There is the ball, there are your clubs. There are your hands – wrists cocking and hinging. There is your torso, rotating right and rotating left. There are your feet – weight to the right and weight to the left. The basics of golf! But there is also your brain. And released from your brain are your words. And your words matter. Your words impact. Let’s explore your words more closely.
I’m Bubba Watson. I’m walking down the first fairway in the final round of The Masters – what am I saying to myself? I’m Bubba Watson. I’m walking onto the 72nd green of The Masters with a three shot lead. What am I saying to myself?
Your words – how you talk to yourself – impact how you feel. They impact how you behave. They impact how you perform.
They Cool You
Your words cool you under pressure. They cool you when you are stressed. They cool you when you are anxious and worried and full of doubt.
Your words offer great golf psychology!
Your words soothe. They anesthetize the pain of a double. They combat the tension of a poorly struck shot or a missed putt. They deal with wayward, they help mis-timed.
Your words offer great golf psychology!
The Gather Confidence
Your words enunciate the birdie. They make the great shot big and bold and bright. They help you take pleasure from what is good, from what is strong, from what works.
Your words offer great golf psychology!
Your game goes with you after a round. It travels in the form of your words. What are you saying to yourself about your golf? Are you gathering confidence or are you harnessing failure?
Your words offer great golf psychology!
They Build Skill
Your words build skill. Reminders to stay focused, to persevere, to commit and to pay close attention – these are crucial determinants of skill building. These are reminders of excellence.
Your words offer great golf psychology!
“Stay focused. Pay close attention to the angle of the shaft on the way back. Feel it. Forget the outcome. Just feel the lean of the shaft. What angle was that? Was it spot on?”
Your words offer great golf psychology!
They Help you Win
“Forget the outcome – just focus on my routine.”
Your words direct your brain to focus on the things that are important as you compete. They help you pay attention to your routine, to your course strategies and to the persona you want to portray as you play under pressure.
Your words are great golf psychology!
They help you play present. They help you make quick and effective decisions. They help you walk into the ball with confidence and they help you stand over the ball with belief.
Your words are great golf psychology!
So…
What words do you need to take onto the course with you to help you high perform under pressure? What words will help your nervous system generate the kind of performance chemicals that help you feel good – that help you feel focused and up for it and in control?
If you want great golf psychology then use your words. Narrate an incredible story as you compete.
