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Unlocking Your True Golf Potential Is a Mindset

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Golf is such a great sport for anyone who wants to challenge themselves in an enjoyable manor, but sometimes we can become our own worst enemy when we are trying to improve our game. We often can be easily frustrated when we don’t live up to the expectations of the skill level at which we feel we should play. I’ve seen grown men and women act like spoiled children, almost crying with frustration on the golf course when their game isn’t going as they planned.

Yes, having a competitive mindset is healthy and a necessary part of growth. When a mindset is so fragile and juvenile that golfers easily allow themselves to become frustrated, however, they put themselves into a self-destructive state of mind that affects their body. They overflow their systems with a stress hormone called cortisol, which causes their body to go into “fight-or-flight” mode. It’s a great state to be in if you need to fight for your life or sprint away from a hungry tiger. The downfall is that cortisol overwhelms your body’s vital organs that are necessary for immediate survival, and at the same time, it shuts off your body’s other organs that are necessary for surviving your round of golf. The fight-or-flight state of mind will also put a damper on your ability to make rational decisions, which can be difficult enough for some of us on the golf course already.

Here’s the thing; golf is challenging… period. If you didn’t find it challenging, you probably wouldn’t enjoy playing golf so much. It’s kind of a catch 22; the very reason we enjoy golf so much is the challenge, though we become self-destructive if we find it too challenging or if things don’t go according to plan during our round.

We all have basic expectations of who we think we are and what we are expecting from ourselves before we start our round. If you’re a scratch golfer, you will expect that you will play your round somewhere close to par. Whatever level your play, you expect to play at a skill level that’s familiar to you. The moment you begin to play much better than what you feel is your current skill set, you will be in uncharted territory. You may get kind of excited and anxious, causing you to begin to overanalyze the situation. That may cause you to fumble.

The same goes if you are playing poorly and much worse than you are familiar with. You are again put outside of your comfort zone and will need to adjust your way of thinking to cope with it.

On top of carrying the burden of our own expectations around with us, most people also carry the burden of being over-concerned with what other people might think of them on the course. They want to look good, and this causes them to get trapped in a mindset that is only focused on results instead of improvement. So instead of daring to challenge themselves at the risk of looking bad if they don’t play well, they’d rather stay in their comfort zone and play it safe so that at the end of the day they will still feel comfortable with who they are. This makes it much more likely that golfers will focus on not screwing up instead of trying to get better.

Unlocking your true potential is a mindset, and it starts with you accepting what has happened and not worrying about what “might” happen (and most likely won’t happen if you’d just stop worrying about it). This mindset is all about losing your sense of self image. That person you think you are is preventing you from reaching your potential. If you want to play your best, quite simply, you have to lose that image of who you feel you are when you play golf. You can’t let the past or future own you, because it will prevent you from pushing your envelope of performance. Lose those expectations of what you think your current skill set is and play in the now, one shot at a time.

Many top athletes and musicians describe this state of mind as being in what is called the “zone” or the “pocket” of performance. You might have experienced this state of mind before, on or off the golf course. Being in the “zone” is a moment or moments in time when you aren’t concerned with anything except the task at hand. Your focus is so deep that you are unaware of any distractions, noise, or concerns of looking bad in front of others.

Being in the zone is for many a feeling of losing their sense of time and their sense of self, which makes perfect sense. Time is controlled by the part of our brain called the pre-frontal cortex, which is also the part of the brain that is self-critical and creates doubt in our ability.

Developing a mindset that allows you to tap into the zone so you can unlock your true potential happens when you get out of your own way. Stop being concerned with the results of here and now and start focusing on the process of improvement. Nobody gets there overnight, so get invested in the long haul so that when you are on the golf course you don’t trap yourself in a mindset that is full of expectations and frustration. You will play your best golf when you lose your sense of self and are engaged in the enjoyment of the challenge of each shot.

Developing this mindset is a skill that can be developed just like any other skill set on the golf course, and for most of us, it’s probably the most important part of our game that we need to work on. Your potential is out there, and only you have the ability to reach it. But you can only achieve it by having self-belief in your abilities and the drive to get up every time you get knocked down. The process to achieving your potential will come with the mindset and the drive of accepting what has happened so that you can keep moving forward.

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Adam is a PGA Professional and TPI Certified Fitness and Medical Coach. He enjoys working with golfers of all ages and levels of expertise, and his approach is to look at every golfer as an individual to try to help them achieve their goals as effectively and efficiently as possible. He is also the author of two books: The Golfers Handbook - Save your golf game and your life! (available on iTunes and Amazon) And his new book, My Mind Body Golf Coach Adam also offers online lessons and offers a monthly membership to help golfers stay committed to the process of improvement. All this and more can be ordered through his website www.golfadamstevenson.com "The golf swing may be built from the ground up, but the game of golf is built from the head down" - My Mind Body Golf Aside being an author, Adam is also a public speaker, doing workshops and lectures introducing concepts of athletic movement for golfers of all ages and levels of expertise.

18 Comments

18 Comments

  1. Ryan

    Sep 3, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    I read until the word MANOR. I can’t suffer someone who doesn’t know the difference.

  2. Vombie

    Aug 30, 2017 at 7:18 pm

    Be the duck yo

  3. Bob Jones

    Aug 30, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    All pep talk, no substance. How about telling us HOW to develop the mindset you recommend? That would be useful.

  4. mark

    Aug 30, 2017 at 10:35 am

    I played with an 82 year old this past week. We played from our tees, he played up at his tees. 5800 yards. His swing is what an 82 year old swing would be. Plays 5 days a week. This player shot 68/69 in a two day tournament. WOW. He believed in his-self. That’s all I can say….Wouldn’t believed it if I didn’t see it. I’m working on in-locking my brain….82 years old shoots 68/69. That’s money!

  5. alan b

    Aug 30, 2017 at 1:56 am

    Click on Adam Stevenson’s name and you will discover 7 great articles he posted on GolfWRX. He is a next generation golf instructor who appreciates physical fitness through his TPI certification.
    If your body is stiff and decrepit please don’t attempt golf, unless you commit yourself to intensive physical conditioning and golf-specific training. Just reading about it and trying it a few times doesn’t count.

    • Steve S

      Aug 30, 2017 at 9:44 am

      I have an old, stiff, decrepit body and I play to a 10-11. I would be a single digit if my eyes were better and I could still read greens. At 66 I’m playing the best golf of my life(from the white tees) because I have adapted my swing to my physical limitations and don’t attempt “low percentage” shots. This has virtually eliminated “blow up” holes for me. Do I have an occasional bad day, of course. But I have never enjoyed golf more. Part of it is my mental state which tries to savor every shot and every bad joke from my playing partners. As for as physical conditioning I do some light stretching everyday and work around the yard. I never lift anything more than 30lbs without help or mechanical assistance. Keeps my back pain free.

  6. alan b

    Aug 30, 2017 at 1:33 am

    “…almost every word”? How about:
    “Golf is such a great sport for anyone who wants to challenge themselves in an enjoyable manor [sic],…”.
    See, this is what happens when you are educated in phonics… your spelling betrays you!

    • alan b

      Aug 30, 2017 at 1:35 am

      Oooops ….. comment meant as a reply to Peter Schmitt at the beginning of this topic thread.

  7. alan b

    Aug 30, 2017 at 1:29 am

    It’s also known as “mind over matter” state of mind. However this only works for near scratch golfers who have conscious control over their body. They knowingly, consciously practice the parts of the golfswing and then assemble it into and automatic package for testing on the golf course.

    You won’t find these ‘players’ playing a prolonged round on the weekends. They secretly play on the weekdays and sometimes only 9 holes with 2 balls during twilight golf because 2 x 9 = 18 holes.

    Giving recreational golfers false hope is cruel so just let them buy new clubs and hope for the best. They can’t make a complete commitment to the game so psyching them up with psycho mumbo jumbo is useless, fruitless and plain wrong.

  8. nodoubles22

    Aug 29, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    I realized this a while back when wondering why I could pull off escape shots – punches from the trees, flop shots, etc. – so much better when practicing them than I did in a “real” round. The conditions were exactly the same, but because I’d purposely put the ball in a bad spot on the course to work on playing from there, I could play the escape shot without the feelings of frustration and anger about the previous poor shot. It’s impossible for me to fully forget about a bad shot during a meaningful round, but I try to remember that the recovery shot will be better if I pretend I’d put the ball there on purpose. It does help a little.

  9. Scott

    Aug 29, 2017 at 9:40 am

    Is this a way to help yourself play better or except mediocrity?
    OK, then how do I take an honest assessment of who I am to unlock my potertial? I agree that I have gotten in my own way. But what is my honest assessment of me as a player, in order to unlock my potential? Am I the guy that has broken par or the guy that has shot in the 90s? If the answer is “yes”, and any given day I could do either, than why bother? If both, high and low scores, are an anomaly, then how is knowing myself going to improve my play?
    I think that I just blew my own mind.

    • Boss

      Aug 29, 2017 at 10:59 am

      You mean ACCEPT.
      No, you didn’t blow your mind. Not even close. That’s why you fail. lol

  10. Woody

    Aug 29, 2017 at 8:39 am

    Great article, the best line “That person you think you are is preventing you from reaching your potential”. Our own self perceptions are our biggest blocks to improvement and success. What a great article, I throughly enjoyed it.

  11. acemandrake

    Aug 29, 2017 at 8:20 am

    “But you can only achieve it by having self-belief in your abilities and the drive to get up every time you get knocked down.”

    True, but exhausting! Especially in this game where most of us hit more bad shots than good ones.

    I guess having (& keeping) realistic expectations would help ?

    • acemandrake

      Aug 29, 2017 at 8:30 am

      Is it even possible to play without expectations?

  12. Peter Schmitt

    Aug 29, 2017 at 8:15 am

    Great article and so very true. Completely agree with almost every word. However, just letting go of expectations and getting in the zone mentally is not a “just do it” kind of thing. Oh, how I wish that were the case, but most days I find myself frustratingly trying to figure out how to just unplug my brain. Knowing something needs to be done and knowing how to do it are two different things.

    • alan b

      Aug 30, 2017 at 1:36 am

      “Completely agree with almost every word”? How about:
      “Golf is such a great sport for anyone who wants to challenge themselves in an enjoyable manor [sic],…”.
      See, this is what happens when you are educated in phonics… your spelling betrays you!

      • Peter Schmitt

        Aug 30, 2017 at 9:12 am

        Yeah I did notice that. Hence the word ALMOST in my comment 😉

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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