Positive Golf Tip - Remember the Good Shots

In my posting on January 1, 2008, I shared the "Primary Positive Mental Habit" that I had selected for extra practice in the coming year, and that is "Improve my golf self-image." I promised to give some ideas and tips that helped me in my practice throughout the season. Today, I'm sharing a tip from our forthcoming Positive Golf Handbook. The tip actually appears in the section of the book on Reducing Self-Doubt, but it is just as helpful for Improving Golf Self-Image (which has a lot to do with reducing self-doubt!). Here's the tip as it appears in the book. This is something that you can begin to practice right now when you are on and off the course. It really is the "little" things like this, when practiced consistently, that add up in a BIG way to boost confidence, self-image, and your entire golf mindset. Try it out...

Remember the Good Shots---

Confidence is invariably rooted in prior experiences, so we need something to draw on. - Dr. Gio Valiante in FEARLESS GOLF

A quality of successful golfers who practice mental habits that cultivate, rather than diminish, confidence, is that they remember the good shots and focus on these successes, rather than dwell on failures. So, it is not only that they positively interpret and "frame" obstacles and mistakes in a productive way, but it is also what they give focus and attention to as they move forward. The key is that successful golfers look at these mistakes in a productive way and learn from them, then they move on. Rather than continually looking back at these mistakes and filling themselves with fear and doubt, they focus on remembering the good shots they have hit, especially in challenging situations, and this gives them the powerful memory of success to draw upon. As the quote by sports psychologist Gio Valiante given above indicates, you need something positive to draw upon to help fuel confidence and the can-do attitude, and remembering the good shots (rather than the bad ones) does just that.

In the book EVERY SHOT MUST HAVE A PURPOSE, authors Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott tell us that, "One obstacle we all must overcome is that it is easier to remember our bad shots than it is to remember our good ones. Strangely, we all seem to have a tendency to not put enough value on what we do right..." If you are striving to reduce self-doubt and build confidence for you golf game, it is vital that you practice making it easier to remember the good shots and allowing these images to strengthen your belief in your ability to play golf. Here are some positive pointers to help you:

1. Consciously practice filling your memory bank with images and feelings of good shots. When you make a good one, tell yourself, "I'm going to remember that one."

2. Practice recalling your "good shot memories" as you drive to the course and prepare to play. Remind yourself, "I have the ability to make good shots."

3. Practice recalling your "good shot memories" when you are in a situation on the course where you feel fear, pressure, doubt, anxiety, or tension. Remind yourself, "I have the ability to make good shots."

4. After a mis-hit or errant shot, practice a positive interpretation of it and determine what you have learned that will help you move forward. Then, instead of dwelling on what you did wrong, practice recalling some "good shot memories" and remind yourself, "I have the ability to make good shots."

5. When you get to a point on the course where you recall making a mistake in a prior round, recall some good shot memories related to this same kind of shot and remind yourself, "I can make great golf shots. I can do this!"

Here's to a great golf mindset and a great game!

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

Go the "Extra Degree" for Your Golf Improvement

Recently, I have been writing about ideas related to choosing and practicing positive habits to help your golf improvement. I am always on the lookout for great examples and resources that inspire me and fuel my desire and dedication to practice discipline and consistency, like the example of Mike Weir in my previous posting. I encourage others to keep their eyes and ears open for great examples of positive mental golf practices by players on the Tour and players in their own "backyard." (This goes beyond watching and listening for the latest swing tip - it's watching and listening to learn what successful players are thinking and feeling to keep them focused, disciplined, calm, and confident, which lays the groundwork for better, more consistent swings and all-around playing.) Great examples of Positive Golf thinking and playing and other resources that support this approach are all around us. By staying tuned-in and aware, each and every day we can get great mental tidbits that will help our game (and our life!).

A friend recently shared the following motivational resource with me, and I thought it had some great points that support the Positive Golf approach. It's all about the "extra degree" that makes a difference. It gave me a motivational charge for sticking with my positive habits and Positive Golf Improvement Project I have chosen to practice this year. Here are some ideas that lit a spark in me:

- At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. One extra degree makes all the difference.
- And the one extra degree of effort in business and in life separates the good from the great!
- The average margin of victory for the last 25 years in all major golf tournaments combined was less than three strokes.
- To get what we never had, we must do what we've never done.
- Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other. (Walter Elliot)

For more ideas in a super, really short video format, go to http://www.212movie.com/. I can guarantee you'll want to watch it a couple of times.

Here's to perseverance for Positive Habits and Positive Golf!

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

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

A Resource for Developing Positive Habits to Boost Your Golf Improvement ---



The effective practice of mental golf is all about developing and using positive mental habits. This is the foundation that helps to optimize your physical game and your overall golf improvement and leads to the enjoyment of many more positive golf experiences. Learning about positive mental skills, like focus and self-belief, is one thing but actually turning them into habits is another thing. It can really help to have some tips, guidance, and tools to help you get started and stick with it. In the course of improving this practice for myself, I have found out about this really great program that can help you get into the "swing" of practicing positive habits. It's called "The Power of Positive Habits" and what it is is a really practical, easy-to-use, interactive personal development program that helps you learn to identify negative thoughts, habits, and routines and replace them with positive, thoughts, habits, and routines. This will help you get the hang of developing mental skills and habits that can make a huge difference in your success with golf improvement and other aspects of life. The program includes an e-book, an audio program, and an interactive PC software program, all for a very reasonable price and lots of really impressive bonuses. While some of the personal development products can be impractical, this one really is practical and real-life. I am including it as a Positive Golf resource because I know it can really make a difference to have help in getting over that "hump" of identifying and making changes. And remember - a lot of the positive mental skills that are considered helpful for life in general are really helpful to learn and master in your progress toward positive change in your golf game. So, see what you think about "The Power of Positive Habits"...



Here's to great golf!



Rick Semple

Positive Golfer

Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com

http://www.theheartofgolf.com/