The Better Golfing Blog
Golf Using The 4C’s
Posted in News on Thursday, April 7th, 2011 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
Concentration, confidence, control and commitment (the 4C's) are generally considered the main mental qualities that are important for successful performance in most sports.- Concentration - ability to maintain focus
- Confidence - believe in one's abilities
- Control - ability to maintain emotional control regardless of distraction
- Commitment - ability to continue working to agreed goals
- Broad Narrow continuum - the golfer focuses on a large or small number of stimuli
- Internal External continuum - the golfer focuses on internal stimuli (feelings) or external stimuli (ball)
Learn the 3 R’s to bring your range game to the course – by Connell Barrett, Editor-at-large Golf Magazine
Posted in News on Sunday, July 4th, 2010 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
I love the scene in Tin Cup when a panic-stricken Roy McAvoy shanks shot after shot on the range at the U.S. Open. His caddie Romeo comes to the rescue. "Turn your hat backwards," Romeo says. "Put all your change in your back pocket. Now, take this tee and ... stick it behind your left ear." Roy obeys, and the hosel takeover ends. He starts striping the ball. Why? Romeo explains: "Because you're not thinking about shanking...You're not thinking at all. Your brain was getting in the way!" Not long ago, I played golf with a peak-performance coach named Frank Prince. Like Romeo, Prince, a very bright guy, knows that the mind means well but betrays you on the course. It gets louder when it needs to pipe down. Prince's audio program Thought Free Golf is designed to silence the swing-killing chatter by rewiring the mind, helping you bring your range swing to the first tee. "So many golfers swing...Mental Pressure: US Open and the World Cup
Posted in News on Thursday, June 17th, 2010 · Comments (2) · Tweet This
European players have a load of pressure when it comes to winning the US Open similar to England winning the World Cup. For both, it has been over 40 YEARS! The pressure of not having won gets greater with every passing year and that burden is passed down from one generation to the next. For a European to take the steps to win the US Open it is vital they put all dreams aside and relieve themselves of the perceived burden of their country and continent. Players like Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter should be picturing themselves holding the trophy aloft - rather than sinking the winning putt as you might expect. Go to Pebble Beach with a negative mindset, or a defeatist attitude, you are pretty much sealing your fate. When a course is tight and designed to test you, it is vital you stay optimistic. You have to understand...Mental Toughness at the Masters
Posted in News on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
"Mr. Quote", Jack Fertig has once again done a wonderful job capturing the mental side of the masters. He says: For the top golfers in the world, usually the championship (especially a major) is won by the most mentally tough golfer. It’s been the, if not unanimous, at least overwhelming, opinion of most in that world, that no one is more mentally tough than Tiger Woods. For quite a while, he proved just that. The most supremely confident of them all, El Tigre, made some god-like shots (which many expect) but struggled off the tee. Could all the distractions of the past few months have been weighing on him? Only he knows that. Scribes, pundits and fans have been wondering how someone, with some much running through his mind, would be able to focus in such a monumental tournament. First of all, it was The Masters. Next, it was his very first tournament after an extended layoff. ...Practice Golf Don’t Practice Your Practice
Posted in News on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
Most golfers spend their time on the range on autopilot. Sure, they might be thinking of swing mechanics as they pound through a bucket of balls, but many times they hit 7-iron after 7-iron trying to find the perfect groove. There is no focus. Golf54 offers courses that helps golfers make their practice much more effective. Golfers need to know how to practice and what to practice. Lynn Marriott refers to the way Americans practice as an entirely separate culture from the game of golf. When does a player ever hit consecutive 7-irons on the golf course, she asks? Hopefully, never. “Here’s the rule,” Marriott tells her students. “If you want to play better on the golf course, then you have to practice like you’re playing on the golf course.” It is recommended that players spend at least half of their time on the practice area simulating “real golf.” This means putting with...How to Choke-Proof Your Game
Posted in News on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
You practice your heart out on the range but can’t take your skills to the course. That’s because you don’t practice and play with the same timing and rhythm, and the problem only gets worse under pressure. You have to practice like you’re going to play, so under pressure you can play the way you’ve been practicing. That’s why NBA players, for example, practice free throws with the same pre-shot ritual they use in real games. You’ll find this in all sports—even dart throwers establish a “1-2-3-Go” ritual in practice, then use it in competition. Pressure is what you put on yourself, based on how badly you want to perform well and accomplish your goals. To create match-like pressure on the range, imagine very specific targets like the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, where you’re trying to hit the island green with the hole surrounded by water and a huge Sunday crowd. Practice...Overcoming Distractions
Posted in News on Monday, August 31st, 2009 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
Expert professionals that deal with sports psychology and the mental side of sports agree that the first step to dealing with fear and distractions on the sporting field is to make the conscious decision to recognize that you are indeed in the middle of a stressful situation. Don’t ignore what’s really happening. What you need to do is focus and turn things around. Say something to yourself like the following: “Yes I am a little nervous, but that’s okay it’s just normal. Any golfer facing the same shot on the golf course would feel the same way. It’s perfectly fine and I have a very good reason to feel this way. This simple tip helps you understand the position you are in and helps you deal with the feelings of anxiety and nervousness so that you can prepare for the next golf shot. Just by knowing you have to play a certain golf...Golf Swing Strength Training
Posted in News on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 · Comments (1) · Tweet This
It is no secret that most of the male and female tour players who want to play their best golf, do golf weight-training exercises. There is a HUGE misconception of what and how this type of program should be done. It does not take going into a gym and lifting heavy weights; nor does it take a 2-3 hour daily routine. Golf is a dynamic movement done on your feet. Just sitting in a machine in a “controlled” environment will not improve your swing. The golf swing incorporates most of the muscles of the body in a sequential motion. What works is doing a lot of exercise ‘on your feet’ and in your golf posture. The more you can get in your posture and strength train, the quicker the benefit to your game. Golf also involves balance and stabilization. To improve this takes a concentrated effort on core work and exercises...Perfection: The Golfers Error
Posted in News on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 · Comments (0) · Tweet This
Here are 4 Tips for you when you find yourself seeking perfection in your golf game: Identify Strict Expectations That Impede Success. Expectations, especially strict ones such as to hit perfect shots, do more harm than good. Expectations, good or bad, high or low are harmful to performance because they keep you stuck. Placing high expectations on yourself puts you in a win-lose or success-failure situation. If you don’t reach your high expectations, it’s easy to judge your effort as a failure. Setting simple goals is a better option. Set simple manageable goals like hitting a certain number of fairways per round or to play one shot at a time. Focus on Having Fun in the Present. The anxiety you experience partially results from an overemphasis on results or shooting a certain number. Everybody is trying to shoot a good score and you can’t control the outcome of a round. Your competitive...The Basketball “Free Throw” Experiment
Posted in News on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 · Comments (1) · Tweet This
A study was conducted on 30 basketball players. 10 were asked to practice one hour daily for a month on specific shots. Another 10 were asked to practice mentally making the same shots for an hour each day for a month. The last 10 were asked not to practice and to do nothing for a month. The results: · The group that didn’t practice showed no improvement. · The group that practiced the shots daily saw an improvement of 24% . · The group that practiced mentally improved equally 24%! They were given one Simple instruction, “Practice mentally making baskets”. They had all made baskets before so they all had a “common frame of reference for success”. Visualization is controlled by our subconscious inner thoughts. The simple key: Feed your subconscious with the right...