Want to Improve? Attach the “Weight” to the Good Shot
Webster’s II New Revised Dictionary 2nd definition for Psychology: The emotional characteristics and behavior associated with an individual.
Simple tip in concept this month, but the application is the hard part I find for many a student, and on occasion this author. So much of the improving in this game comes down to a “healthy” psychology.
The game is so fantastic, so many facets to enjoy and cherish in so many different ways. A path filled with ups and downs. But often, I see students get stuck in their “down”. The down being a shot, a club, the last round, rounds, practices, a slump, or over time an overall game. Often, this “down” becomes what their golf is about. If any of this sounds familiar.
I’d like to first point out that I don’t think you are getting the enjoyment out of the game that you should. And that might be rubbing off on your playing partners? (Sorry to point this out).
Secondly and very simply, I’d like to challenge you on how you think and in particular, “What do you attach your emotion too?” Where you attach your emotion is where your memory is going to go and seriously impacts your Psychology. I’ll give you an example.
Beginners, particularly ladies, are often afraid to hit down on the ground. So they top a lot of shots one right after the other because they blade the ball. As an instructor I will take them out to longer rough cut grass and tell them to brush the grass more or take a small divot, learning how to hit down on the ball which is what will get it up in the air and what we want. The grass creates the feel we are looking for.
But from experience with these students I know what is soon to come is a shot where they do brush down, but they do it before the ball and they hit it fat. When this happens within the first few balls, I reach over and give them a high five. Why? Because they met our goal of brushing the grass and trying to hit down.
Now if that new golfer went by the results of the golf ball, chances are they are going to feel bad about themselves and not get anywhere. But did she do what we wanted her to? Yes. So I give it some positive emotion so the learning takes hold.
The next thing I will do with the new student is tell her to do the exact same thing but keep their eye on the back of the ball so they meet it first. Guess what? Clubface hits down on ball first, loft on clubface puts ball into the air, then the club brushes the grass! Succesful airborne shot! Yes!
If that new golfer, got stuck feeling bad about hitting the fat shot, we would have never learned and gotten the positive one! So what about you? It doesn’t matter if you are a new player or a lifetime player. Are you stuck, or your emotions stuck giving weight to the misses? The downs?
Give a try to attaching your emotions to the successful attempts, shots, holes, rounds. Really put some strong, positive emotion to it. Celebrate. Bring back the high five and just let the downs drift on by not giving them any weight at all. See what happens to your golf Psychology and your golf game. Chances are it can only help.
