What Are You Hanging On To That Is Holding Back Your Game?

Did you know that hanging on to bad shots, bad golf moments, and general negativity is one of the most prevalent mental practices that weighs golfers down, holds them back, and leads to less-than-positive golf experiences? It permeates the entire mental golf psyche and distracts from focus, visualization, and awareness. In fact, all of those "could haves," "should haves," and "if onlys" take away from mental energy that could otherwise be put to good use on constructive thoughts that will help your game.

So what exactly is "hanging on?" It is a mental habit of actively keeping thoughts and memories of past negative actions and experiences in mind by dwelling on them, frequently recalling or "replaying" them, and allowing them to linger and fester and take the place of otherwise helpful thoughts and memories.

And what is it that golfers hang on to in their minds? The specifics vary from person to person, of course, but the common factors include:

Memories and thoughts of ---
- bad shots
- bad rounds
- bad tendencies
- mistakes and "flaws"
- "ruts" you have been or are stuck in

Plus negative mental habits and tendencies such as ---
- Fear
- Anger
- Frustration
- Worry
- Self-Doubt
- Self-Comparison
- Blame
- Dread
- Resentment/Envy
- Misconception that you need to try harder

"Hanging on" is a negative mental habit I have grappled with in the past, and it definitely affected my game. I would get so preoccupied with hanging on to the memory of a missed putt or errant drive that I would lose focus on my current shots and strategy, and then my game would suffer. I have known others who have hung on to bad shots for an entire round and even afterward, and they would keep talking about it. Thinking of your own game, you can probably recall some examples of "hanging on." What is it that you tend to hang on to? Maybe it's the memories of missed putts and poor shots like I did. You'll be doing yourself a favor by taking notice of this tendency, then doing something to curb it or cut it short.

A helpful tip that helped me to reduce my tendency for "hanging on" and is something I continue to practice is:

Consciously focus you attention on remembering the positive and letting go of the negative. Practice filling your "memory bank" with memories of good shots and positive outcomes and not "storing" thoughts of mistakes, problems, and poor shots. Think of it like putting thoughts of the negative moments in the trash. Leave your past in the past!

We'll have more practical tips on curbing this negative mental tendency for "hanging on" in our soon-to-be-released Positive Golf Handbook. Leave a comment on this blog about what you tend to hang on to on the course, and I'll email you some more of these tips.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Positive Golf Improvement Project Update II

Recently, I posted an update and tips related to the Positive Golf Improvement Project I had chosen for this year (see May 12, 2008 posting). This post is for the purpose of giving an update and tips related to the projects chosen by my wife, which were first shared here in January 2008. As a refresher, here they are:

Positive Golf Improvement Project: To develop a smooth, repeatable chip shot and consistently chip the ball within ten feet of the hole.

Primary Positive Mental Habit for Improvement: Improve "Golf Self-Talk," or that "inner dialogue" or "inner conversation" that goes on in your mind when you are playing, and may also be expressed out loud. The goal is to give particular attention and consistent practice to changing and improving this mental skill so it is more constructive and helps rather than hinders the Positive Golf mindset.

Christy is making progress in both projects, thanks to persistent mental and physical practice, including some technical tips she got at a recent "Short Swing" Clinic she participated in at our club. Here are some tips and reminders she has been practicing in her "blended" mental/physical approach to making positive improvements in her game this year:

Mental Practice #1: Practice positive reminders as part of "golf self-talk," including the following: I AM making progress in my swing improvement, and I DO have the ability to chip the ball well.

Mental Practice #2: Practice putting less pressure on myself in my "golf self-talk." For example, stop telling myself, "I should be playing as well or better than her," or "I have to swing better than this, I have to swing better than this..." (an old, negative mantra I didn't realize I was repeating so much!)

Mental Practice #3: Practice reminding myself, I don't have to try so hard. (i.e. I don't have to use so much effort!).

Physical Practice #1: Lighten the grip pressure.

Physical Practice #2: Slow down the swing. Don't hit at the ball!

Physical Practice #3: Keep the hands forward in the follow through. Don't "flick" the wrist in an effort to hit at the ball.

Physical Practice #4: Practice, practice, practice the short swing. This will help with all of my shots, including chipping.

These are the "small," nuts-and-bolts mental and physical steps that really add up and make big differences in having Positive Golf experiences! Have you picked a Positive Golf Improvement Project and/or Primary Mental Habit for Improvement this year? If so, let us know what it is and what positive ideas and techniques have been helpful to your progress. We welcome your comments...

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Positive Golf Kudos

This week, our Positive Golf Kudos go to both Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate for their splendid display of great golf, both mental and physical, at the U.S. Open. Woods and Mediate each maintained an impressive and non-wavering determination to stay-the-course, despite circumstances that could potentially distract and veer them away from the situation at hand - Tiger, with a knee that kept "reminding" him it wasn't healed, and Mediate, who was faced with what most would call the world's most daunting opponent. Each expemplified a Positive Golf approach in their own unique way. Tiger, with his incredible resolve and supreme concentration, topped off with a classy, "That was a good fight," to Mediate after it was all over. And Mediate, who fearlessly rolled with the punches and kept focusing on the task at hand and absolutely enjoyed every minute of the experience. And finally, when it was all over, after losing to Tiger on the first playoff hole, still looking at the event with a positive perspective saying, "I can't really complain. I did my best," with a genuine smile and sincerity. It was a great day for each of them, a great day for the fans, and a great day for golf. And both Tiger and Mediate serve as great examples of the Positive Golf approach for other golfers who play once a day, once a week, or once a summer.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

US Wins Sixth Consecutive Curtis Cup

It didn't get much media coverage, but it was a very impressive win nonetheless. In the midst of traditional Scottish rain, wind and chilly temperatures, and on a course where they had limited experience, Stacy Lewis and Alison Walshe went undefeated to lead the squad from the United States to a 13-7 victory over Great Britain and Ireland at the 2008 Curtis Cup Match, which concluded Sunday at the Old Course at St. Andrews.

It was the sixth consecutive win for the Americans in the Match, which features an eight-woman amateur squad from the USA against one representing England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales.

The Americans were led by Captain Carol Semple Thompson, who has played in a record 12 Curtis Cups and is a seven-time USGA champion. Semple Thompson had this to say about her team: "All credit to my players. They did a great job. They just stayed in there and finished strongly." (Positive Golf kudos to that!)

I share this news with a sense of pride for the US and for our women golfers in general, who don't always get the attention and coverage that is much deserved. I learn a lot by watching the women play, and I know others (men and women) can too. Plus, I do have a sense of family pride as well since Carol Semple Thompson is my cousin. CLICK HERE for details and photos from this great victory for Carol and the squad.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Positive Golf Improvement Project Update

On January 1, 2008, I made a posting regarding my primary positive mental golf habit for practice in 2008. The one I chose was to improve my golf self-image. Even after many years of playing, with a lot of great rounds, a decent handicap, and several winning championships, I still don't have a consistently strong self golf-self image (how I see myself as a golfer). This heightens other negative mental habits, like self-doubt, self-comparison, and putting pressure on myself, and it also has a negative impact on my game. The negative golf self-image and its "cousins" tend to show up in my mind early in the season, just before a competition, particularly when I have been watching other golfers who are playing really well and comparing myself to them.

Last weekend was the Spring Medal event, which opens the season at the Club where I play. It was a good opportunity for me to give some focused attention to improving my golf self-image. I had noticed my old negative golf self-image tendency cropping up, and I was saying things to myself like, I'm a lousy putter, I'm not playing as well as I should, I'll never play as good as that guy, and I'm not good enough to win the championship again. And sure enough, this was all showing up in my practice and my playing, with tension and errant shots. The day before the event, I caught myself in this old habit and made a focused effort to practice the positive. I started by reminding myself that I do have good putting ability, which I have demonstrated before and I know I can do again. I went to the putting green with the conscious intention of having a positive putting practice (not with the dread of, I will probably putt badly again). I focused on the positive putting idea about myself (I have putted well before and I know I can do it again) and focused on getting in tune with some key putting feelings in my arms and hands that led to a smooth, relaxed stroke and accurate shots. It was a good practice, and I got myself in a good mindset to prepare me for the next day.

Here are some mental golf ideas that I practiced focusing on the day of the championship to keep me on the track of a positive golf self-image and a positive game:

1. I focused on my own game - my own abilities, my own targets, my own strategies - rather than focusing on others and how I was playing compared to them.

2. I focused on the things I can do, and I was doing well, rather than dwelling on weaknesses and mistakes that would erode my confidence.

3. I focused on playing the game to the best of my ability, rather than putting the pressure on myself of thinking, "You've won this before and people are expecting you to win this again."

These mental practices helped me to be more relaxed and confident than I had been so far this season, and I played better than I had so far. I was pleased with my putting too. Did I win the Spring Medal? No, I didn't, although I did tie for second in low gross, and I made sure to focus on the positivity of that (rather than dwelling on what I had not accomplished).

I am glad to be off to a good start this season, and with more practice on my positive golf self-image, blended with my repeatable swing drills, I am looking forward to a summer of great golf.

Here's to great golf for you too!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com


P.S. To learn how you can use other Positive Golf ideas like this to improve your game, check out our Golf Improvement Super Special - six e-books for a super price until May 15!

The chicken or the egg question: Which comes first - the mental game or the physical game?

Which comes first, the mental game or the physical game? We get this question a lot, and it's a good one. My answer is always the same - you need to work on both of them together. Many are under the mistaken impression that you wait until you have a super swing and an excellent game and "go pro" or play in championships at your club, then you use the mental stuff to fine-tune your game and "psych out" the competition. The truth is, mental golf is valuable for every golfer at every experience level to use all the time. As an example, if you are striving to improve your swing but not getting the results you desire, it is likely that negative mental golf habits like self-doubt, self-induced pressure, fear, and old beliefs about your abilities and technique are limiting your improvement. On the other hand, you may have a beautiful swing and a superb game, but you experience a series of bad shots or bad rounds. Here again, it is likely that you are inhibiting your swing and your performance with mental habits like self-doubt, self-induced pressure, fear, holding on to the memory of bad shots, and old beliefs like inclement weather "makes" you play poorly. Even if you are using a positive mental technique like visualization, these other negative mental habits are going to get in your way and interfere with your swing and your game. It happens to the best of them, including Tiger Woods.

The key to remember is that you want to be working on your mental game and your physical game together, all the time, regardless of where you are in your experience level or the way you are playing at the moment. (In other words, you don't wait until you're in a pressure situation or you've reached the "upper echelon" and you're trying to fine-tune your game.) We call this concurrent practice of the mental and physical games "the blend that makes the difference" - we know that the mental game sets the stage and has a profound influence on the physical game, and they should always be practiced together - no waiting for the "right" moment or the "right" level of your physical game. And one more key thing to remember is this - mental golf is much, much more than visualizing good shots or "psyching out" your competition. There are so many factors to mental golf, in fact, that we have been working for nearly a year to create a Positive Golf Handbook to help golfers understand, address, and strengthen these factors in order to boost their game. In the book, we address nearly twenty critical mental golf factors!

Over the weekend, there were some excellent examples at the Masters of some of these points I am making. In an interview after his excellent round on Saturday, Paul Casey said that to prepare for the Masters, he worked on his fitness, his swing, and his mental game. (A good, well-rounded approach that included all the key elements of an optimum game, I might add.) Paul also said that during the Masters, he was also practicing "rebounding"- letting go of bad shots and not letting them hang over him, but "moving on" instead. He was also savoring the moment and allowing himself to "have fun" (which helps the body relax and the swing to flow). In contrast to this, we could see what happened to Tiger Woods when negativity crept into his mental game. Even the best swing in the world is affected by negative self-talk and self-induced pressure. David Farady said this about Tiger: "He's been battling against himself more than anything else." Tiger may have been visualizing great shots, but tension and anxiety definitely got in the way.

And then there was Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker who were a joy and an inspiration to watch and to listen to in their interviews. A lot of great, positive mental golf techniques were expressed by them and also pointed out by the commentators (particularly Nick Faldo who does an exceptional job at highlighting the mental side of the game). Here is a highlight of the mental techniques used by these two great young players who expressed such poise and did not succumb to pressure from without or from within. Note the mix of mental techniques they use - it's not just about focus and visualization, although these are part of the mix - it is a combination of multiple positive factors:

For Brandt Snedeker:

1. Be patient.
2. Rebound - let go of those bad shots and move on.
3. Trust your swing - analyze, choose, then go.
4. Allow yourself to have fun.

For Trevor Immelman:

1. Positive, complete preparation - "no stone unturned"
2. Determination
3. Belief in yourself and your abilities - "I can do it!"
4. Focus on your game - don't get bogged down in self-comparison and focusing on what the other person/people are doing

These are practical, real-life mental skills that can (and should!) be practiced by any golfer at any level - and practiced all the time, right along with the practice of your physical game. Remember - don't wait or hold off on practicing mental skills (the physical game doesn't come first - they are done together). The mental game should be practiced by every golfer in every round as a regular, natural part of your game. That is when you will realize greater satisfaction and greater success. To help you with this, we offer a series of golf improvement books that give real-life tips and exercises on blending mental and physical techniques to cure your slice, improve your swing, and develop an effortless, repeatable swing. Take advantage of our Golf Improvement Super Special (6 e-books for $47 until April 30) and get a collection of books to help you transform your mindset, your swing, and your game.

Remember - always keep the mental game "in the mix" of what you do on the practice range and on the course!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

New Mental Golf Videos

We have made some great new Positive Golf Quick Mental Game Tip videos and posted them on TheHeartofGolf page on YouTube. This is another step we are taking to help make mental golf skills and practices more practical, do-able, and successful for every golfer. As you are watching the Masters this weekend, remember that these are the kinds of inner game "secrets" that are practiced persistently and consistently by the greatest golfers. These are the things that form the foundation of improvement, consistency, success, and positive golf experiences on the course, not just for the pros but for every golfer. Listen carefully to the commentators at the Masters this weekend and you are sure to pick up some mental golf tips you can use on the course next week. And, watch our new Mental Golf Videos for some more great tips to build your inner game, and ultimately your physical game.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com