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GOLF High 100 Instructor John Dunigan shares how he helped one high-school golfer overcome her golf nervousness.
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Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com collection by which we’re sharing enhancements, learnings and takeaways from novice golfers identical to you — together with a number of the velocity bumps and challenges they confronted alongside the way in which.
If there’s one factor each participant experiences, it’s some type of golf nervousness.
However in contrast to working on fixing a slice or studying how to stop chunking wedge shots for hours on the vary, the psychological a part of the sport can eat you up and lead you down a darkish path. These first two points are rather more curable — and customarily gained’t trigger an individual to surrender taking part in golf for good.
There are quite a few tales about professional gamers who misplaced their mojo because of psychological points. Whether or not it was the strain to maintain their PGA Tour card, or just getting caught up in performance anxiety and being judged by others, there are definitely completely different ranges of golf nervousness.
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Each golfer expects to play their greatest and shoot low every time they tee it up. Sadly, that’s not how golf works (until your title’s Scottie Scheffler), so understanding the best way to management your feelings and follow a plan when issues don’t go proper is a key differentiator between good, dangerous, and nice gamers.
GOLF Top 100 Teacher John Dunigan just lately shared an instance with me.
Dunigan works with all ranges of gamers, and certainly one of his present college students is a highschool woman who hoped to make her college’s golf group — and he or she was a nervous wreck main as much as tryouts.
Whereas she had the bodily abilities to compete and earn her spot, Dunigan wanted to reboot her psychological recreation, giving her recommendations on the best way to handle her golf nervousness and play her greatest whatever the circumstances. Under, Dunigan shares the 4 tips he used to assist his scholar — that are simple workout routines to make use of for the following time you’re in a psychological rut on the golf course.
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4 tips this high-school golfer used to handle her golf nervousness
Throughout a latest session with certainly one of my college students, I seen how upset my scholar was getting as we labored collectively. Tryouts for her highschool group had been arising the following day, and he or she had all kinds of golf nervousness and nerves. Like, actually large 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, nevertheless it’s additionally a part of the job as a golf coach.
This younger woman’s psychological recreation was a multitude, and we wanted to work on tightening it up as a way to overcome any nerves to play her greatest — particularly with golf tryouts beginning the following day.
As I comforted her, I gave her the next 4 psychological tips that may assist any participant throughout these powerful instances.
Channel your nerves as pleasure
After clearing her thoughts and venting a bit, we talked about how nerves (or what I prefer to name pleasure) are your mind’s approach of preparing for motion. Your mind is solely serving to you listen — so nerves are an excellent, if not an vital phenomenon, and needs to be embraced fairly than averted.
That is after I gave her my curler coaster analogy.
Why do individuals like curler coasters? They’re exhilarating, they’re quick, they’re enjoyable, and could be a little scary. Nicely, that’s golf — a curler coaster, so get on!
Like driving on a curler coaster at an amusement park, golfers have to channel their nerves and deal with what they will management. On this specific case, it’s concerning the shot you’re hitting, and the steps you may undergo to organize your self for an excellent final result. Oftentimes, this consists of utilizing useful self-talk to get ourselves into the right 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. Certain, you may undergo your pre-shot routine and attempt to handle issues as greatest as you may, however what occurs after that’s out of your arms.
That is one thing I needed to remind this scholar of mine, telling her how she might play nice at present, however then wrestle tomorrow. You simply have to simply accept this as actuality, because it’s the character of the sport.
Certain, you’ve gotten affect on the rating or on a specific shot, however you don’t have absolute management over it. Settle for that and simply attempt your greatest.
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Right here’s the place I advised her concerning the energy of prospects.
At present may not go your approach, nevertheless it additionally would possibly go your approach! If you happen to focus in your course of and taking part in every shot, then which means you’re giving your greatest effort and specializing in the second — not on a nasty tee shot or a poor rating on the earlier gap.
Each gap presents a brand new set of prospects, no matter the way you’re taking part in that day. You may’t management the end result, however you may management your psychological strategy and the steps to play one of the best you may. So let go of your scorecard and don’t fear about lacking the shot. Simply embrace the chance.
Keep away from time touring
Golfers time journey on a regular basis, and both deal with the ultimate rating three hours from now, or on the three-putt that occurred 10 minutes in the past. I needed to remind this younger woman to not be a time traveler.
The one vital factor is the correct right here and proper now: the shot you’re making 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.
Make the most of respiratory workout routines
I’ve been learning sports activities psychology for over 40 years, and one frequent theme is how we needs to be utilizing respiratory workout routines 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 nervousness or not). First, breathe in for a 4-count and squeeze the membership fairly tightly, tensing as many muscle tissue in your physique as you may. Subsequent, breathe out to a 6-count and launch that pressure. Repeat if mandatory. Lastly, go hit your shot along with your greatest effort.
Most novice golfers tense up beneath strain. However by utilizing this straightforward respiratory method earlier than a shot, you may loosen up your nerves fairly considerably.
So what occurred?
I messaged her after the primary 9-hole spherical of tryouts and will hear the thrill by way 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 last day of tryouts, as she referred to as to inform me she shot a 40 and had efficiently earned her spot on the group. She was thrilled, as was I.
“I used to be a nervous wreck all week,” she advised me. “However I went by way of the method you gave me every time and ended up taking part in nice.”
It was music to my ears, and made me joyful she discovered a solution to channel her golf nervousness to carry out her greatest. So if you’re coping with an analogous battle internally, hopefully these psychological suggestions will permit you to reset and use your nerves to correctly focus your consideration.
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