At the BMW PGA Golf Championship this year I had one remit – help PGA Club professional make the cut. He had played in Europe’s premier golf event 6 times before but had never made the weekend. So we got to work…but I didn’t just talk with Ian…I worked with his young caddy as well. The clip will give you some clues as to what I got Ian focusing on and how I got Ian and his caddy communicating.
Ian missed the cut by one shot – but the work we did together has, in part, given him a new lease of life on the golf course. By working on his golf psychology he now has a structure of thinking that gives him the best opportunity to go low on every round he plays. There are no guarantees and no certainties of great scores – but he has a system that increases his chance.
A big part of his new structure involves how he speaks to himself on the course. This is an area I focus on in my bestselling book Golf Tough. I want all of my clients to speak to themselves in a way that helps them feel good on the course…because ultimately, that’s what it’s all about…feeling great on the course.
Having a caddy can help this process. Ian’s caddy helps him to manage his inner voice. He helps him to speak to himself confidently. He helps him to speak to himself in a way that aids his focus. Ian’s caddy helps him nourish his mind full of words, sentences and phrases that help him feel full of belief for the shot at hand.
The challenge is this – you have to strive to do this on your own. You have to strive to take control of that voice that says ‘I can’. That says ‘relax’. That says ‘focus’. That says ‘it’s ok’. That says ‘next shot’. That says ‘move on’. That says ‘enjoy’.
How is your golf psychology? Are you taking control of your inner vice. Are you becoming world class at using your self-talk to be the very best golfer you can be…under pressure…during adversity?
How is your golf psychology?