Mental Golf Teaches How to Play in the Zone

Mental golf teaches how to play in the zone, and I’ll tell you how… To date, Golf pro Tom Lehman has earned 29 professional wins. But the win that I want to draw your attention to his only major: the 1996 British Open. What’s so special about it? You see, about one month before he landed his major, Lehman lost the US Open at Oakland Hills to Steve Jones by ONE STROKE. He must have been real upset. I dug up an article by Jaime Diaz (writer for SI) referring to that sour day for Lehman:

 [...] Still, when it comes to what might have been, the 96th Open will be remembered for the two players whose fingers were pried off the prize last—Tom Lehman and Davis Love III. [...]

Lehman’s loss might be harder to take because he did execute, only to be undone by an unlucky bounce. On the strength of a course-record-tying 65 on Saturday, Lehman started the day with a one-shot lead at two under, and he briefly extended the spread to three strokes when he birdied the 7th hole to go four under. But he bogeyed the 10th after a poor tee shot, and on the par-5 12th, the second-easiest hole on the course, Lehman’s second shot, a perfectly struck driver from 275 yards, ran over the green to the back of a steep bunker. Forced to play out away from the pin, Lehman left himself 50 feet from the hole. He three-putted for a cruel bogey that dropped him to two under and a stroke behind Jones.

“The 12th hole is what stuck me pretty good,” Lehman said. “It was the turning point. It’s one thing to hit a skanky shot and make a bogey. It’s another to hit two pure drivers on a par-5 and walk away with a 6.”

Lehman was further abused when he lipped out a good-looking 20-footer for birdie at the par-4 16th, a putt that was reminiscent of his missed eagle attempt on the 15th at Augusta in 1994, when he came in second to José María Olazábal in the Masters. And then at the 17th, Lehman’s six-iron tee shot landed 20 feet in front of the hole but bounced over the green and into the rough.

But the very next time Lehman was stepped out, he bounced right back and won that British Open. He had the ability to bounce back from atournament-losing-shot and come out a winner.

Alright, so how did he do that? How do the pros mess up and come right back to win tournaments? It’s because the pros have learned how to play “in the zone”. Being “in the zone” means that you’ve got a high level of confidence. Pros who play at this confidence level – know that they’re going to nail each shot the way they want. The way they see the shot - will be the way the shot happens. And when a shot doesn’t happen the way they intended (because it’s never 100% of the time) – they’re not fazed. They’re still just as confident and move ahead to beat their opponents. Their confidence allows them to play their best without getting sidetracked by mess-ups.

After the 1984 U.S. Open, Chip Beck talked about his game – when he was in the zone:

“I knew I could play that day. You just feel that you’re hitting your shots. You’re hitting your targets. You just feel it. It’s almost an invincible feeling because you know everything is going your way. At that point in time, your confidence just builds.”

Ok, so how do the pros get to this level of confidence? How do they get “in the zone”? By working on their mental game. When you develop and master your mental side of golf, your confidence skyrockets and you begin playing “in the zone”. So it’s: work on mental game, gain confidence, then play in the zone. Tha’ts how mental golf teaches how to play in the zone.

Let me give you a mental golf tip from pro Greg Norman. Greg uses self-talk right before he hits his tough shots, for encouragement. The tougher the shot he faces, the more he talks to himself. “If I’m on the last hole of the tournament, facing a long iron shot to the green, and needing a birdie to win, I’ll say to myself: You know the shot called, you’ve knocked it stiff a thousand times, and now you’re going to do it again”. He gives himself a boost of confidence just before taking these incredibly stress filled shots. And the ball goes exactly where he wants it to go.

Want to learn how to easily master your mental game and begin playing “in the zone”? Check out Golfermind today: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/

Annika Sorenstam's Mental Golf Lesson

I was reminiscing about LPGA Tour legend Annika Sorenstam. Why do I say “legend”? With 89 total career wins (including 72 LPGA wins and 10 Major wins), I feel like she can be called a legend. Okay, but do you remember her last tournament? I want to call your attention to her very last round of golf…her very last shot… It’s there that you’ll learn Annika Sorenstam’s mental golf lesson.

Now the day before her last shot, she finished with a 75 - which pretty much destroyed her chances of winning the title.  The next day, feeling a little nervous, she stepped out onto the course for her last round of professional golf. And when she stepped up for her last shot?  It was an eight-foot birdie – one that was well deserving of the standing ovation that followed. I dug up an article from Golf.com, that takes us back to that day:

It ended with a birdie, a standing ovation and a seventh-place finish for Annika Sorenstam, leaving the Hall of Fame golfer with no regrets after the final stroke of her career. The Swede shot a 1-under 71 Sunday at the Dubai Ladies Masters, finishing six shots behind winner Anja Monke after an eight-foot birdie at No. 18 drew a standing ovation from the packed gallery. Sorenstam raised her putter to acknowledge the crowd and then hugged caddie Terry McNamara.

“I felt at peace. I really felt very content,” she said. “I walked up to hit my third shot on the 18th, and I felt the breeze coming in, and it was just a really comfortable feeling. I saw some players standing behind the 18th green, that gave me a tear. I saw my parents and my family and that give me a tear.” Sorenstam, who is retiring to focus on family and business interests, led the tournament after the second round, but shot a 75 on Saturday to torpedoe her hopes for a third straight title at the season-ending tournament on the Ladies European Tour.

Now, you can probably imagine that she might’ve had a lot on her mind during that lost shot… The pressure of knowing that it was her LAST SHOT was probably the most daunting. Yet she gracefully sunk that putt. How did she stay so focused? Annika played great golf even while playing her last round as a pro because she learned how to set her game on autopilot. Annika described her own playing that day as “automatic”. That’s Annika Sorenstam’s mental golf lesson.

Now that may be easy for a pro to say… But how can WE make it so that when we golf, we’re playing our best game – automatically? You have to master your mental game. Like she did. How? Check out Golfersmind to start applying easy to learn mental tips that will turn your game around! See it for yourself right here: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/

Mental Golf Tip: Watch Your Language

A powerful mental golf tip: watch your language! You see, language has a direct effect on your golf game. If you are using the wrong kind of language, it is damaging your score. The wrong kind of language is when you say something like: “I hope my game will improve”. Is your game really going to improve? No. All you said is just that you are going to sit around and “hope” that it does.

Are you “trying” to improve your golf game? Do you know what it means to “try”? When you use the word “try”, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You allow for the possibility that you won’t succeed. Simply put: Anytime you’re TRYING to do something – you’re not DOING it. If someone tells you that they’ll “try and make it” to your dinner party and someone else tells you that they’ll “definitely be there”… Which person are you going to set a place for? Let me take you back to the 2009 British Open to show you what I mean.

There were 2 remaining golfers: Tom Watson and Stewart Cink. So why did Cink beat out Watson? Is he really such a better golfer? No. It has to do with mental game… You see, when Watson approached the par five 17th hole, he turned to his caddie and said: “I don’t know if I can get it out, but I reckon I’ll give it a try”. And that’s what he did – he “tried” and got a double bogey on the 17th hole. If Watson would’ve been using the language of a confident golfer – he might’ve had a better chance at the claret jug.

The opposite is also true: if you are using the right kind of language, you are letting yourself play your best. Know who used this trick? Golf pro Bernhard Langer.

A few years ago, at the 3M Championship (in Blaine, Minnesota), two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer eagled the  last hole to win the tournament. He was standing at the edge of the green when he chipped the ball right into the hole for a distance of about 10 feet. It was the first eagle to win a tournament in 3 years! But this shot is more amazing than that… Langer knew he was going to eagle even before he took his shot! He later mentioned: “Before I played that shot, I told my son, ‘I’m going to make this’.” And he did.

So take this mental golf tip: watch your language! Before your next putt, say this instead: “I am absolutely going to sink this putt.” When you talk with confidence, you improve your self-image and boost your confidence. Want to learn how to speak the language of the pros and start playing your best golf consistently? Check out Golfersmind and be on your way. But before you do, see how you make out on the Golf Test: http://www.golfersmind.com/the-golf-test/

Eliminate Tension with Mental Golf

How can you eliminate tension with mental golf? Well, I remembered reading something a few years ago about how stress in America was on the rise. I did a search and found it. Back in 2009, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia released some research about stress and emotional problems. Dr. Matthew Zack, lead researcher, revealed that the number of people who have frequent mental distress seems to be growing. In fact, in some areas like Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, their research revealed a drastic increase in mental distress.

Jennifer Thomas, writer for the HealthDay Reporter, has more details on the growing stress problem:

Life in America is getting more stressful, especially if you live in the Appalachian or Mississippi Valley regions. Almost 10 percent of some 1.2 million people surveyed annually by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2003 to 2006 reported having frequent mental distress, defined as 14 or more days a month of feeling depressed, stressed or having emotional problems. That was up 1 percentage point from the CDC surveys conducted from 1993 to 2001. The findings appear in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

But some states seem to be faring decidedly worse than others. West Virginia had the highest percentage of residents, 14.9 percent, who reported frequent mental distress in the 2003-2006 survey. Kentucky had 14.4 percent. In Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia, incidence of frequent mental distress rose by 4 percentage points between the first and second surveys. Other states with higher than average rates included Alabama, Arkansas and Indiana. Given the current state of the economy, the 2008 statistics, which are not yet compiled, will probably show ever worsening levels of mental distress, said lead investigator Dr. Matthew Zack, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC.

The Masters Revisited with Mental Golf: Bad Golfing

The Masters revisited with mental golf: bad golfing… Honestly, what comes to mind? If it’s something other than Henrik Stenson, we’ve got to have a talk. He was at the top of the leaderboard until he landed a quadruple-bogey 8 (at the par-4 18th). That was on Thursday. Stenson commented: “Finishing with an 8, I don’t think I’ve ever done that.” How did it happen? Stenson explained that “You make a little mistake and then you compound it with another one, and it just keeps on snowballing, and I got the snowman in the end.”

But Stenson’s not the only one who came up with some bad numbers. Cameron Morfit, writer for GOLF Magazine, talks about Mickelson’s triple-bogey:

Nothing was more bizarre, however, than Mickelson’s making triple-bogey on the fourth hole. His tee shot missed left, clanged off the grandstand railing and ricocheted into the bushes. The shot recalled Jean Van de Velde’s misadventure in losing the 1999 British Open, which also involved a shot off a grandstand railing.

After being allowed to touch his ball in order to identify it, Mickelson tried twice to extricate it right-handed, turning his club toe-down. His second effort nearly hit his left leg, and he was lying three on hard-packed dirt. From there, he dumped his fourth shot short, into the sand. His bunker shot nearly went in, and he tapped in for his 6 — the antipode to Oosthuizen’s albatross.

So the Masters revisited with mental golf: bad golfing focused on two of the worst. But I want to clue you in on what I think was the trigger for Stenson’s blunder… He said himself: “You make a little mistake and then you compound it with another one, and it just keeps on snowballing.” That’s true – but only if you let it happen. Mental golf says to let it go. The snowball effect is only if it keeps on going. You have the power to stop it.

What do you do when you feel like you’re in a bad groove? Learn some quick tips for how to be in control of your game right here: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/

The Masters Revisited with Mental Golf The Saddest Golfer

The Masters revisited with mental golf: the saddest golfer… Sergio Garcia made me feel so bad for him. After his 3rd round he told reporters:

“That’s the reality. I’m not good enough and today I know it. I’ve been trying for 13 years and I don’t feel capable of winning. I don’t know what happened to me. Maybe it’s something psychological. … After 13 years, my chances are over. I’m not good enough for the majors. That’s it.”

“Everything I say, I say it because I feel it. If I didn’t mean it, I couldn’t stand here and lie like a lot of the guys do. If I felt like I could win, I would do it. Unfortunately at the moment, unless I get really lucky in one of the weeks, I can’t really play much better than I played this week. And I’m going to finish 13th or 15th. What does that show you?”

Now this is coming from the same pro who’s got 10 wins on the European tour and 7 on the PGA tour. And did you see his standings at some of the majors he’s played in? He’s not that far off from winning… But at the same time, I see where he’s coming from: 0-for-54 for wins in the majors. That’s a hard number.

The Masters revisited with mental golf: the saddest golfer… But what can you take away from Garcia’s sad story? Well, if Garcia was thinking that he’s not good enough and how he’s not going to win during the tournament - then it’s no surprise he lost. His confidence was shot and he was distracted by his frustration. Perhaps if he was able to stay optimistic and get a hold of his thoughts, he wouldn’t have has the results that he did.

Let Garcia’s sad story be a lesson: stay positive. If you want to give yourself the best chance that you’ve got to play your best, you’ve got to think that can do it. If you think that you’re going to come out at the bottom – guess where you’re going to find yourself… Start playing with confidence today! Check out Golfersmind: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/

The Masters Revisited with Mental Golf: Bubba Watson

The Masters revisited with mental golf: Bubba Watson… His win at Augusta marked the 4th of his career and it was his 1st major. There’s a lot to say about Watson’s playing, but I want to focus on that one shot… It was sudden death at the second playoff hole and Watson had a hook – deep in the trees. How did he get the confidence to come out of that? Watson tells us that “The first time I ever worked with my caddie, in Boston, six years ago, I told him, ‘If I have a swing, I’ve got a shot.” And that very same caddie, Ted Scott, mentioned that to Watson as they headed to take the shot. The rest is history.

The great Jack Nicklaus himself was astounded by that shot…

Bubba Watson’s hooked wedge shot from the trees right of the 10th fairway in a playoff at this year’s Masters ranks with the greatest shots of all time, Nicklaus said. In trouble off the tee, Watson had to hit an incredible shot to just stay alive in his two-man showdown with Louis Oosthuizen. Watson’s dramatic shot landed on the green and spun within range of an easy two-putt par that gave him his first major championship. Nicklaus said it was hard to even imagine the difficulty of the wedge shot. “I’d never been where he was,” he cracked. But it was the creativity that Watson showed that made it so memorable.

“When you’re playing a hook it usually takes off,” Nicklaus said. “But that ball danced like it had a lot of backspin on it. I saw that ball hit the green and I said, `Wow.’ That was something. Not only did he play the shot, but he played the shot and ended up with control at the end of the shot – which I thought was the amazing part. That will go down as one of the great shots ever played in the game.”

Now, this article is called: “The Masters revisited with mental golf: Bubba Watson.” So what does mental golf have to say about this? It’s why I mentioned that line: “If I have a swing, I’ve got a shot.” That was an injection of positive thinking and confidence right when he needed it most. That one line was the opportunity to forget The Masters, forget the last bad shot, and just focus on nailing this one.

Do you have something like that? When playing golf, it’s crucial to have something to break your negative pattern. For some,  it may be thinking of a joke. For others, the thought of a loved one. If it doubles as a confidence booster – perfect. Find out other simple to learn and easy to apply tips that you can start using right away with Golfersmind: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/

The Masters Revisited with Mental Golf: Tiger Woods

The Masters revisited with mental golf: Tiger Woods… I predicted Woods would win at Augusta. He was on a high before the tourny saying things like that the best way to work the greens would be to “ hit it really close all the time.” Didn’t he also say that he was “driving the ball much better than I have” and that he’s had “some heat behind” his shots? What happened to the Woods we saw at Bay Hill?

Instead, we saw a furious Tiger kick his club around 15 yards after a few poor shots. As he put it: “It’s certainly frustrating at times not to hit the ball where you need to hit it.” Nick Faldo mentioned that Woods had  ”lost his game … and lost his mind.” What a mess! Gary Van Sickle, writer for Sports Illustrated, laments how Woods couldn’t seem to keep it going. He went from confidence to… well very far from there…

In case that’s not clear, let me try again. I was pretty sure Tiger was back after that closing 62 in the Honda Classic and a dominating victory at Bay Hill. He was so convincing. But after four dismal Masters rounds in which he never broke par and managed just three birdies all week on the back nine , none of them on a par 5 (somebody alert Mr. Ripley!), now I’m pretty sure Tiger isn’t back. Not at all. Maybe not even close. In short: What the hell is going on, Tiger? Let us count the ways that Tiger went wrong. Or perhaps the excuses.

Thursday’s 72: “Old patterns… some of my stuff from a few years ago. The Hank backswing was the new downswing.” Friday’s 75: “Well, I know what to do, it’s just a matter of doing. That’s the frustrating part… I’ve got to stay patient and keep doing the reps.” Saturday’s 72: “I was so close to putting it together today. I’m telling you, it was so close to being a really good round. I’m so close to turning it around.” Sunday’s 74: “You’re not going to play well every week. I had the wrong ballstriking week at the wrong time… Thank God my short game was good this week and my putting was really good. Unfortunately, they were all for pars, not birdies.  I played the par 5s atrociously. You have to dominate the par-5s, and I did not do that at all… I can get it dialed in on the range and it feels really good. I go to the course and I just don’t quite trust it at all. It means I need more reps.”

What did you expect when I said this would be “the Masters revisited with mental golf: Tiger Woods“? Woods was riding high on his victory from Bay Hill – but that confidence alone wasn’t enough to pull him through to the end. It looks like Woods needed something more than that. Mental Golf 101 teaches how to cancel out bad shots and stay focused and positive. Looks like Woods needs more emphasis on his mental golf game…

Woods’ mistake doesn’t need to be yours! Make sure you’re not just working on your swing, but that you’re also incorporating your mental game. Start today by clicking here: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/

If you are like me, you know that improving your swing is important.  You also probably know that using some kind of mental golf training program will lower your score too.

Sure, you could take some expensive mental golf training program in Florida, but who has the time for that?

Here’s a recent news article about the importance of improving your mental game.

Mental Strength In Sports Training

Click on the image above to learn more about Dr. Kilstein's low cost mental golf training program

Of all the skills that athletes and sportsmen possess, the most underappreciated ability is a sportsman’s mental acuity. While sports and games of all type require a great amount of physical ability, what separates a good player from a great player is how they analyze the game on the field. Let’s take a deeper look at this concept.

Some games, such as golf or poker, require a high level of mental strength. In golf, it is often said that a major portion of the sport is mental over physical ability. A golfer that is able to focus on his game and block out all distractions and focus on the current shot is much more apt to be successful than the standard golfer. Tiger Woods is a prime example used by many when talking about psychology in golf. Many feel that Tiger’s off the course problems have been haunting him to the point where one never knows what type of game Tiger will exhibit on the golf course.

 

Is Tiger Woods’ Mental Game Shot?

That is what Ryan Rudnanski of the Bleacher report thinks.  In fact, in this article, he says Tiger will never win another major, because his mental game is holding him back.

After Tiger Woods’ victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year, he was supposed to be getting back on track, leaving his baggage behind him.

But Woods’ head was not right in the second round of the Masters on Friday, and it showed. After scoring an even par in the first round, Woods shot a three-over-par on Friday, complete with five bogeys and one punted golf club on the 16th.

Woods had a right to be frustrated. He started off well in the second round, with two birdies in his first three holes then he went downhill from there…and into some bunkers. He completely fell apart, hitting numerous balls off the course, including one that flew into the crowd. He reminded us that we will never see the dominant Tiger we once did.

Will Woods win another major? I don’t think so. We hold on to every positive sign from Tiger, like the victory at Bay Hill this year, instead of paying attention to his overall game, which is inconsistent. I was one of the believers after his victory at Bay Hill, thinking that perhaps a better state of mind would catapult him at Augusta, but it’s become more and more apparent that since Tiger’s mental game fell apart a couple years ago, it never has truly come back.

Read the original article here.

Low Cost Mental Golf Program

Dr. Kilstein’s low cost mental golf program has been successfully helping golfers master their mental golf game for over a decade now.  Thousands of people have improved their golf game because of this powerful, yet low cost mental golf program.

Learn more about mental golf training here.

Portland State Golf Team Focuses on Their Mental Golf Game

I’m thinking about Portland State University’s women’s golf team. Why? Because they place a great deal of emphasis on their mental game. The Vikings coach, Kathleen Takaishi, works with Sport Performance Consultant, Elliott Waksman. Waksman is part of the Sports Psychology Institute of the Northwest. So you see, its no understatement that: Portland State golf team focuses on their mental golf game.

Coach Takaishi was concerned: “You’re on the course from 5 to 13 hours, depending on whether you’re playing 18 or 36 holes.  You have lots of time to think about the previous shots, lots of time for distracting thoughts to get in the way of focusing on the routine, taking it one shot at a time.” So she called for reinforcements by bringing in Waksman: ”I want to get their mental game to the next level, teach methods and skills they can apply…increase their mental toughness and confidence.” John Wykoff, writer for GoViks.com, talks about Waksman goals for the team:

In golf, he talks a lot about refocusing, “staying positive and changing the thought process, thinking about the thing you’re going to do, rather than dwelling on what has happened.  Stay positive.  Think about what you can control.” Waksman teaches techniques that he thinks can help and some things are more complicated than they seem. Visualization, for instance, is just seeing the shot in your head, right?  Not so, says Waksman. Visualization incorporates all five senses.  I want them to visualize where they want the ball to go, teach them how to visualize in the correct way.  And, when to use it in their pre-shot routine,” he says.

In golf, “we talk a lot about refocusing, staying positive and changing the thought process.  It’s probably the ultimate head game.  Not only do you have a lot of time between shots, but the physical game changes depending on the mental game.”  […]  “I want student athletes to compete with confidence, to stay positive, stay focused in the heat of battle.  No distractions.  I want them to be aware of their body language…for there to be some swagger, if you will,” he says.

Waksman says it like it is: “I saw there was usually little mental preparation coming from the coaches.  I tell athletes  ’I wish I had someone like me when I was playing’.” Basically, that t: Portland State golf team focuses on their mental golf game is a big step in the right direction.

Not everybody has a personal coach who’s so interested in furthering their game to the extent that they bring in a sport performance consultant, let alone a personal coach. If you’re like most golfers, you’re in it alone. So what are you doing for your own mental game? Use Golfersmind to skyrocket your results. You can listen to all the info in just under 2 hours! Check it out: http://www.golfersmind.com/mental-golf/