Your Most Prized Possessions – Your Thoughts
Posted on 18th January 2018 at 13:49
Welcome to the very first My Golf Mind blogging service for serious amateurs and professional golfers who have been and / or being troubled by interference of negative thought patterns prior to, during and after their round of golf. My Golf Mind aims to provide you personally with a crystal clear no nonsense information that explains the cause, symptoms and techniques to minimise and even eliminate negative thought patterns that ruin your round and competition golf.
It is well known that there are only miniscule differences that separate tournament winners and those in runner-up positions. So how valuable would it be to have really important information that closes the gap and helps to put you in contention more often.
Mastering the mind game is only one of four important elements of playing really serious golf and My Golf Mind recommends that you also consider having lessons with your local PGA golf professional, qualified golf fitness coach and sports nutritionist. Without utilising all these four elements then the chances of reaching your full potential is slim.
As weak minds lead to weak action then a strong and disciplined mind will empower you to achieve the levels in golf that you are capable of. My Golf Mind blogs will bring to you weekly tools and techniques that will greatly improve your golf game, irrespective of what level you play at currently. By regularly practicing these tools and techniques you will build up your mental tenacity that you will be able to draw upon in nano-seconds to minimise any stress, anxiety or pulled shot!
The brain has 100 billion (1011) neurons with at least 100 trillion (1014) neural connections, with each neuron firing approximately 200 times per second. Frightening isn’t it – so for this week that’s the technical stuff over and done with.
So, for the first technique to build strong mental tenacity is the 4:4:4 breathing technique that the USA Navy SEALs use to reduce stress and anxiety when on active service. It’s simply inhale for 4 seconds through the nose, hold for four seconds and exhale for 4 seconds, either through the nose or mouth. Repeat this exercise for one minute until you master the technique and then increase the exercise to five minutes. Over time you will begin to feel the relaxation and calmness the breathing techniques makes. In particular, use the 4:4:4 breathing techniques before you get to the first tee, in between shots while walking to the next tee, up the fairway, going on to the green – anywhere where you begin to feel your levels of stress and anxiety and then begin to use the 4:4:4 breathing technique to feel calm, yet have the sharp attention to your next golf shot.
The importance of doing these exercises regularly is that they become easier and become an unconscious action, so enabling you to remain calm and patient over a four or five-hour round of golf. All the mental tenacity tools and techniques are easy to do and easy not to do! In Jeff Olsen’s book ‘The Slight Edge’ fully explains the consequences of doing or not doing the easy things every day. Remember practice make improvement, not perfection as a perfect round of golf is 18 birdies, is it not?
Hopefully you’ve found the first blog from My Golf Mind of interest and if your serious about mastering your mental tenacity to improve your golf game then I’ll see you here next week.
Remember ‘Keep It On The Fairway’
My Golf Mind works with golfers of all ages and abilities so if you require any further information or details of our performance coaching then CLICK HERE to get in touch or ring 07973 614969.
Keith
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