Golf Psychology - The Game Within (Archive)

[Mike Probert]

Article 1 - Western Movies

For those of you of ‘advanced’ years you will understand what I am about to say.

Those of you that are ‘younger’, just ask your parents.

Do you remember those Saturday afternoon matinees at the ‘flicks’ where you went to see your film favourites such as John Wayne, Alan Ladd and Randolph Scott in the good old western movies?

Although the films were different, the theme was the same, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again and all while fighting the bad guys.

Now I want you to use your imagination again.

You should consider your golf swing and thoughts to be like a western movie.

The good guys are fighting the bad guys and in this case the ‘girl’ is enjoyment success and satisfaction.

Still with me?

In terms of your ’swing’, the good guys are the key fundamentals for good golf of posture, grip and alignment.

For your ‘swing’ the bad guys are usually too strong a right hand grip, bad posture over the ball, poor alignment, not releasing the club from the top and deceleration of the club head.

All of these will cause inconsistent and poor golf resulting in the, slices, hooks, pulls, duffs, thins, shanks and total misses that you see every day on the golf course.

In terms of your ‘mind’ the bad guys are negative thoughts, bad attitude, lack of focus, over stating your own abilities, low confidence, poor preparation, anger and fear.

The ‘mental’ good guys are a good attitude, positive thoughts, relaxation, calmness, good preparation, goal setting, control of anger, concentration, course strategy and most importantly visualisation.

So there it is, your overall golf game is like your favourite western movie, make sure that the good guys beat the bad guys and win the girl, which in this case is success, satisfaction or just plain enjoyment.

Will this be easy?

The answer is no but do not be scared or afraid because help is at hand and if you call the number below the ‘sheriff’ will arrive on his Andalusian stallion, complete with silver star to drive the bad guys out of town.

Go on you know it makes sense and as they say in the movies “a man has got to do what a man has got to do”.

Go ahead and make my day.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per hour.
                       
For more information and tuition telephone 00 34 966 704 752 or e-mail  michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can also be found coaching at both the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores, the Escuela de Golf at San Javier and is the sole golf columnist on the murcia-golf.co.uk web-site for golfing property owners in Spain.

[Dave]

Hi Mke

I took your advice down to the range ( that`s the driving range and not the open range) yesterday, and oh what a fight was had there between the good guys and the bad guys. I think the bad guys may have won this time , I`am hopeful that the good guys will come out on top in the end. 

The next time I drift into town, maybe I can track the sheriff down to help me drive the bad guys out .

Dave

[Mike Probert]

Article 2 - The Eyes Have It

So you are facing a difficult shot or you are coming to the end of your round and you have a particularly good score.

How do you feel?

If you are normal then your palms will be sweaty, your heart will feel like it is going to burst through your chest, your hands will be shaking, your arms feeling as heavy as lead and your mind will be full of so many thoughts at the same time, mainly negative.

So what do you do about it?

In previous articles I have explained how visualisation and simple deep breathing can and will help in such situations.

This I will be covering again in forthcoming articles.

However the first thing to understand is why you feel this way.

Experts such as Craig Farnsworth believe that it is simply that your internal ENERGY SYSTEM is running out of control resulting in doubt, anxiety and loss of motor control.

There is another mind clearing technique that you can use to control these feelings called the ‘laser eye shift’, which was pioneered in the 1970’s in the USA by Doctors Lee and Harrison.

Whenever you experience the feelings of anxiety detailed above you should simply choose two objects a few feet apart, one in your left field of vision and the other in the right field of vision.

While keeping your head still, shift your eyes between the two objects that you have chosen as fast as you can for five to ten seconds.

Technically this is known as a ‘saccadic’ – rapid eye shift.
On the golf course select vision targets that are easy to identify such as the ball markers on the tee or perhaps the ball and the hole on the putting green.

How does this process work?

Physiologically when conducting this act the mind has difficulty in conducting other tasks because your visual sensory system will lock you into the present and prevents you from processing thoughts in the past or the future.

You can actually try this at home to see the technique in action.

While sitting comfortably and in a relaxed position think about or visualise in your mind some event that caused you anxiety recently.

You should be able to feel those gut wrenching feelings deep inside of you.

Now follow the laser eye shift technique as described above and then try again to regain and repeat those anxious feelings.

You should find that they disappear altogether or exist at a much lower level of intensity.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es

[Mike Probert]

Article 3 - Emotional Intelligence

Well the Ryder Cup is over for another two years and we gave the yanks yet another good spanking.

Are our European golfers better than their player, probably not but if ever the impact of team spirit was underestimated it will not be in the future.

The mindset of all Americans is chasing the dollar on an individual basis and while they talk the talk about team spirit it is just not in their nature to practise it.

None of you will ever forget the opening tee shot of Darren Clarke on day one (340 yards dead straight) or the tears and hugs on the final day.

Just how did he hold his game together given the tragic events leading up to the Ryder Cup?

Over recent years Dr Karl Morris of the European Tour has worked with Darren Clarke on the philosophy of ‘emotional intelligence’

Just what is this ‘emotional intelligence’

Those of you who follow top-level golf will recognise Darren Clarke as an exceptionally talented golfer but who is fiery and hot tempered.

In essence at time his head used to come off after a few bad shots or bad breaks and this reflected in his score.

The old adage that you should keep your head while others are losing theirs is a display of emotional intelligence or signifies your emotional IQ.

Remember that high emotion out on the golf course usually reflects in high scores.

We are not just talking here of the high emotions caused by bad shots but also but those caused by attempting to play like Tiger Woods after a few good pars.

What you need to do is exactly the same as Captain Kirk in Star Trek and remain in the ‘Neutral Zone’ and do not make your highs too high and your lows too low.

Here are five techniques which will help you to raise your emotional IQ:

a)   Mentally draw a line 10 yards in front of your ball and as you pass it your last shot is over, finished, done and history.
b)   Enjoy the time that you have between shots.
c)   Fully exhale after each shot to clear the air and the mind.
d)   Be aware of the tempo of your swing and walking pace and avoid doing both too fast, particularly after bad shots.
e)   Hum or sing to yourself between shots because it slows down your active mind and helps put you back into neutral gear.

If you can practise emotional intelligence on the golf course and improve your emotional IQ you will the improvements in your score.

Will it stop you hitting bad golf shots?

The answer is no because golf is a difficult and complicated game but it will stop you hitting bad shots because of the way you think or due to the fact you lose your head on the golf course.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can also be found coaching at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores and at the Escuela De Golf in San Javier.

[Mike Probert]

Article 4 - Deceit

Just what is this all about I hear you say!

No it is not hiding the fact that you won some dosh on the gee gees and are keeping it from her indoors or the fact that you are earning back pocket money while claiming money from the DHSS.

What we are talking about here is your ability to deceive your conscious mind in respect of your golf.

Let me explain.

You have both a conscious and sub-conscious mind.

The conscious mind is very analytical, negative, untrusting, critical and full of doubt.

The sub-conscious mind is very open, trusting and full of flair.

Your conscious mind is the one that that convinces you that what you are working on in practice really is ‘the secret’ and the ‘holy grail’ of your golf BUT after the first bad shot, reminds you of your other bad shots and then says ‘I knew that this would not work for you, it never does, back to the drawing board!

On the other hand the subconscious mind just wants the chance to perform the task that you are setting it without interruption and allow you to hit the golf ball long and straight, as it knows you can.

So just how do you stop the conscious mind from preventing the sub-conscious mind to express itself?

One such method is to deceive the conscious mind into believing something that may not be true.

Let me give you two examples.

Firstly, when Gary Player first started out as a player on the USPGA tour he roomed with other ‘rookie’ players in cheap hotels and motels and when playing in the ‘southern states’ used to tell the other players how much he liked the slow. grainy greens BUT a week later in the ‘sun shine states’ he stated how much he liked fast, non-grainy greens.

His fellow players picked up on this and said “hey, you can not have it both ways but his reply to this was simply that you have to love ALL the greens that you play on because if there is any doubt you are finished and will not play well.

Getting the picture yet?

Another simple example is that if you start your round of golf by hitting a string of very bad shots you must stay positive and say to yourself that that is all the bad shots out of the way and by the law of averages the next shot will be a good one.

However on the other hand if you start your round by hitting a string of ‘career’ shots you must stay positive and state that this is your day and that you will keep hitting these shots for the rest of the round, irrespective of the law of averages.

Getting clearer?

The secret is to keep the conscious mind occupied with positive thoughts and images before it can start flooding the sub-conscious with negative ones.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.

[Mike Probert]

Article 5 - Nutrition

Just how serious are you about your golf?

Would you change your diet and avoid eating some of your favourite ‘junk food’ to improve your golf game?

If you would then this article is for you.

I can’t plan your diet for you because we are all different, however there are some foods that are not conducive to good health, energy and stamina.

To improve your diet you should eat foods that are high in nutrition but low in fat, such as, vegetables, fruit, turkey, whole grains, baked or boiled fish, skimmed milk, and egg whites. rice and fruit juices.

Unfortunately this means dumping some of your favourite foods which are loaded with empty calories, such as, pizza, ice cream, cheese cake, red meat, fried chicken, fried fish, gravy, chips, ham and soft drinks.

Getting withdrawal symptoms already?

Remember that good nuitrition, including plenty of water is fundamental to success, especially under difficult and trying conditions, such as excessive temperatures and humidity.

Here are some dietary do’s and don’ts in preparation for and during the round of golf:

1)   Don’t play on a full stomach (allow 2 hours for food to digest).
2)   Do drink plenty of water before and during the round.
3)   Do carry food nutrition bars for instant energy.
4)   Do use sports drinks to help avoid dehydration.
5)   Do eat apples and bananas for energy.
6)   Don’t eat chocolate during the round (avoids sugar highs).
7)   Don’t eat heavy foods like burgers & hotdogs (they cause  ethargy).
   Don’t eat late meals (allow time for food to settle before you lie down).
9)   Don’t eat desserts (replace these with fruit or frozen yoghurt).

In general limit the amount of your sugar and salt intake.

Remember that a little bit of what you fancy does you good and a little bit of fat helps you maintain your weight but don’t overdo it and get carried away.

Nobody can tell you what to eat but we are all aware that not all foods are healthy for you.

You will decide when the time is right for you to eat healthier but for the majority of people they feel better for it and on the golf course you will discover that you do not tire as easily late in the round and that your thinking will remain consistent and clear for the whole round.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per hour and gift vouchers are available which are ideal as birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or michael.probert@terra.es or at the Escuela de Golf,San Javier or the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores.

                   

[Mike Probert]

Article 6 - Oxymorons

Before we start lets get it clear that what we are not talking about here is a group of typical young brits who end up sleeping in the open air on the beach after sampling too much cheap Spanish beer.

What we are talking about here is a figure of speech where two ideas of a different meaning are combined such as e.g. ‘cruel kindness’.

Getting the idea!

For the purposes I wish to concentrate on an oxymoron, which is a particular favourite of double former major winner Nick Price, namely ‘cautious aggression’.

Would you believe it that even Seve Ballesteros in his pomp displayed this strategy only he applied it in his own way.

For example playing the final hole of the European Open at Crans-Sur-Sierre in 1995 Seve needed to birdie the last hole to tie but as usual had driven deep in the trees.

He looked for what he called his ‘window of opportunity’ or to you and me a gap in the branches and thrashed the ball forward and on to the edge of the green from where he holed the chip but still lost by one shot to Barry Lane.

However he stated afterwards that if the circumstances had arisen earlier in the round he would have chipped out sideways because there was still time and enough holes available to play catch up BUT on the last hole, he had only one chance of winning and went for it.

Returning to Nick Price he believes that this approach is a ‘state of mind’ or ‘attitude’ that you must take onto the course with you.

In his opinion he will not take on a risky or dangerous golf shot unless there is at least a 90% probability of success  (for Seve the figure would be nearer 80%).

On the golf course, when faced with the risky shot option there are a number of considerations to be made:
a)   The hole you are on.
b)   Your relative position in the tournament.
c)   In matchplay the position of your opponent or the state of the match.

When you have weighed these things up and have made a decision to take a risk, then stand by it through the swing and to the end result, even if this is not good.

After the shot has been played, forget it, good or bad and get ready to play the next shot and never take two risky options consecutively other wise you may be one of the many golfer uttering the phrase “ if it was not for bad luck I would have no luck at all”.

What a load of rubbish this is, it is all about course strategy and making informed decisions decisively and positively when required.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.
         

[Mike Probert]

Article 7 - Confident Swing

Now you have paid a fistful of dollars (Euro’s) for golf lessons, bought all the latest books and DVD’s and even reduced yourself to reading articles like this…...so why would you not have a confident swing?

The reason is almost certainly that you are taking the wrong strategy onto the golf course.

You must remember at all times that you must only ever attempt golf shots that you KNOW you are capable of achieving not the shot that you THINK you are capable of playing.

In the USA mind coach Bob Rotella calls this a ‘conservative strategy’ to give you a ‘cocky’ swing.

Just how does this work in reality?

Well because you are playing a shot that you know that you can play you perform the shot in a more positive and aggressive manner with a high degree of TRUST in yourself and the result of the shot.

So what is the alternative?

The opposite approach is the bold strategy and a tentative swing, which would have you attempting shots, which you can’t hit.

The outcome?

This leads to tentative swings, full of doubt and tentative swings lead to bad shots and a bad execution of bold shots results in high scores, frustration and finally lack of confidence in your swing.

The circle is now almost complete because you will then feel the need to return to your golf coach for further lessons because your swing feels so bad.


Now there are plenty of golf coaches out there who will continue to take your money in exchange for the same regurgitated instructions but why put yourself through this when you already have the answer within yourself.

I recently gave an on course strategy lesson to a pupil of mine who had gone through tough times and from a handicap if 16 was now struggling to play to 36.

The golf coaching lessons had restored some faith but now it was time to take this to the course.

Shot after shot was played with a review of the risks and rewards, with the emphasis of eliminating the disaster shot and the result was that he played to 19 handicap and still left ‘lots’ out on the course’.

One week later, playing the same course and being left to his own devices he had at least ten extra shots and a post round review confirmed my feeling that he had been too aggressive and bold on water holes with poor results.

Now you could pay to have this advice every time you play BUT why waste your money when you only have to apply a few basic guidelines after receiving the initial tuition.

Remember that a good coach is not the best player or even the best teacher BUT he is someone who has an empathy with his pupil and who ultimately teaches the pupil to teach himself or herself.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:
Exit AP7 (to Cartagena) at junction 777 in the direction of San Javier and at the first roundabout turn right and go past the Dos Mares commercial centre and then go over the next two roundabouts until you see the BMW garage on the left and then turn right at the Campillos sign (picture of pig), go over the motorway and we are located on the left at the bottom of the hill.
         

[Mike Probert]

Article 8 - Chatterbox

Before we start I had better explain that I am not talking about her in doors (only joking ladies) or the playing partner that just will not shut up.

The chatterbox to which I refer is the voice inside your head that you hear when you are thinking or alone.

Unfortunately it is the source of negative thoughts and heralds doom, gloom and losing.

If you possess an internal golfing chatterbox it usually sounds something like this:

“If I go for the green I could get a birdie but if is miss the green I could lose the ball and ruin the rest of the round and waste the long hours of practise but if I don’t go for the green I have lost a good opportunity and my golfing mates will take the mickey and call me a wimp”.

Do you recognise this circle of thoughts?

I bet you do because we will all have fallen foul of our golfing chatterbox during our golfing lives.

Now that you know that it exists you will also realise just how difficult it is to switch off.

The only way to overcome the chatterbox is to out talk the negativity by re-affirming the positive aspects of your golf game.

Literally speaking start to talk to your self in can’s and not cant’s and stop moaning and groaning and take positive action.

As soon as a negative though pops into your head, say STOP to your self and immediately replace the negative thought with a positive one.

For example, when faced with a 4ft putt on the 18th hole to win the competition, your chatterbox will say, “I have GOT to hole this putt”, and immediately you will feel stress and muscle tension.

Replace that thought with,” I am GOING to hole this putt, and just feel the difference in the impact on your body.

Go on give it a try!

It will not be easy to change because your chatterbox has staying power and will introduce ‘what if’ thoughts to your conscious mind and feed the fundamental lack of confidence and trust that we have in our abilities.

Remember you are not a failure if you do not succeed in anything but you are a success because you try.

It is also important to lighten up and not take yourself too seriously because trust me, nothing is that important.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per hour and gift vouchers are available which are ideal as birthday presents.
                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es or visit him at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores or at the Escuela de Golf in San Javier.
                   
                     

[Mike Probert]

Article 9 - Humming Your Swing

One of the biggest causes of bad golf shots is over-tightening of the muscles.

I suppose that strictly speaking the use of the word over-tightening when referring to individual muscles is incorrect as they can’t be over or under contracted as they are either flexed or relaxed.

However the term over-tightening is a good way to explain the problem and more simply put is probably the contracting and use of too many muscles to undertake the task at hand.

Probably the best example of this is the dreaded YIPS when it feels as though every muscle in your hands, arms and shoulders are working against each other at the same time.

With reference to the golf swing, over-tightening of different parts of the body at different times causes different kinds of errors and problems.

When you read stuff like this it really makes you wonder how we hit the ball at all don’t it!

Remember that we do this to ourselves for fun!

Now you are not unique here because according to sports psychologist Tim Galloway, to tighten is a natural instinct for humans when faced with danger, doubt or the unknown.

Ok then, just how do we reduce the impact or identify the presence of over-tightening on our golf swing and us?

There are a number of different methods but the one that will explain will give you the most fun and pleasure when practising or playing, although you may get some funny looks!

The next time you visit the practise area i want you to try ‘humming’ throughout your golf swing.
Just take a few practise swings and ’ listen to the humming’.

Even those of you who don’t think they have an over-tightening problem will note a change of pitch of sound throughout their swing.

You will note that at first the sound is smooth but during the change of swing direction and at the point of impact the sound becomes ‘strained’

Particularly at the point of contact with the ball you will note the high pitch of the sound and can almost feel the tightening taking place and you may even notice that just after impact the humming sounds stops completely.

Now that you understand what is happening to your body just what do you do now?

Very simply you continue swinging and humming and use the humming as BIOFEEDBACK for increased and improved control.

Not more jargon!

No, just accept that at a subconscious level your body will start to relate the sound of humming to body tightness and make changes accordingly.

Don’t try to swing deliberately slower because there is a danger that your swing will become loose and lacking power, simply swing and hum until you feel less strain in your humming.

This whole process has little to do with sound but more to do with awareness within yourself of how your body works throughout the golf swing and how better to control it at times of maximum stress and pressure.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
                     
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier         

[Mike Probert]

Article 10 - Smart Golf

This article is not about your golfing attire and wearing cashmere sweaters and fancy trousers.

We are talking here about how to think your way around the golf course using simple common sense.

Too easy?

I make no apologies for this because failing to take a common sense approach to golf can have a worse impact than a faulty swing technique.

Here are just a few ways in which you can improve this part of your mental approach:

Play the first tee shot in your head

When you are driving (carefully) to the course or before you leave the practise area, visualise and play the first tee shot in your mind over and over again because when your face this shot for real you will feel more confident and should see better results.

Stick to your game plan

Before you commence play you should have a plan or strategy for each hole and stick to it irrespective of how you are playing, your score, how the opposition are playing or the state of the match.

Do not turn one bad shot into two (or more)

Golf is a game or mistakes, you will make them, accept them and do not try miracle shots to recover the situation, accept your punishment and get on with the game.

Putting a good score together

When you find yourself in a position where you have a good score going do not get too defensive, trust your swing and stay aggressive.

Use your shots

The handicapping system gives you shots because you need them so use them to the best of your ability and do not waste them by attacking pins tight to bunkers or hitting woods out of the rough to low index holes.

Play the percentages

Do not attempt shots with a high risk of failure, simply get the ball back into play as safely as possible and get the best score that you can on the hole and get on with the rest of the game.

Eliminate your disaster shots

Golf is not about how good your best shots are BUT is about how bad your bad shots are and so identify what these shots are and take lessons to eliminate them.

Pay full attention

Each shot needs and deserves your full attention so do not play any shot unless you are ready to play the shot properly.

Commit to the shot

Select the club that you feel is correct to play the shot, have no doubts about your selection, be positive and swing with confident controlled aggression.

Take the positives from your round

No matter how badly you have played or scored on the day focus on something positive rather than negative from the round and take these with you to the next game as well as trying to work on the weaker parts of your game.

You see it really is a simple and easy as that!

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or 661 345 931 or
michael.probert@terra.es

Mike can also be found at the Escuela de Golf at San Javier and at the FairwayZ Golf Academy at Dolores.
                 

[Mike Probert]

Article 11 - Revision Time

You will have been told many times that your school days were the best days of your life and looking back through rose tinted glasses it may seem that way after all these years.

However do not forget the drudgery, bullies, homework and tests, they existed, as well you know!

If you were like me, when it came to tests and examinations you looked for a quickly and easy way to cram as much information as possible into your brain ready for the big day!

The bad news is that this article is a little like revising for a test but the good news is that these few short hints will give you something simple and easy to hold onto the next time you venture onto the golf course.

Probably the most world famous golf psychologist is De Bob Rotella and over the years he has created what he call his ‘RULES’ for correct thinking on the golf course.

Detailed below are just a few of these easy learning guidelines to improve your thoughts on and off the golf course.

Some of these will ‘float your boat’ and others will not BUT for certain there are merits to all of them and rather that you try to remember the myriad of things that you have read or been taught, just hang on to a few or all of these statements.

a)   Generally people become what the think of themselves.
b)   Your BEST round is not a fluke but is a glimpse of your true potential.
c)   You can’t achieve your golfing dreams if you do not have any.
d)   Write down your aims and objectives to reinforce them to yourself.
e)   Before playing any shot FOCUS on the smallest possible target.
f)   To play consistently you must THINK consistently.
g)   It is more important to be decisive rather than correct on any shot.
h)   Confidence is vital for good golf and is simply a collection of YOUR thoughts about YOURSELF.
i)   You must not let the events of the first few holes determine the rest of the round.
j)   Develop a selective memory for shots and try to remember the good ones and forget the bad ones.
k)   Golf is played by humans and therefore mistakes are made so just accept this.
l)   The QUALITY of a players practise is more important than the QUANTITY.
m)   On the first tee, remember only two things, have FUN and focus on EVERY shot.
n)   To be a winner you need courage BUT you can only develop courage by being AFRAID.
o)   Everybody gets nervous in pressure situation BUT it is how these nerves are controlled that separates winners from losers.
p)   If you choose to compete then you must BELIEVE that you can win because winners and losers are self- determined.

Now there is actually more good news because like in the film ‘Gone with the Wind’, tomorrow really is another day.

Today’s champion starts tomorrow level with everybody else and likewise the golfer who had a bad day gets the chance to become the next winner.

What a wonderful game of golf really is!

If you take just a few of these thoughts with you to the golf course I am sure that you will see the benefits in your results.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as Christmas gifts or birthday presents.
             
           
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es
Mike can be found at the Fairwayz Golf Academy on Avenida Alcalde in Dolores and at the Escuela de Golf San Javier, which can be located by using the following directions:

[Mike Probert]

Article 12 - Theatre of the Mind

Just how do you improve your golfing brain and is it important?

The answer is yes because the KEY to playing good golf is to have sound basic swing fundamentals and to control your state of mind.

Many golfers find that the can hit good shots on the practise area (because they are relaxed) but then play badly on the golf course (because they are more tense).

It is often the case that they do not realise this and blame the swing instead or revert to that old favourite “I picked my head up”.

Remember, the swing is unlikely to have to have changed BUT your state of mind has.

How you feel affects the way that you play and how you play affects how you feel.

Experts such as Martin Glover advocate FOUR ways to improve your golfing brain in this respect, namely:

1)   Arrive at the course in a relaxed state of mind (play music in the car), have a routine and DON’T be rushed.
2)   Use your imagination (the theatre of the mind) to play good shots instead of poor one’s.
3)   Change your physiology by walking upright and purposeful because body language affects your mental state and vice versa.
4)   Breath correctly and slowly.

In previous articles I have discussed relaxation and breathing techniques and therefore I shall concentrate for the remainder of this article on imagination and physiology.

Firstly, by using your imagination (the theatre of the mind) you will improve your chances of playing good golf.

Most golfers dwell on poor shots rather than focusing on the positives and as a result they get used to playing poor golf on a mental level.

Use your imagination to visualise good golf shots (tee shots, approach shots, recovery shots or putting) instead of poor one’s.

When you come to play your round, you might not play perfect golf but you will be a step closer to doing so.

Secondly, watch your posture and do not slouch (even after a poor shot) because it affects the way you feel.

Colin Montgomerie recently gave a TV interview regarding showing no ‘weakness’ to Michael Campbell during an important game and the answer from his mind GURU (Hugh Mantel) was simple.

“Stand tall and walk purposefully onto and from the first tee as if you OWN the place”.

He did so and he won the match, if it works for him then it WILL work for you.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children and pensioners and vouchers are available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

Mike can be contacted on 966 704 752 or mobile 661 345 931 or e-mail michael.probert@terra.es or visit him at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores.

[Mike Probert]

Article 13 - The Eyes have It –Part 2

In a previous article I discussed the subject of a ‘saccadic’ or rapid eye shift as a technique to counter stress on the golf course or when faced with a difficult shot.

Now I am going to ask you a very simple question, namely, how many eyes have you got?

No, this is not a trick questions so let me explain what I mean.

The brain and nervous system responds best when you focus on the smallest possible target because the ’ thought’ of the target prevents other negative thoughts entering the players head just as he is about to strike the ball.

However do you see the target with your eyes or with your mind?

Bob Rotella the famous mind guru to the USPGA tour stars explains that golfers such as Nick Price select a target and then look back at the ball BUT continue to ‘see’ the target in their mind and they will not hit the ball until they have this image in their minds.

There are other equally good and successful golfers who ‘FEEL’ as though they have a third eye on the side of their head and again when they stop looking directly at the target and focus on the ball, they will continue to see the image of the target in their minds.

There can be slight variations from this theme, for example Tom Kite selects a small target in the distance, thinks about it BUT he does not see a picture of the target in his mind when his eyes return to the ball BUT his mind is still ‘locked’ onto the target.

Just how powerful is the mind in this respect?

The mind is a very accommodating mechanism and will attempt to send the ball in the direction of the last thing that you looked at or pictured in your mind.

For example in the 1992 US Masters (which he ultimately won) Fred Couples came to the famous 12th hole par 3 hole with the pin tucked in the usual Sunday position of far right with Raes Creek fully in play and waiting for any errant shot.

His strategy for the days play was clear,play to the centre of the green, forget the pin, make a safe par 3 and get the hell out of there.

Best laid plans and all that!

Just as he focused on his target in the centre of the green and looked back to the ball he caught sight of the flag fluttering on the right side of the green and this was the last ‘image’ that his brain received and it tried to re-direct his swing so that the ball went in this direction.

History will tell you that the ball arced to the right towards Raes Creek BUT luckily held above the water line from where he chipped and putted for par.

Except for that small piece of luck with his ball staying ’dry’ history could be indicating a different winner that year and all because of a momentary ‘sneaked’ look at the pin!

So there you have it, without knowing it you have a ’ third’ eye so don’t be afraid to use it…for the better though.

If you would like to know more about how to improve the way in which you think on the golf course or would like to improve your golf swing call me today for lessons and see the results for yourself.

The price of the golf lessons start from only 25 Euro’s per HOUR with special discounts for children, pensioners and societies with vouchers available which are ideal as gifts or birthday presents.

                             
For more information and golf lessons contact 966 704 752 or
michael.probert@terra.es or visit Mike at the Fairwayz Golf Academy in Dolores or at Lo Romero

[Mike Probert]

Article 14 - The Problem of Fear

The emotion called fear plays quite a large role in the game of golf.

For some golfers it becomes a problem as soon as they tee up in front of others, and all players are affected by fear when it comes to playing over water, particularly if you are required to play your best shot.

But the most severe of all fears is the one which prevents winning and this fear is the one which all golfers, including the pro’s, have to overcome if they are to come out of the pack and become champions.

The difference between the fear of winning and the fear of losing can be explained using the example of the difference between leading from the front and trying to win from behind.

To attack from behind is a far easier way to win because to win from the front is reserved for a very special group of golfers – the ones who can remain calm when others tremble their way to failure.

Fear is the destroyer of confidence, and it can only be overcome by positive thinking.

Unfortunately, many golfers are confused as to the meaning of this and so often play negative golf but it should be understood that to think positively is to think only of playing the correct shot and achieving the correct result because if you play the incorrect shot within your mind prior to ‘playing’ then it will almost certainly be the shot which you actually play.

Safe golf is playing to a good position on the fairway and then to a safe place on the green while playing within the limits of your own ability and not using the hit and wish method which is so often used at times of golf stress.

Strength of mind and good personal discipline can solve even the worst of golf problems, which are introduced by fear and they can be overcome if you try hard enough.

The most difficult to overcome is the putting ‘yips’ which have shortened the career of so many golfers but just look at what Bernhard Langer has achieved because the man is so strong mentally that he has shown us all that “where there is a will there is a way”.

POSITIVE thinking overcomes fear.

For more information and tuition reservations contact 966 704 752 or michael.probert@terra.es