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We don’t perform our best because we’re afraid of what others will think of us??

That is SO true!   OK, next question; How do you practice this? If this statement is true- how do we get better at not caring what others think about us????

That’s the question this morning – the morning Jordan Spieth is going out on his 4^th round to try to win the Masters! His ability to capture this title is very much about his ability to let go and not worry that the whole world is watching and will then talk about and pick apart every aspect of his game, his swing, his putting stroke, his demeanor, his family, his physical body, his personal life……….. that is what happens when you put yourself out there!

So, here is the deal- here is how you practice this; you short circuit the process.  Just Know you are going to look badly at times- you are going to fail at times, choke at times,  and do stupid things in front of the world. You got to get this.

Now,can you accept this, know this, expect this……and then forgive yourself, laugh at yourself, know it is not everything ………..and now, let go and go play without worrying about what others will say about you.

That needs to be a big part of your practicing.  We do that in our Mental Mastery Program.  Our next one is May 8th and the following one is May 30th-31st.  Call for any details.

High School Matches

Here is what I see too often…….…. Golfers give up too early in the round because they think they are “out of it” and their score won’t count for the team.

This concept is something that is so important and without even needing to give someone a “Lesson”- I know they will do better if they just decide before they go out there to “take it easy and don’t get upset if things don’t go just great.”

That is it!!!

I don’t know how many rounds I see get way worse- Not because of ball striking at all- simply by the golfer blowing a fuse in their own head and being self destructive throughout the latter half of their round.

Patience and acceptance is the suggestion here!   Hang in there and try not to let things get you too upset.   You don’t have to be Mr. Happy out there but you also don’t have to be the “Scrooge”, or “Poor me”, or “Life sucks” out there either! This is the opposite of perfectionism. I think perfectionism is a bad idea! Being the tough guy or the “deserving” player is what a lot of high school golfers think is the right way to be out there. Really, it is not about who is most deserving to play well. Often, it goes to the girl or guy who can simply hang in there with a good disposition that allows them to FINISH THE ROUND.   A lot of golfers simply shoot themselves in the foot or put themselves behind the eight ball, or dig themselves a hole they simply can’t claw their way out of. Play your game- let go of expectations, and just play to the end. This does require us to “ABSORB” a lot of “less than spectacular shots” – And that I know is not easy! But that is the thing that is needed during the round. You can practice later, after the round, but while you are out there; hang in there, diffuse your anger, and hit and reset the computer as often as you need. An example would be to make it your next priority to just play the next 5 holes the best you can regardless if you just played the first 13 holes terribly! That is important. The worst feeling is when you get in and you realize your team would have won if your score was just 2 strokes less?? Additionally, the truth is, you know in your heart, there was no way in God’s green earth you know you could have played any worse than you did today and the reason for the high score is simply- you thought you were way worse than you should be so you “bagged” it by acting too cool and careless, too tough, rebellious, or, the opposite, way to timid and over analytical and over careful. Just hang and learn to accept some less than perfect shots and holes and keep going!

Good Luck!

In my last blog, I talked about the benefit of being in a northern city like Pittsburgh.  How can that be you say?   Well, one thing you could get by being “away from the game” is  perspective!  When you live in Florida, there is a strong probability that you don’t see but only  one way to be a golfer.  Most golfers think if you don’t practice and play every day, you won’t get to be where you want to be!

Truly, that is not how it is. The old saying of quality over quantity is what I’m pointing to here.  Do you play with a high level of awareness?   Do you even know how to get to being in that state?”  Do you think yoga could  be a way to help you learn awareness – can you practice yoga in Pittsburgh?  When I was studying to become a yoga instructor,  my  yoga teacher told me  that yoga is “practicing with psychological penetration; not a physical pushing.”

While my driveway today is covered with almost 6 inches and I”m stuck inside, I am relaxing, taking pleasure in doing other hobbies I have in my life. The relaxation allows me some time to reflect and  bring some clarity as  to what I will attend to when I go back to the golf course.  Today in Pittsburgh,  I practice being able to come in and out of my focused attention through other hobbies and practices I have – like yoga.  It sounds counter productive but getting away and resting and seeing how your mind works in other sports and hobbies gives you a great perspective on how you play golf.

If you are in Florida everyday playing and doing the same thing, you could miss some great lessons that distance from your game  and  variety have to teach you.  It takes some energy to pay attention!  Take some time to rest and get out of that hot sun and hydrate!  Come up here to Pittsburgh and we’ll teach you how to stay energized and have perspective and be focused on the upside of  the things in your life!