness of what it is doing decreases dramatically.

Anxiousness is caused by doubt. Not trusting yourself to play your best golf is the reason that you are not playing your best golf. If you are vulnerable, you are weak. Let's take that four foot putt. You know that you can miss it. You lack faith and you tighten up. You're conscious mind is screaming at you, " YOU CAN MISS THIS STUPID!" You half stab at it, miss, and your beliefs are confirmed. So my friends, the viscious cycle begins. Each succeeding stroke becomes harder, and your capability to perform wanes. The conscous mind reminds you that you can miss a shot, producing fear and doubt. When doubt is at the forefront of our thoughts, the mind starts telling the body how to do things and you keep trying harder. Golf is the perfect game for 'trying too hard'...

In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!