| |
| |
|
Golf Information |
|
Mental Training for Golfers: Attitudes that Sabotage Commitment
Plateaus in performance sometimes occur when you don't see any measurable improvement in score even though you are working hard. "I'm practicing more than ever, but I don't seem to be shooting better scores," many players tell me in frustration. Thus, when you don't see gains in performance or have a coach pushing you daily, it is difficult for golfers to stay committed to their training. In this issue of Peak Performance Golf Insights, I discuss how golfers lose or sabotage their own commitment to training and ideas for how to increase commitment. What is commitment? Commitment is a type of motivation. It is the ability to stick with a program, method, or philosophy and apply it daily over a long period even in times of adversity. How do you stay committed to your practice plan and goals? By reminding yourself of your dreams and performing the daily tasks you need to reach your goals. The first step to improving commitment is to identify beliefs or distractions that sabotage your motivation. Armed with this information, you are in a position to change your attitude for the better. Here are seven ways people get sidetracked or sabotage their own commitment. 1. Impatience with improvement. Probably the number one form of sabotage. Golfers want a quick fix, something that works immediately, and if it does not work fast, they are prone to throw it away and not try it again. This may be true of both the mental and physical parts of the game. This is why a golfer jumps from one instructor to the next looking for the quick fix. 2. Rationalizations that sabotage your success. Rationalizations are excuses people use to avoid doing something. A smoker rationalizes why smoking is not harmful to smoke (smoking won't hurt me, I' don't inhale deeply"), for example. Golfers sometimes rationalize or justify why they should not go practice, take regular lessons, or work on their mental game. Some players think they will be ready to improve mentally when they are finished working on their swing. When are golfers ever finished with their swing? 3. Fear of trying and not succeeding. Are you afraid of going after your dream and not succeeding? There are no guarantees that if you work harder and put all your energy into getting better your game will improve. But some players can't stomach the fear of not reaching their goals if they give it their all. 4. Distracted by Others. Do others distract your from your mission? Do your friends ask you to go party every night? Are others giving you advise that contradicts what you are trying to do with your coach? If you said yes, then you are letting others distract you from your mission. 5. Over-load Syndrome. Warning: Too much information can be dangerous to your golf game. A few golfers I know actually sabotage their commitment to getting better by listening to every instructor and guru in golf and trying to integrate everything anyone has said about the golf swing or mental game. This person usually ends up more confused, wonders why he is not playing better, and then gives up trying. 6. Over-training Syndrome. Are you a candidate for burnout? Training too much can also cause you to spin your wheels because you are mentally and physically exhausted and are bothered by nagging injuries. Working 15 hours a day on your golf game will not lead to success. Marathon runners don't run 25 miles a day to prepare for competition. Your body needs rest, your mind needs a break. Yes, it is possible to work too much. There is a term for it in the workforce-workaholic. 7. Know-It-all syndrome. This is more rare with the players I work with, but one that should be mentioned. If you "know it all," then others, even experts, can't help you get better. The "know it all" is not teachable-he believes he already has the information to be successful. Other forms of sabotage exist that limit a golfer's ability to commit to a program-whether that's a fitness program to improve strength, a swing training program to hit the ball better, or a mental game program to improve attitude-but these are the most prevalent. The fist step in making positive changes is to identify self-sabotaging beliefs, rationalizations, or behaviors that cut short your motivation to be successful. Then you will be ready to change your behavior to increase commitment. Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is a master mental game coach who works with athletes of all levels including amateur and professionals. Visit Peaksports.com to gain access to over 500 exclusive mental game articles, audio programs, and interviews with athletes and coaches to enhance your athletic potential: http://www.peaksports.com/membership/ or call 888-742-7225.
MORE RESOURCES:
Golf - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Hogans Real Golf Secret Ben Hogan's secret was his extraordinary ability to focus. This was not a gift from heaven. 3 Simple Golf Tips To Quickly Improve Your Distance Every golfer wants to know the secret golf tip to improve their distance. The secret, is there is NO secret. Golf Weight Training Is The Answer To Longer Drives It is no secret that most of the male and female tour players who want to play their best golf, do golf weight training exercises. But it's not the kind of grueling, sweating stuff you're thinking about. Golf Swing Tips Will Not Work By Themselves Golf swing tips are rampant! Golfers can't get enough of them. But are they working?or are they adding to the confusion and frustration of your game? Many qualified instructors will tell you to stay away from all the golf swing tips in the golf magazines. Achieving The Perfect Golf Swing Drill The perfect golf swing drill is a joy to behold. And yet it is not too hard to achieve. Golf Driving Tip That Will Add Yards Quickly A golf driving tip that can make the difference between being the shortest hitter in your foursome to the longest?consistently would interest you right? Well?the tip I'm going to discuss is not what you'd think, but you need to take notice and apply it?if you want to own your foursome off the tee!When you think of a golf driving tip I'll bet you think of swing mechanics. Am I correct? If so, has it worked? I mean?have you added 10,20 or even 30 yards to your swing taking this approach?If most of you are being honest you'll say no. Strength Training For Junior Golf Much debate has occurred about kids and strength training. There's been concern about growth plate damage. Golf Exercise And Stretch Program For Total Golf Performance Golf exercise and stretch. This is a combination I use in all of my golf fitness programs both online and with my personal golf clients. Beginner Golf Swing Instruction Tips If you are a beginner at the fine sport of golf you may need some beginner golf swing instruction. Where can you find beginner golf swing instruction? What are some beginner golf swing instruction tips? You have come to the right place for beginner golf swing instruction tips and information. Getting The Golf Ball In The Air With Physics Sir Issac Newton was one of the world's most influential thinkers. He tackled what most people would consider to be complicated topics. How To Choose The Best golf clubs For Your Game Wilson , Callaway, Titleist, Adams , King Cobra, Yonex, Ping , Taylor Made, Mizuno, and Spaulding are all excellent name brand golf clubs. As a beginning or even a professional golfer, trying to decide which set of golf clubs to purchase, however, may often feel like taking a shot in the dark. Warm Up With A Back Exercise For Golf Let's face it, if you are a passionate golfer who likes to hit the links whenever you have the opportunity, at some point in time you are likely to be faced with lower back pain. Fortunately, there are some great exercises that will help you work through lower back pain, and also prevent it from occurring in the first place. Golf Fitness DVD: Improve Your Game In Your Living Room Plugging in a golf fitness dvd is a great alternative to relying on yourself for motivation and consistency. The dvd craze has caught on with golfers of all ages and abilities. All Time Greatest Club Breaking Events in History? and the Winner is?.. Two both famous and infamous golfers known for their tempers and club throwing exploits on the golf course, were battling head to head and coming into the final round of the tournament. The entire golfing world was looking on. 52 Ways To Stop Your Slice If there's one thing that haunts most golfers more than missing a 3-foot putt, it has to be slicing the ball off the tee. So this week I have written 2-different articles - the first being 52 Ways to Stop Your Slice and the second being If You Understand What Causes A Slice You Wouldn't Need 52 Ways To Stop A Slice! So consider this a bonus section to Golf Improvement Weekly. The Reason Why Clone Golf Clubs Are Worth It When it comes to choosing a new set up of golf clubs, you are obviously going to want the best, but more importantly you are going to want them at cheap prices. This is why manufacturers have decided on the idea of clone golf clubs. Improving Your Golf Swing You've got your golf clubs, your 18-pack of golf balls, your bag, your shoes, even one of those fancy little electronic caddies. You're as ready as Tiger Woods ever was when he stepped onto a golf course for the very first time. More Muscles Than You Think Are Used In the Golf Swing While most golfers are aware of the fact that the muscles in the lower part of the body are used in the golf swing, many are not aware of just how important these muscles are to the consistent execution of the perfect golf swing. Many do not even realize how imperative it is that muscles used in the golf swing are exercised and kept in tip top condition. Golf Fitness: The Quickest Way To Play Better Golf Golf has always been viewed as a game of leisure. But today's golfer is leaner, stronger, and fitter. Golf Training Uses Flexibility, Strength, And Power When it comes to fitness training for your golf game which is most important: flexibility, strength, or power? Flexibility advocates stress the importance of being able to swing a club through a full range of motion completely uninhibited of physical restrictions. Strength training advocates claim that building muscle will enable you to hit your drive farther.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
