I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT MYSELF!

If you follow the golf pros on T.V. (and what avid golfer doesn't), then you've heard the players and the commentators talking about players who work with a sports psychologist. Sometimes they're giving that "Sports Doc," or "Mental Skills Coach," some credit for their improved play or even for a win.

Maybe you've wondered just what a sports psychologist actually does. Or maybe you have considered seeking one out but felt some embarrassment about doing so. Some people are still reluctant to receive coaching for mental skills training even when they are not bashful about seeking coaching for the mechanics of the game. When it comes to the mental part of an athletic performance people tend to believe:

"I should be able to do it myself!"

Yet with mental skills, just like with the mechanics of the game, the learning curve is shortened and positive outcomes are reached more quickly with some coaching.

Coaching is simply tapping into someones wisdom and experience to help you learn more effectively and efficiently.

More than likely, if you're a serious golfer, you've spent much time and money on a teaching pro, club fitting, and practicing, to groove a trusted swing. However, most people have not purposely and skillfully practiced the mental skills that would improve their game.

Just as the swing teacher has to personalize to fit the uniqueness of each person's golf swing, so to will a Sports Doc personalize to the specific needs of a particular golfer. A major benefit of working with a mental skills coach is their ability to assess YOUR problem and design a plan for YOUR solution.

Let's say you take the leap and decide to go to a coach to help you assess your personal style and to figure out how you are using your mind; how much is it helping and how much is it hindering you on the golf course? How would you find such a person and what could you expect to happen? What would you and the coach actually do together?

New clients are usually referred by someone who has already discovered the benefits of working with a sports psychologist and tell them about the experience. Some people are self referred after reading about a particular coach or seeing them on television. Mental skills coaches also offer workshops in their local community and that can be an easy way to learn more about them.

During the first phone call a decision is made about the best place to meet. Sometimes the coach meets you at your home course, other times you will join them at a golf club where they have a professional affiliation. Some coaches have an office and others work out of their home.

Most of the "mind sessions" happen on the golf course, either on the practice tee, sitting in a golf cart, or out on the course while you play a few holes and practice your new mental skills. The setting is relaxed and informal.

During the first visit you and the coach figure out what you need and want, set specific goals and create a plan of action for how to get there!

Often you will get a personalized folder for notes and your homework assignments and the opportunity to take some "golfing inventories," quick paper and pencil tests to tell you more about your golf personality.

It is the serious, and usually successful player who look for a coach to help them achieve the winning edge by understanding a variety of mental factors and learning to manage them in a positive way. From the coach you will learn specific mental skills to practice and if you consistently apply them to the mental factors your game will improve.

Now let's take a peek into this work as seen through the eyes of a few of the students. The stories, and the methods described in them, are examples of the work so remember that what happens with you and YOUR coach will be unique and individual.

 

Case Study #1

Let's take John from Moon Valley, who was participating in local tournaments and having some success, winning rarely, but often finishing in the top 3-4.

His pattern was to play well on the first nine or ten holes and then to lose concentration on the back nine. Or sometimes he'd play well on the back nine after really blowing the first holes. Does that sound familiar to any of you?!

This is a very common pattern among golfers and many of you are probably struggling in one way or another to put together a solid eighteen holes.

While the struggle is similar among golfers, the cause usually is not.

During John's work it became apparent that in his case a part of the struggle was related to a long held belief that it wasn't okay for him to achieve to the fullest.

His background included many people and situations that supported a notion that it was saintly to be longsuffering and lacking in honor to 'lord it over' others. He discovered that since childhood he had believed winning meant that he had to forsake his honor and maybe even his sense of morality.

With this new understanding of his belief system he was able to creatively choose a new belief that more accurately reflected his more mature view of the world. He chose a belief that was respectful of others and himself, and one that supported winning, and win he did!!!

 

Case Study #2

Another player, Harry, from Camelback Golf Club in Phoenix, had a similar problem but the underlying cause was different. After successfully playing maybe 12 holes, Harry would get excited about the possibility of beating his personal best, or winning the tournament, and would begin 'trying' harder.

Since trying is the opposite of 'trusting' it immediately took Harry away from his full potential. Your performance goes downhill because "trying" means tightening up your muscles and that interferes with the smooth rhythm and timing necessary for a fluid 'sweet swing.'

When the 'trying' didn't help, Harry felt disappointed and then that feeling spread through his body/mind and made the problem even worse. It was the beginning of a negative, downward spiral. It was the beginning of "the wheels coming off."

The key for him was to increase his awareness of the very first shift in focus that led to the start of the cycle. When he shifted from playing the one shot in front of him to thinking ahead to the final score he began loosening the lug nuts on his tires!

Keeping your attention where you want it to be is a powerful mental skill and requires practice and patience. Using imagery techniques, Harry learned more quickly and had more success on the course.

He learned to create and hold a foreground that he wanted and to let everything else move into the background. He intentionally created in his imagination where he wanted to place his attention!

And it worked for this 35 year old amateur, his handicap dropped from a 16 to a 10 in just over eight months.

 

Case Study #3

Jane, an LPGA hopeful, came with that most feared of "mental blocks" . . . she had the YIPS!!!! Just the word strikes fear in the hearts of even the most strong and brave of the golf world. Jane's putter seemed to have a mind of its own, jerking involuntarily just as she was ready to stroke the ball.

Mental skills coaches have seen a lot of this demon and know that it often shows up when there is a longstanding inner conflict.

Most of the time you are unaware of the conflict or its connection to the yips until after you and the coach have talked about things for a while. It is the job of the coach to help you become aware of notions or conflicts that are causing problems.

In Jane's case the talks helped her see the conflict she felt over the amount of time golf was taking from her family; especially now that she had to care for a baby.

An aspiring tour player, Jane wasn't sure it was right to take so much time away from her other responsibilities; her other loves! She was carrying this worry within herself and hadn't openly talked it over with her husband or the other important people in her life.

Once she was completely aware of the conflict she went to her husband and family to have those discussions and look for solutions. She discovered that they were all very supportive and together they found a way to manage and balance her involvement in her family and golf.

The yips disappeared.

 

Case Study #4

Tad, who plays in amateur tournaments and carries a 5 handicap, saw a Mental skills coach because of trouble with maintaining his focus and concentration over each shot. His first homework assignment was to play a couple of rounds with the goal of simply noticing as much as he could about what his mind was actually doing while he was on the course. Most people don't have a clue about what they really think about for those four or five hours. You might be very surprised!

He reported that he noticed being focused on a shot only about a quarter of the time. Other times he "just walked up and hit it."

As he looked at patterns in his game he noticed two different kinds of experiences. He concentrated when the shot was difficult or challenging, but he became sloppy when he believed the shot was "easy."

His next homework was to make easy shots interesting to himself, to figure out how to make them more challenging! When he practiced that way, he discovered that his concentration was a lot better.

As he continues to experiment with creating more interest in his shots he's having more fun and success on the course. He recently shot 71, 73, and 76 in a three-day tournament.

These stories give you a taste of how the work goes, but keep in mind that each situation is different and that your work will be completely individualized. A program will be designed based on your goals and assessment.

You may believe""I should be able to do it myself," but why would you want to?? Why not give yourself the winners edge?! There are many "tricks of the trade" that can help you let "the player within" emerge.

Do you think you would benefit from working with a Sports Psychologist? You bet you would!

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Dr. Paula King, Golf's "Head" Coach®, is a licensed sports psychologist in private practice in Phoenix. Specializing in work with golfers her clients include tour pros, juniors and amateurs. Comments or Questions?