Posted by Charlie King on Sat, Apr 18, 2009 @ 06:45 PM
YES!
Emotions are part of every golfer's game. Have you ever experienced anger or frustration on the course, and then you feel like you lost your swing? Emotions can quickly override and undo all of the long hours of work and practice you put in. Anxiety, irritation and anger are types of emotions that can turn up the mental noise to such a disruptive pitch that it becomes difficult to perform and stay in a great, positive state of mind. How you think on the course will influence your game. If you want to get the most out of your golf game, it would be worthwhile to discover whether or not your mindset is hindering your results.
It is important to determine what your emotional state is for playing your very best golf. Emotional states drive physiological functions and performance. Emotions are what controls and determines the quality of our golf game. Once you have discovered what you are trying to accomplish whether it is winning a tournament, or shooting your best round, breaking a 100 for the first time you will have a pattern of emotions. Once you establish what you are trying to achieve, each individual will have a pattern of emotions that they associate to this meaning as their way of dealing with the issue.
- How you use your physical body such as breath, posture, and movement will have an effect on your game. A great example would be when someone is playing well and confident they usually have their chest up, shoulders back, and are breathing calmly. You can tell a lot by someone's posture on the course.
- Whatever you focus on, you will feel. As soon as we put words to the experience it changes the meaning we experience. Someone who believes they can do it will have a better chance of getting the results they desire. Focus on that task and it will lead to the best results. Think back to a time on the course when you played your best you were unbeatable and everything seemed to go your way. Were you confident, Fearless, Focused, or Relaxed? It might be a combination of them all.
Get rid of meanings or excuses for how or why you are feeling. Put yourself in the state of emotion that allows you to play your best golf. This is very important when your tendency is to react negatively to bad shots. Remember if you try to put the shot out of your mind but your emotional state is still negative you will struggle out there.
Check out Charlie's video below on this topic.
Happy Golfing, Karen