Global Sports: Use The Psychology Of Golf To Become A Better Player

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Use The Psychology Of Golf To Become A Better Player

By Nita McKinney


Many golfers go through periods when they feel low on confidence or they have problems in their game which they can't seem to overcome. These issues are not necessarily due to poor technique, they are often associated with the psychology of golf. If the psychology is right, then a player's game can improve enormously.

When a golfer's game is in bad order, they tend to be low on confidence, they play bad shots at crucial times and nerves get the better of them when they are near to winning. Many enthusiastic golfers stop playing the game altogether because they cannot get themselves into a positive mindset.

When a golfer doesn't hit the ball in the way that he wanted to, it can lead to self-hatred. Amateur golfers can be found on any course shouting obscenities at themselves, telling themselves off and throwing their club into the ground in frustration. Players can feel completely overwhelmed, as if they will never play well again. This is most evident when they miss putts to win the match.

A player's negative reaction to a mistake is often a projection of themselves on to the game. They think that the mistake is evidence of their incompetence in life generally. They try to tell themselves that it's not important but their subconscious mind reacts against this. This inability to keep things in perspective however, really originates from a failure to achieve perfection.

The way you react to failure is influenced by your experiences as a child. If your parents were too protective of you then you can lack confidence when growing up. If your parents overreacted to failure by becoming angry or frustrated, then you may never be able to face up to failure and so don't bother to start anything in the first place. If you grew up in a positive environment though, chances are failure will not crush you and so you will try new things in order to learn.

One of the things you can do to improve your mindset is to think about the worst case scenario if you played badly. Then, make yourself aware of the thoughts which pass through your mind when you do play badly. Don't try to dismiss them, just try to register them. Then make a comparison between your thoughts when you play well and when you play poorly. This will help you to change your mindset for the better.

Building confidence is another way of improving your golfing psychology. Enormous confidence can be gained through setting realistic practice goals. Each time you accomplish one of them, your confidence increases. Your improved confidence in practice can then impact how you play in matches.

Another technique for boosting confidence is to observe other golfers of a similar standard doing well. Even the very best players have role models to give them a lift. Watching other players succeed shows that you can too. This demonstrates just how important the psychology of golf is to becoming a good player.




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