Pre-ROUND THOUGHTS

PUTTING YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED!

One of my biggest pet-peeves as a golf coach is when I work with someone for a duration of time and they are starting to show signs of improvement then they self-sabotage with an overload of negative thoughts. 

The only way that you have a chance to make it through 18 holes mentally intact is if you start the round in the right frame of mind. Trying to mentally prepare as you head to the first tee is a recipe for disaster. 

Let's start with not telling ourselves what we are and are not going to do. If we must do so, it has to be done in a manner that failing said statement can still result in a success. And with that being said, it's imperative that before the round, you think about the good shots you have hit there and the feelings that brought you. Live in those moments where your spirits were high. That is the easiest way to take yourself to a level of accomplishment without having done anything yet. 

Pre-Round Thought Playbook

Make sure you allow yourself time to accept being in the present. Don't allow your mind to wander into what has happened in the past and definitely don't allow your mind to surge forward into the future. 

Visualize what you are about to be successful at during the upcoming round. 

* I am going to be positive all day
* I am going to give each shot the respect and attention it deserves
* I am going to..............etc.

Remind yourself of your realistic goals

* Make sure that your goals are your own and not something that you feel you "should do" or "achieve" 
* Accepting the things that may not go as planned

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What happens when things start to go sideways? TWO OPTIONS: 

SHUT DOWN

* This happens when you haven't accepted that bad shots are inevitable
​* Only happens when you arrive to the first tee with the wrong mindset

ADAPT AND KEEP PUSHING

* Know that you are going to miss
* Pay attention to your bad shots; make minor adjustments
* Stay true to the course (mentally) for the duration of the round

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BE GRATEFUL

Remind yourself how irrelevant the game of golf really is, relatively speaking, and use that as justification for your actions on the golf course. 

* No golf shot is more important than life itself. Refrain from acting like every single golf shot is connected to your personal well-being. 
* Is getting upset really worth sacrificing an enjoyable day? 
​* If you can't be happy on the golf course, how can you expect to be happy anywhere else? 

The [W]right State of Mind

Increase levels of self confidence, perceptions of control, and focus on success! 

You and only you have the ability to put yourself on a mental pedestal. Some may call it being "cocky" or "arrogant" but there is nothing cocky about being positive and confident in yourself. I've said it once and I'll say it again, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, WHO WILL?! 

Your pre-round thoughts also determine how you will perform as the pressure increases.

*If you go into a round knowing that you are going to hit some wayward golf shots, get some terrible bounces, receive some awful lies, get absolutely robbed on some putts, and whatever else could happen in the duration of a round, you are going to appreciate the inverse of all these scenarios much more!