Ask Yourself This Fundamental Mental Golf Question

A point that is frequently made in golf instruction is that the swing is all about flow and the movement of energy and you want to allow this flow to happen smoothly and naturally. Most of the time, this point is made in reference to the flow of physical movement. Much less frequently, however, is there a reference made to the flow of mental energy, yet this flow is of fundamental importance to the swing as well. The smooth flow of productive mental golf thoughts is essential to set the stage for a smooth swing. For many, many players, however, the smooth flow of thoughts is frequently inhibited by fear, frustration, judgement of performance, and other mental "stuff." This disruption of the flow of mental golf thoughts is a common source of physical swing problems that many players don't realize. Many potential positive golf experiences are blocked due to the interference of positive mental thinking.

I was reminded of this flow principle recently when watching my two year old daughter playing with a plastic golf club. She was swinging away at the golf ball (and many other things as well) and my initial reaction was, "She's swinging away without a care in the world." It dawned on me that this was a great reminder of the value of being free and clear in your mind when practicing and playing, without the interference of thoughts and emotions that get in the way of the flow of positive, productive, "golf enhancing" thoughts. As I watched, I thought of this fundamental golf question: "What are you thinking and feeling that is interfering with the free flow of positive golf thoughts and ultimately the smooth flow of an effortless swing?" In essence, what is keeping you from being free and clear in golf? The answer to this question gets to the heart of golf improvement. It's a question I ask those I work with and I periodically ask myself as well. I encourage every aspiring golfer to do the same. Think about it: What are you thinking and feeling that is holding back the flow in your game?

If there are some golf improvement goals you have been working on this summer where you haven't seen results, this question can offer you some helpful insight for changing your mindset and ultimately your game. Remember to "let it flow" in mind and body! As always, I welcome comments on your insight and experiences.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
TheHeartofGolf.com

A Novel Approach to Learning About Mental Golf

I recently read a book that I am enthusiastically recommending to my fellow Positive Golfers titled Straight Down the Middle, by Josh Karp. Having the complete title of Straight Down the Middle: Shivas Irons, Bagger Vance, and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf Swing, the book is a first-hand account of a real-life golfer's quest to gain a greater understanding of positive mental principles and practices and then put them to use in order to transform his mindset, his game, and his life. The author, Karp, is a journalist and, at the beginning, an 18 handicap golfer who realizes there is great potential in the mental realm, and having a great desire to enrich his game and his life he is inspired to explore various mental philosophies and approaches. Karp becomes a mental golf guinea pig, in essence, and immerses himself in learning from various gurus and masters and applying their wisdom on (and off) the course. He shares his experiences in great detail so the reader gets a very clear picture of what is taking place. Along with the details, Karp is open and forthcoming about his thoughts and feelings throughout, so the reader can follow his deepening understanding and development (and sometimes drawbacks). Karp also has a keen sense of humor which makes the reading enjoyable as well as enlightening.

All in all, Straight Down the Middle is a memoir of a noteworthy quest to understand, evolve, and improve. Karp delivers great insight into lessons learned about golf, patience, letting go, and much more. He presents the scientific aspect of positive mental practices as well as the practical side. And he illustrates how to put it all into real-life practice out on the course, with his own mental and physical game as a proving ground. By the end of the book and the odyssey of discovery, Karp has indeed discovered the effortless swing and lowered his handicap. He has achieved a deeper understanding of the game and himself as well, all of which have enriched his golf experiences and his life. In his final comments he says, "Most importantly, my swing became a source of pleasure, which more often than not brought my scores closer to par."

Straight Down the Middle leaves the reader with plenty of ideas to think about and act upon in one's own quest for golf improvement. You will gain a greater awareness and understanding of the mental realm and likely be inspired to begin or expand your own efforts in that arena. As a Positive Golfer who believes in the value of the mental game and who continually strives to strengthen my own mental golf mindset, I gained some new understanding and useful tools myself, as well as some inspiration from Karp. I also enjoyed the book as an all-around good read. It was especially engaging because it was written by a "real-life golfer." On the book jacket, it refers to "a journey of a common man in search of an uncommon kingdom." I recommend Karp's book to anyone who wants to enjoy a more relaxed, fluid swing, a lower handicap, and more positive experiences in golf (and in life!). If you feel positive mental practices are too advanced or impractical, then this book is really for you! You'll see the mental game from a whole new perspective in Straight Down the Middle. Check it out this summer! You can find it at Amazon.com.

Here's to great golf!

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

Five Mental Golf Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Game

I often hear from people who have a golf outing or event coming up and they are feeling anxious because they haven't played in a while. They want a quick mental golf tip or two that they can start using right away to help their game. If you are in a similar situation, or are just interested in starting to beef up your mental game in general, I have put together a list of some mental golf fundamentals that you can start doing right now, wherever you are. A key idea behind all of these tips is one of changing mental habits that clutter your mind and distract your attention away from really focusing on your strategy and the shot at hand. These are things that I continually remind myself to do, especially if I am feeling "scattered" and off-track in my mindset and my game is reflecting that same thing. By starting these new mental practices right now and persisting with them, you will be headed in the right direction for building a stronger mindset and setting the stage for more Positive Golf experiences. Keep in mind, these things can (and should) be done both on and off the course, whenever you are playing or thinking about the game. These skills get more natural and effective with practice.

1. Let go of those bad shots. I know. I know. Easier said than done. But believe me, it makes a difference. Dwelling on missed putts and errant drives demands a lot of mental energy that distracts you from productive thoughts and better focus.

2. Don't dwell on fear. Here again, easier said than done. And here again, an enormous "consumer" of mental energy. Start by picking one thing you are really fearful about (i.e. missing short putts and looking bad in front of others) and consciously make an effort to "switch gears" to more productive thoughts (i.e. swing thoughts and your strategy) when this pops into your mind.

3. Let go of that blame. Like fear and holding on to bad shots, frequent blaming also consumes a lot of mental energy and distracts you. While blaming might help you justify things and help you feel better for a moment, it takes your thoughts away from the shot at hand and also from getting to the real cause of swing problems or other challenges. (Your clubs and the weather are not always at fault!) Make a concerted effort to tune in to your blaming tendencies and steer your thoughts in a more positive and productive direction.

4. Take the pressure off. It's a common practice to continually put pressure on yourself to hit farther, make more putts, and score better. Self-motivation is one thing, but persistent pressure can distract your focus and be counter-productive. Seriously, give yourself a break. When you notice those pressure-filled thoughts filling your mind, switch gears to swing thoughts and some self-encouragement.

5. Stop dwelling on "hitting." It's a very common tendency these days to think about hitting at the ball harder with more effort in order to achieve more distance. A lot of people spend a lot of mental energy dwelling on trying to figure out how to "hit harder," when the real solution is less effort and more allowing. Switch those hitting thoughts to more productive thoughts of feeling and allowing the smooth, natural swing. (For more insight and tips on this topic, check out my Goodbye Hit, Hello Swing e-book.)

Now, you're on your way to a mental golf mindset that is stronger and more aligned with the flow of productive thoughts and a smooth, effortless swing.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

A Tip for Building Confidence

When talking to people about positive mental golf, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, "How can I develop more confidence?" There's no doubt about it that confidence is the anchor of a strong mindset that supports a great game. What a lot of people don't realize is that there are a lot of facets to confidence. In other words, it is affected by numerous other mental skills and practices. One of these practices is the tendency to focus on what is right or what is wrong with your game. The frequent attention on what you are doing wrong with your swing or other aspects of your game can be distracting and actually interfere with the confidence you so desire. While a desire for change and improvement is good, a strong and frequent orientation on what is wrong will actually interfere with the flow and development of confidence. On the road to improvement, it's helpful to keep thoughts oriented on the positive, i.e. what you are doing right, so that you can think and build upon this. To get started, think of five key things that you do well in relation to your swing and your game. When you are playing, remind yourself of these things, especially before a pressure shot or after making a poor swing or a mistake (or when stuck in a prolonged "rut" of poor playing). Do this practice of reminding yourself of your strengths on a regular basis, blending in periodic thoughts of what would be helpful to improve. This is actually a practice that is beneficial for any golfer to do, not just those getting started in using mental golf. It is something that I continue to do to keep me on track (or to get me back on track if I have veered off in the midst of some less-than-desirable playing). Here's an example of the points that are part of my mental "go to" list for building and maintaining confidence:

- I have good talent on and around the green.
- I am a focused competitor.
- I know to always return to my basic swing keys.
- I allow myself to swing the club (not force with extra effort)
- I am a very good iron player

If you don't have a mental "go to" list for supporting your confidence, it's a good idea to put one together now and start referring to it regularly. It's another tool in your mental golf "toolbox" that will help to strengthen your mindset and your game.

Here's to great golf!

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

Try Renewal Rather Than Resolutions for Golf Improvement

Traditionally, this is the time of year when people develop resolutions for making changes and improvements in various areas of their life, including golf. The idea of resolutions is a good one, but as we know, all too often we loose steam after a month or so and the desired results don't come to pass. What often happens is that we set resolutions that are exceptionally lofty or difficult. While a motivating challenge is good, excessive goals can cause frustration and burnout. When it comes to our golf game, it's common for our resolultions to "bypass" core skills or exceed our abilities, including our mental ones. What happens is that we strive to do something better without having to strengthen the core skills that are needed for the change to successfully occur. With this in mind, an exercise that I have started as part of my positive golf approach, instead of traditional "resolutions," is the renewal of my focus on certain key core skills for the year. These are skills, both mental and physical, that I feel are especially important for yielding improvements and more positive experiences in my particular game. I have listed the ones here that I have chosen for 2010. I encourage others to do this same exercise and share your comments here on the blog about how it has helped your game. One of the benefits you will notice is that this exercise helps you get more comfortable and adept at developing positive habits. Picking three core skills for renewed focus throughout the year gets you used to doing something positive on a regular basis. The format of this exercise, with frequent attention to core skills, is also more conducive to success rather than burnout or frustration that may come from resolutions that are excessive or difficult.

So, here's to your renewed focus and success in 2010!

Core Skills for My Renewed Focus and Practice in 2010:

1. Forget past mistakes and poor shots. I still have a tendency to dwell on mistakes and poor shots long after they occur and it distracts my focus away from more productive thinking. It is a mental tendency of mine that deserves more attention and change.

2. Cultivate and use a greater sense of feel in my putting. I have tuned in and developed this skill with great success for my full swing (and written about it in my ebooks), and now I plan to use this practice to a greater degree with my putting.

3. Strengthen my patience and persistence. Patience and persistence are two skills that are enormously valuable to long-term improvement in golf, or anything for that matter. It takes continued mental discipline to practice patience and persistence and stick with new mental and physical techniques to see them through to fruition. I still get impatient and want to see results more quickly and sometimes feel like "throwing in the towel" when changes don't occur fast enough, so I am going to give renewed attention to strengthening my patience and persistence this year.

Here's to positive changes and great golf in 2010!

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

Recap of Positive Golf Improvement Project

As the unseasonably warm weather turns cold and snowy in the Northeast, I leave the course for a little while and reflect back on this past season and the Positive Golf Improvement Project for the year. My Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009 - achieving better balance (see original posting on April 4, 2009) - came about as a result of my inability as a weekend golfer to consistently "time" my weight shift with my swing motion, a fault which often led to off-balance, off-course golf shots. Over the years, my standard antidote for this nagging problem has been to practice "punch shots" - a process which involves moving the ball back, keeping my weight forward, shortening the swing, and driving down through the ball with a lower finish. A common term for this general techniqaue is "trapping the ball," and I was often amazed how it seemed to instantly deliver more solid contact and a beautiful (albeit lower) right to left ball flight along with a balanced finish. Thus, the punch shot aproach was my starting point, and my intention was to gradually build my full swing around it. My goal was to eliminate or at least greatly lessen the need for "timing" by significantly reducing lateral body motion during my swing. The substitute for lateral motion was better rotational motion.

Over the year my quest proved to be quite challenging. Retraining one's mind and body seldom happen overnight. My success has come about gradually, with patience and persistence. Like most recreational golfers, I have limited time to practice, and the truth is that I've done the greatest part of my work at home - two minutes here and two minutes there - ingraining the feeling of what it's like to swing on balanced footing. I'm working with a number of ideas, the overall concept from mind to body is as follows:

With a relaxed lower body and steady left foot weight pressure, swing the club with the hands and arms and let the natural body rotation follow.

I've made good progress so far and plan to achieve further gains in 2010 following both the mental and physical elements of the Positive Plan that I put together. I will also develop a Positive Plan for improvement of another facet of my game. Have you planned a Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2010? I invite you to share your plans with other Positive Golfers right here.

Here's to great golf in 2010!

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

Tips for a Consistent Game

With Tiger's win of the FedEx Cup title, there has been a lot of talk this past week about the value of consistency in playing the game. It's important to remember that at the heart of playing consistently is a consistent mental game, which includes the consistent use of positive mental practices. This is a fact that is simple in its truth, but not easy in its application. Even Tiger has had some "blips" in using his positive mental practices now and then, which is reflected in his game, but the key is that he gets himself on track again and gets back on the road of consistent good thinking and playing.

The question from a lot of recreational golfers who are still building their "mental muscle" to support their physical game is this: What can I do to build a consistent mental golf mindset that inspires consistency on the course? There are a few key practices that can help you with this by getting you in the mode of doing some positive things regularly and naturally. Here they are:

1. Practice a positive mental pre-shot routine for every shot. Do this for every shot in every round, not sporadically when you feel pressure, are trying to make a difficult shot, or are trying not to be angry or frustrated.

2. Regularly use a positive "mantra." This is a short phrase or affirmation that you regularly repeat silently to yourself that helps you think affirmatively about a certain aspect of your game. An example is "light is right" regarding grip pressure. (See my blog posting from July 17, 2009 for more details.)

3. Regularly use one or two key swing thoughts. Stick with one or two swing thoughts, rather than bombarding yourself with too many and then getting overwhelmed or burned out from trying to remember too much. Repeat these swing thoughts to yourself regularly throughout each round.

4. Practice the regular use of one or two key positive words. Pick one or two positive words, such as "can" and "will," to incorporate into your positive golf language, and practice the regular, consistent use of these throughout each round.

5. Regularly remind yourself to focus on the target and the shot at hand. Do this by asking yourself before every shot, "What is my target?" and "What is my strategy to reach that target?" This can get you to habitually orient your thinking away from distractions and toward the target and the shot at hand. This is an essential element of the laser-like focus Tiger is famous for and it is something that every golfer, from weekend player to professional, can do.

Following regular practices like these helps build "mental muscle" and gets your mindset "warmed up" and "conditioned" for additional positive, productive thinking that supports a consistent game.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer and
Co-founder
TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com