Positive Golf Tip for Introducing Kids to Golf ---

If you are introducing a child to golf this holiday season with a gift of clubs or other golf gear, think about these wise words from Fred Shoemaker in his classic book, EXTRAORDINARY GOLF: The best way for you to teach your child is by example...If you want to make a difference in your child's golf game, make a difference in your own...If you want your child to view the game in a certain way and be a certain kind of person on the course, work on being that kind of person yourself. If you want your child to play courageously, play that way yourself. If you want your child to keep his or her chin up when things aren't going well, keep yours up...Be the kind of person that you want your child to be, and that person will show up in your child.

So, for the new young golfer in your life, there is more that you can do to get them off to a great start than giving them clubs or lessons. You can also give them the gift of a great golf mindset by setting a great example in yourself. You can inspire the child to be a positive golfer by being a positive golfer yourself, with an approach that is filled with belief in your abilities and potential, positive expectations, supportive self-talk, focus on golf-enhancing ideas (not past mistakes), and a can-do attitude. This is a gift that can truly "keep on giving" and make a positive impact on the child's game that can last a lifetime. We are happy to help you through the ideas and tips in our blog and our website, and we welcome feedback on your experiences.

Best wishes for great golf to you and the new little golfers in your life!

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

Positive Golf Tip - A Gift to Yourself

Here is an item from a recent issue of our newsletter. It has a good message and a tie-in to the season. It's a different take on the traditional gift-giving approach that can lead to a lot more enjoyment and satisfaction on the course in the coming year. And it's not about your spouse or your kids giving you the latest driver of your dreams...

Generally, the concept of gift-giving conjures up thoughts of giving gifts to other people for holidays and other special occasions. When we think of ourselves, it is usually from the gift-getting perspective - what gifts we would like to get from others. When asked about this, most golfers will share a wishlist that includes clubs or other equipment or training aids or books. There is a whole different way of thinking about gifts that goes beyond the giving and receiving of "stuff," however. It's called A Gift to Yourself, and it gets to the heart of you and the heart of your game.

Giving a gift to yourself is all about giving yourself what you really want. As a golfer, you may say, "I want new clubs or some lessons, so I'll go out and buy them and that will be my gift to myself." But stop and think for a moment. Think beyond the clubs and the lessons. What you probably really want is a great golf swing. A swing with beautiful motion, perfect rhythm, and awesome power. At the core, that is what you want. The other things are what you think or hope will give that to you.

Giving yourself what you really want is about acknowledging that true desire (the great golf swing) and then accepting it and allowing it to happen. Sure, you can easily and willingly accept new clubs or some lessons. But the heart of accepting and allowing - and the heart of long-term change - is at the mental level. It goes beyond, and before, those new clubs or lessons. Giving yourself the gift of a great golf swing is about accepting the good, and the changes that go with that. It's about accepting the new expectations, new images of yourself playing well, and a new enjoyment of the game. While many folks "hope" to hit the ball better, deep down they are used to visualizing themselves hitting errant shots, expecting fair results, and feeling frustration rather than enjoyment. Giving yourself the gift of a great swing involves changing - and accepting - positive new images and expectations for your game. It also involves accepting new ways of thinking about yourself and your swing, including more confidence, more trust, more awareness, and more focus, and less pressure, self-doubt, and fear of past mistakes and negative future possible outcomes. Along with that is accepting new swing thoughts and "feels" that will help your physical technique.

Yes indeed, giving yourself the gift of a great golf swing means changing - and accepting - new mental habits. And along with the accepting is allowing - letting go of old ideas and resistance to change and allowing new ideas to "take root" and a new "swing-friendly" mindset to grow. It is relaxing the mind, and ultimately the body, and allowing the smooth, rhythmic motion to flow and happen without the restriction of tension, resistance, and anxiety.

So this year, think about what it is you really want for your game - for many that is a great swing. Then decide that now is the time for you to accept that gift and allow it to happen. You are the only one who can give that gift to yourself, because you are the only one who can make the changes which make it come true. But when you think about how wonderful the gift is, and how much you will enjoy it when you have it, each step and each change is worthwhile and is the means to a very worthy end. Here's to your positive changes and the enjoyment of your Positive Golf gift to yourself in the year to come!

Cheers!

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

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Positive Golf Kudos ---

Lorena Ochoa has certainly had an impressive year with eight victories, including the outstanding win at the ADT Championship where she hit "the shot of her life" on the final hole. But there is even more to Ochoa than her athleticism and her "multidimensional game." Supporting all of that is her super mental game that is quite worthy of Positive Golf Kudos. An article in a recent issue of Golf World pointed out some of her positive attitudes, skills, and practices. For one thing, she is devoted to improvement, focused on the process, and cheerful in her demeanor. Former U.S. Women's Open champion Catherine Lacoste said this of Ochoa: "I always sense that Lorena is smiling at the ball." She is positive to the core, and this filters into her approach and her actions, and even her reactions to unfortunate outcomes. Her work with sport psychologists has helped her to "take the long view of her 11th-hour failures." Here is some of her wisdom in relation to letting go of mistakes and not letting them linger and hold her back: "You just have to take the bad moments and take them as a good thing, as part of the process...I'm a simple girl in a way that I just put things in the trash and move forward." This is the kind of thinking that has taken her to the top and can inspire other golfers in developing a success-oriented mindset. It is Ochoa's positive mental attitude, in addition to her positive generosity of giving a portion of the $1 million for winning the ADT Championship to a relief fund for flood victims in Mexico, that inspires our Positive Golf Kudos.

Here's to a great golf mindset!

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