Become A Master of Variability
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
1w ago
Just like everyday life, when we play a round of golf, there is a lot of unpredictability. There are endless possibilities for what could happen, that we don’t have control over. But what we can control (and our success depends on it) is how well we can manage our response to what happens, so we get the best out of ourselves in every round.  This is why expectations don’t serve any purpose in golf. You can’t expect anything to happen. If you do, it will only lead to frustration. What you can expect is variability, so you may as well prepare for it and embrace it.  The variability we ..read more
Visit website
How To Use Mental Imagery in Golf to Improve Performance
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
1M ago
If you’re going to become your best this season, putting in the “Inner Work” will be just as important as putting in the physical work. Among the tools we have for mental training, one of the best is visualization or “mental imagery in golf” which can be used in a number of ways. Studies show that imagery is helpful for improving the following: Mastery of Self e.g., being a strong competitor, more confident, in control and mentally tough Motivation e.g., seeing yourself winning a championship Cognitive skills e.g., planning your strategy and routines Mastery of Technical Skills ..read more
Visit website
The Performance Benefits of Being A Grateful Golfer
Golf State Of Mind
by Estelle Verny
1M ago
“Golf’s so crazy, when you have it, you feel like you’re never going to lose it. And when you don’t have it, you feel like you’re never going to get it.” — Brooks Koepka  The dreaded golf rut occurs at all levels of golf, whether you are a professional, an amateur or a beginner. Perhaps, you are in a streak of missing cuts. Or you’re a college golfer struggling to qualify for your team… Or even a recreational player who cannot seem to close a round.  A golf slump may occur at any time, and without the necessary tools it can be extremely difficult for athletes to bounce back from one ..read more
Visit website
The Power of Labels: How To Create A Positive Golf Identity
Golf State Of Mind
by Estelle Verny
2M ago
In this article I’m going to show you how to use the Labeling Theory in psychology to create a positive golf identity and elevate your performance.  The Labeling Theory, introduced by social psychologist Howard Becker (1963) suggests people tend to conform to labels (roles) assigned to them by other people or themselves. Becker’s theory was based on deviant behaviors, suggesting that people labeled as “deviant” by society are increasingly likely to partake in delinquent behaviors compared to those who haven’t.  Although this theory was applied to criminology, the biggest take away he ..read more
Visit website
Course Management Lessons from The PGA Tour
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
7M ago
In Viktor Hovland’s interview after winning the FedEx Cup on Sunday, he mentioned 3 things that have helped transform his game over the past year and make him one of the World’s best players, and one of them is better COURSE MANAGEMENT. After a review of his stats with Eduardo Molinari, Tour player and part-time data analyst, they concluded that Hovland was being too aggressive with his approach shots and short-siding himself too often. Viktor also said in his interview that he wanted to play more like Tiger in his heyday, who would comfortably shoot -3 or -4 in each round of a major, with a s ..read more
Visit website
How Do Nerves in Golf Affect Your Game?
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
8M ago
If you are going to become a good competitive player and achieve your goals, you are going to feel nerves in golf at various stages of a round. Fact is, it’s perfectly normal. What’s important is that you have a strategy to be able to manage nerves in golf so you can use this energy to enhance your performance. Here are 5 ways to do it: 1. Embrace Nerves in Golf Nerves in golf are part of your journey to better. When they appear, they’re telling you that you are exactly where you need to be – making big strides on that journey. If you CHOOSE to enjoy the feeling you are experiencing, it will s ..read more
Visit website
How to Be A Goldfish in The Post Shot Routine For Golf
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
9M ago
Whether it’s after a bad shot or a bad round, sometimes (in the words of Ted Lasso), it’s best to “be a Goldfish” and have a 10 second memory. But this is easier said than done and requires the use of some mental game techniques, which I’m going to share with you in this week’s lesson. Good shots are easy to move on from (in fact you want to stay with them), but less desirable outcomes can leave us feeling frustrated, angry, and fearful of things getting worse. Letting those thoughts and emotions take hold of you can affect how well you play the next shot and the rest of the round. Unfortunate ..read more
Visit website
Setting Goals For Your Next Round of Golf
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
10M ago
What goals do you have for your next round or tournament? Your goals for golf will have a big impact on your performance and development as a player. When I ask this question to a new student, I’ll typically get a response like: “To win. To shoot 75 or better. To have a top 10. To avoid 3 putts.” Although these all would represent desirable outcomes, having goals like this before and during a round can cause: • Performance anxiety • Frustration and disappointment • Loss of confidence For this reason, I encourage my students to make sure any goals they have for rounds or throughout the season ..read more
Visit website
Controlling Emotions in Golf
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
1y ago
Controlling Emotions in Golf with Self Awareness or “Mindfulness”  “Being your best means creating a space between stimulus and response, and in that space you have the freedom and power to choose a response that is in alignment with your values and goals.” – George Mumford Part of doing the “Inner Work” for golf is reflecting on your rounds and identifying the events that can trigger the thoughts, feelings and emotions which hold you back. Once you’ve done this, you will know what to look out for on the course. Noticing your thoughts, feelings and emotions will help in your controlling e ..read more
Visit website
How to Create Better Self Talk for Golf
Golf State Of Mind
by David MacKenzie
1y ago
“I just tell myself positive affirmations on certain tee shots or when I’m feeling nervous and it calms me down.” – PGA Tour winner Max Homa Most players think that confidence comes solely from past success, but they’re wrong. A huge part of your confidence comes from what you say to yourself about yourself in relation to the challenge in front of you. I.e., your “self talk”. If you were to get an audio play-back of all your self talk during a round you would probably be shocked at how negative it is. Negative self talk will never help us. In fact it lowers confidence and puts a negative exper ..read more
Visit website

Follow Golf State Of Mind on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR