GOLF Top 100 Teacher John Dunigan shares how he helped one high-school golfer overcome her golf anxiousness.
Image by way of John Dunigan
Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com collection in which we’re sharing enhancements, learnings and takeaways from newbie golfers similar to you — together with a number of the velocity bumps and challenges they confronted alongside the best way.
If there’s one factor each participant experiences, it’s some kind of golf anxiousness.
But in contrast to engaged on fixing a slice or studying how to stop chunking wedge shots for hours on the vary, the psychological a part of the game can eat you up and lead you down a darkish path. Those first two points are far more curable — and usually received’t trigger a particular person to surrender enjoying golf for good.
There are quite a few tales about professional gamers who misplaced their mojo as a consequence of psychological points. Whether it was the strain to maintain their PGA Tour card, or just getting caught up in efficiency anxiousness and being judged by others, there are actually totally different ranges of golf anxiousness.
Every golfer expects to play their greatest and shoot low every time they tee it up. Unfortunately, that’s not how golf works (except your identify’s Scottie Scheffler), so understanding easy methods to management your feelings and persist with a plan when issues don’t go proper is a key differentiator between good, unhealthy, and nice gamers.
GOLF Top 100 Teacher John Dunigan just lately shared an instance with me.
Dunigan works with all ranges of gamers, and considered one of his present college students is a highschool woman who was hoping to make her faculty’s golf staff — and she or he was a nervous wreck main as much as tryouts.
While she had the bodily abilities to compete and earn her spot, Dunigan wanted to reboot her psychological game, giving her tips on easy methods to handle her golf anxiousness and play her greatest whatever the circumstances. Below, Dunigan shares the 4 methods he used to assist his scholar — that are straightforward workouts to make use of for the subsequent time you’re in a psychological rut on the golf course.
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4 methods this high-school golfer used to handle her golf anxiousness
During a latest session with considered one of my college students, I observed how upset my scholar was getting as we labored collectively. Tryouts for her highschool staff had been arising the subsequent day, and she or he had all types of golf anxiousness and nerves. Like, actually massive nerves.
Her discomfort was apparent, and as we talked about what was happening, she really came to visit to me and commenced crying on my shoulder. Heartbreaking, sure, however it’s additionally a part of the job as a golf coach.
This young woman’s psychological game was a mess, and we would have liked to work on tightening it up in order to beat any nerves to play her greatest — particularly with golf tryouts beginning the subsequent day.
As I comforted her, I gave her the next 4 psychological methods that may assist any participant throughout these powerful occasions.
Channel your nerves as pleasure
After clearing her thoughts and venting a bit, we talked about how nerves (or what I wish to name pleasure) are your mind’s manner of preparing for motion. Your mind is solely serving to you concentrate — so nerves are a good, if not an essential phenomenon, and ought to be embraced relatively than prevented.
This is after I gave her my curler coaster analogy.
Why do folks like curler coasters? They’re exhilarating, they’re quick, they’re enjoyable, and may be a little scary. Well, that’s golf — a curler coaster, so get on!
Like using on a curler coaster at an amusement park, golfers must channel their nerves and give attention to what they will management. In this explicit case, it’s in regards to the shot you’re hitting, and the steps you possibly can undergo to arrange your self for a good consequence. Oftentimes, this consists of utilizing useful self-talk to get ourselves into the correct mindset, serving to us chill out earlier than addressing the ball.
Embrace prospects
I hate to interrupt this to you, however you don’t actually management the end result in golf. Sure, you possibly can undergo your pre-shot routine and attempt to handle issues as greatest as you possibly can, however what occurs after that’s out of your palms.
This is one thing I needed to remind this scholar of mine, telling her how she may play nice immediately, however then battle tomorrow. You simply have to just accept this as actuality, because it’s the character of the game.
Sure, you may have affect on the rating or on a explicit shot, however you don’t have absolute management over it. Accept that and simply strive your greatest.
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Here’s the place I advised her in regards to the energy of prospects.
Today won’t go your manner, however it additionally would possibly go your manner! If you focus in your course of and enjoying every shot, then which means you’re giving your greatest effort and specializing in the second — not on a unhealthy tee shot or a poor rating on the earlier gap.
Every gap provides a new set of prospects, no matter the way you’re enjoying that day. You can’t management the end result, however you possibly can management your psychological strategy and the steps to play the perfect you possibly can. So let go of your scorecard and don’t fear about lacking the shot. Just embrace the chance.
Avoid time touring
Golfers time journey on a regular basis, and both give attention to the ultimate rating three hours from now, or on the three-putt that occurred 10 minutes in the past. I needed to remind this young woman to not be a time traveler.
The solely essential factor is the suitable right here and proper now: the shot you’re getting ready to hit. That shot deserves your greatest effort and all your consideration, doesn’t it? Let go of your attachment to the outcomes and simply give every shot the main target it wants.
Utilize respiration workouts
I’ve been finding out sports activities psychology for over 40 years, and one widespread theme is how we ought to be utilizing respiration workouts to our benefit.
I gave my scholar a easy method to make use of earlier than each shot (whether or not she displayed some golf anxiousness or not). First, breathe in for a 4-count and squeeze the membership fairly tightly, tensing as many muscular tissues in your physique as you possibly can. Next, breathe out to a 6-count and launch that rigidity. Repeat if essential. Finally, go hit your shot together with your greatest effort.
Most newbie golfers tense up underneath strain. But by utilizing this easy respiration method earlier than a shot, you possibly can loosen up your nerves fairly considerably.
So what occurred?
I messaged her after the primary 9-hole spherical of tryouts and will hear the joy by means of the textual content as she replied again — “A 41!”
I didn’t hear something after the second day, however did following the third and ultimate day of tryouts, as she known as to inform me she shot a 40 and had efficiently earned her spot on the staff. She was thrilled, as was I.
“I was a nervous wreck all week,” she advised me. “But I went through the process you gave me each time and ended up playing great.”
It was music to my ears, and made me blissful she discovered a option to channel her golf anxiousness to carry out her greatest. So if you’re coping with a related battle internally, hopefully these psychological tips will will let you reset and use your nerves to correctly focus your consideration.
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