Why The Psychology Of Golf Affects How You Play

By Nita McKinney


Most golfers have times when their confidence dips or they have issues with their game which they cannot seem to resolve. The solutions can often be found in the psychology of golf rather than in any technical books. If the mind set is correct, then your game can be improved hugely.

When players suffer these troughs in their game, they tend to lose confidence and make silly errors during crucial moments in the match, especially when they have a shot at winning. A lot of golfers stop playing the game completely because they are incapable of overcoming their negative mindset. A game that started off as fun for them, can become a disaster all too quickly.

When a golfer visualises a shot but doesn't execute it correctly, it can cause self-loathing. Many amateur golfers can be seen on a course berating themselves, swearing or displaying negative body language after a bad shot. In some cases, a feeling of helplessness takes over the player, as though they will never be able to get their game back on track again. This is especially true when they miss easy putts.

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 someone reacts to failure is decided in childhood. If their parents were over protective and failed to allow them to try anything, then this can lead to the child growing up with a shortage of confidence. If their parents became too frustrated with them whenever they failed, then they might think that failure is too much to bear and so never try anything. If a child grows up with plenty of encouragement from their parents, then they will be able to deal with failure and so keep trying new things and learning.

One way to improve your golfing mindset, is to think about the worst thing that could happen if you have a bad game. Observe the thoughts which go through your mind when it happens Don't try to banish them, just become aware of them. Then compare the differences in your thinking when you play well and when you play poorly. This will help you make positive changes to your attitude towards failure.

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.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire