Must-Read Mental Golf Books

"What are the best books to read on mental golf?" I get asked this question a lot, and it's a good one. It tells me that a person is receptive to new ideas and a greater understanding, which are good qualities for a Positive Golfer. You can get mental golf ideas a lot of places (blogs and websites are certainly two of them!), but I still encourage the use of books as a primary source, whether printed or digital, so you can read and re-read the ideas, let them sink in, and then easily go back to them. This reflection and re-visiting are helpful when learning about so many aspects of the game, including the mental side. Books are a great way to build the initial foundation of an understanding of the key concepts of mental golf, and also to expand and enrich this understanding as you progress in your development. Improvement of the mental game, along with the physical game, is a continual evolution whatever your level of experience and achievement. Books were enormously valuable in my early study of the mental game, and they continue to help deepen my understanding, heighten my awareness, and learn new insights and approaches to this day. Here are some of my favorite mental books which I consider "must-reads" for anyone seeking to improve their mental and physical games. There is a good mix of classics and newer titles. I still go back to these for periodic refreshers and reminders:

- The Inner Game of Golf, by W. Timothy Gallwey
- Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game, by Dr. Gio Valiante
- Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible, by Fred Shoemaker and Pete Shoemaker
- The Golfer's Mind: Play to Play Great, by Bob Rotella
- The Game Before the Game: The Perfect 30-Minute Practice, by Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson
- Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game, by Joseph Parent

In the near future, I look forward to adding our soon-to-be-released book on the mental game to this list - The Positive Golf Handbook: 101 Tips, Exercises, and Techniques to Improve Your Outlook, Your Game, and Your Life. It is a how-to, hands-on, honest-to-goodness handbook to help you put the mental game concepts you have read about in the books into real-life practice. In the meantime, keep reading the mental golf books and staying receptive to new ideas!

Here's to great golf!

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

Positive Mental Golf Practices for the "Off-Season"

One of the great things about the mental game is that you can easily practice skills to strengthen it, even when you aren't on the course, including during the days, weeks, or even months between rounds, which may be the case right now for some people in colder climates. The real key, however, is not just that it is fairly easy to do this mental practice in the "off-season," but it is also essential if you want your mental game, and in fact your entire game, to be in good form when you get back to the course. Having your mental game strong and tuned up is also essential if you desire any kind of golf improvement. Positive changes in your mindset are at the root of positive changes in your game. You're not going to get consistent improvement in your putting, for example, if you don't pave the way with a mindset free from excess pressure and over-effort and consisting of strong focus, positive expectations, and a keen awareness tuned in to the "feel" of the body and motion. These skills don't just conveniently "show up" at the moment you need them, no matter how much you want them to. Trying to call upon a mental skill "out of the blue" that is "rusty" from infrequent use is not the most effective approach. These skills need to be cultivated and practiced beforehand so they are natural, consistent, and well-developed. The best way to achieve this is to continually practice them on and off the course, including the "off-season" when you might not be playing for a while. This practice is more than reading or occasionally thinking about mental golf! There are some things you can do in your mind during this time to build and strengthen your Positive Golf mindset, and ultimately your entire game. Here are some key activities that will help:

1. Remember the good shots. Recalling and dwelling upon poor shots reinforces what you did wrong and what you think you "can't" do - it doesn't help you to move forward to new and better shots. Instead, practice remembering and "seeing" (in your mind) the good shots you have made in the recent past, and it will help to strengthen your confidence and "can do" attitude.

2. Stop comparing yourself to others. Here again, when you compare yourself to others, you often end up reminding yourself of what you can't do or what you should be doing and aren't doing. You end up feeling inferior and eroding your sense of confidence. While you may have a passing thought of comparing your abilities and results with others, especially when you read golf magazines or talk golf with other players, strive to focus on your own abilities, goals, and developments and the progress you are making compared to yourself. Remember, it's a game between you and the course!

3. Take note of how you "label" yourself. How you think and speak about yourself as a golfer, either in your mind or out loud in conversation with others, has an impact on how you end up playing. It's the old "self-fulfilling prophecy" concept. If you continually think of and speak of yourself as "just a hacker," "a lousy putter," or "a chronic slicer," this focus and mental energy can't help but continually show up in your physical game. Practice thinking and speaking of yourself and your game in a more positive way that is oriented to your potential rather than your shortcomings. As an example, you aren't "just a hacker," your are a golfer who loves the game, and right now you are focused on fine-tuning your tempo.

4. Tune in to the sense of feel. Effectively using the sense of "feel" is absolutely critical to playing your best golf, and it is touted by the best teachers and players. A lot of recreational players still overlook this valuable skill, however, choosing instead to focus on pounding it or sinking it, rather than the finer mental points of how to actually achieve that. Developing and using the sense of feel takes mental awareness and focus. You can use off-course time to remind yourself to take note of tuning in to the physical feeling in your hands, arms, shoulders, and legs when doing everyday activities. This will help to make it much more natural and easy to tune into feel when you are holding a club and striving to use it in a positive and effective way to achieve positive and desirable results.

The dedicated and regular practice of these mental activities in the "off-season" is sure to pay off in a stronger mindset, better preparation, and better playing when you get back to the course. As always, I invite you to share your thoughts and experiences with us here on the Positive Golf Blog.

Here's to great golf!

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