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Recently I was talking with a golfer about what it would take to win. He mentioned confidence, tempo and positive thinking. He had a long time golfing buddy that he wanted to beat.
We talked about the other golfer’s attitude. And there were two important qualities that this golfer possessed that my client admired.
1. Confidence that he would win.
2. Intuition about the best approach for difficult shots.
Your first response might be that either you have it, or you don’t. But that’s not true. Both are teachable qualities.
There’s a relationship between the two. Develop confidence and you’ll experience increased intuition. Likewise, follow your inner voice, get results and it’ll build your confidence.
When most golfers approach a tournament, they have one of three mindsets.
1. Playing to avoid losing
2. Playing to win
3. Knowing that you’re going to win
Notice how your confidence is linked to the approach you choose. This choice then influences your play strategy.
Now there are going to be times when the #1 golfer is playing and you think to yourself that you don’t have a chance to win. That’s when many golfers subconsciously give up. They decide, “I’m not going to even try because I don’t have a chance of winning.” Even though they don’t like to lose, they have losing thoughts.
The golfer that’s playing to win feels there’s a chance to win and is going to give it everything he’s got. The problem for this golfer happens when he makes a mistake that affects his score. Then he’s going to try and catch up so he can have a chance at winning again. Once that happens he’s lost focus and has stopped playing one shot at a time. Here’s where I teach my clients the right skills to regain focus before too many good shots are given away.
Of course, knowing that you’re going to win is the sweet spot. This golfer’s positive thinking keeps him focused on one shot at a time. Difficult shots don’t throw off his game. He’s prepared for the challenge. That’s when he taps into his mental rolodex of previous experiences to choose the best approach.
Positive thinking, looking for the opportunities, and releasing judgment improves your game. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The trick is to begin slowly, as you develop this new skill.
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