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Posts tagged “golf mental game”

Follow A.C.E. & Become an ACE!

Follow  A.C.E. and become and A.C.E.? ~ Learn How To Control 3 Major Aspects of YourSelf

 

Attitude ~

1. manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind: a negative attitude; positive attitude

2. position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion,

It’s extremely important to approach golf with the right attitude or be in the correct frame of mind when you’re ready to play or practice. Your’re either on Team Negative Attitude or Team Positive Attitude, obviously,  it’s important to be on Team Positive. Too many times we see the tendency of people rushing to the first tee un prepared, which usually means they’re feeling stressed while driving/speeding to get to the course in the hopes of not missing their tee time or the first hole or simply frustrated on the range or golf course because things aren’t going their way .  Golfers’ need to follow a course of action or regular plan that works for each individual to get them in the right frame of mind before playing or practicing. For example, if you’re going to play, a solid course of action is sticking to your schedule so you can manage your time effectively;  make a check list of the necessities you require (food, balls, gloves, shoes) etc. forgetting something can affect your mood and attitude and add some frustration to your day even prior to getting started. Start out by allowing yourself a minimum of 60 minutes of time “at the course” before your scheduled tee time. Get in the car and cruise in a calm manner to the course, listen to some easy listening music, fast paced music can get you in a different frame of mind and even affect your tempo as the last song you listened to usually sticks in our heads, in some cases all day sub-consciously. Follow a regular warm up routine. (stretching, short game, hitting session)  Doing some of these related tasks will help get you in the right frame of mind and will provide some structure toward getting your attitude on Team Positive so you can have a successful day on the golf course.

 

Concentration ~

1. The action or power of focusing one’s attention or mental effort.
2. Dealing with one particular thing above all others.

 

The ability to concentrate in golf is often mis-understood.  Many players at the amateur level feel the necessity to try and grind and concentrate for a 4 and half hour time frame.  This is virtually impossible. What is very important, is to understand how to focus in short bursts. The golf swing is on average 1.5 seconds and the fewer the thoughts the better. Most of the time concentration is done in preparation to execute a shot.  I prefer my students and players to get in a 20 to 30 second bubble of concentration prior to hitting the shot and follow this routine throughout practice and of course play. I know if you follow this kind of structured concentration you will increase your opportunity at producing a more desired outcome.

 

Emotions ~

1. an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness.

 

This pertains to golf as it’s very important to remain on an even keel when playing.  There have been some players along the way such as David Duval, Fred Couples and Dustin Johnson to name a couple of current players that have been criticized for not showing enough emotion.  They have an innate ability to “control” their emotions and are never too high and never too low and rarely show their frustrations.  This ability has been a skill they have developed over the course of their career as being able to accept the outcome or by product of the shot they executed. It may also be a personality trait, but in tough pressure situations this skill is definitely an advantage.  It provides a platform to remain calm. Players need to control their fears. Perhaps, they’re afraid of  specific shots on certain holes? Players need to control their joys, the holes they do really well on and look forward to and even though they might not have played them yet, they might have thought too far ahead. For example, “oh, #8 and # 11 are my birdie holes.”  Some of this is set up by first starting off with a positive attitude, if you stick to a few of the guidelines above, you’re ahead of the game. If you combine your positive Attitude along with some short burst Concentration its a recipe for success.  If you have a negative attitude or poor concentration this will undoubtedly build up to a boiling point of frustration that we as professionals see in club throwing, cursing and other outbursts that will takeaway from your experiences both present and future until you decide to change or realize you need to get your emotions in check.

 

These are just a few of my brief thoughts on some Mental Game ideas that I know are beneficial.  Jason Helman Golf  is here to coach you to a better game.

 

For the full experience, contact me for your next “coaching session.”  e-mail: jhelman@clublink.ca or 905-925-0129

 

Stay tuned for the next A.C.E. (coming soon)

 

Regards,

Jason Helman

Ontario & Canadian PGA Teacher of the Year

April 8, 2011 | Categories: golf instruction in toronto, golf lessons in ontario, golf lessons in toronto, Jason Helman golf | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remember on the 1st Tee to “DRIVE”…

So, many times on the first tee the nerves set in and you don’t know what to do about them.  There’s people behind you watching and all you’re really worried about is screwing up in front of them. Well, here’s a good acronym that your sure not to forget. Just remember when you’re on the first tee to “DRIVE”.  Follow a pre-shot routine and figure out your objective.  Let’s start with “D” Define, Choose the shape of shot that fits the hole best, play to your strength.  “R” Review that this is the best possible route to take and stick with your decision. “I” Internalize and believe in yourself that you are awesome and you’re going to rip this shot down the middle of the fairway and get off to a great start.  A positive attitude is a must to get through to the end of the “Drive.”  “V”  Visualize Try and see the shape of the shot, pick a target well beyond anything on the hole in line with where you want your ball to end up, a tree, a telephone pole, the peak of a house, a window, aim towards it, you’ll never get it there, but if you see your ball flying towards it you know it will end up in great position. Ah, finally “E” Execute to the best of your ability, this is all we can ever ask of ourselves and accept the outcome.  Accepting the outcome or result is a huge issue that golfers/people fail to overcome which bleeds into poor shot after poor shot as they dwell on it for a few holes. Think about these next time you play, let me know how it goes. If you have any questions drop me a line or feel free to comment or consult your local CPGA or PGA professional.

Jason Helman

Canadian PGA,

Ontario PGA Teacher of the Year

 

November 19, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment