JUST IMAGINE...YOU'RE ENERGIZED!

Golf Digest Woman 12/99

Just Imagine...It's Thursday morning, golf day, and before work you load your clubs into the trunk of the car in anticipation of an early afternoon tee time. Setting off to work you feel energized with the anticipation of being on the links later in the day.

Then you spend four hours caught up in the typical frenzy of work. Your cranky boss is tossing barbs around the office and so many seem to land on you that you feel like someone must have put a bulls-eye on your shirt.

By noon, when you're ready to leave for the course it's like someone removed your battery and you have to drag yourself to the car. Harried, frazzled, and stressed are understatements for the tight muscles, and racing thoughts in your head; "Should I go? There's so much I need to do at work. Maybe this isn't a good time to go play golf. Will my boss be angry? I'll never be able to keep my mind on the game. "

By the time you're in the car you feel so drained that it's hard to imagine even hitting a golf ball, much less hitting it where you want it!

Time for lunch? No way. You'll get the bag boys to grab a sandwich for you and put it in your cart to eat on the course.

Warm up? Again, No way. It's going to be a "trunk to tee" golf day.

Typically this scenario would mean disaster on the course. Your inner chaos would be expressed in those wild and erratic golf shots that can make even the most mild-mannered person mutter obscenities under their breath, or quit golf every other week.

But today is not your typical day. Oh sure, the stage is the same, but today you have a different script; and it goes like this:

You leave work and slide behind the steering wheel of your car. The first thing you notice is the "sticky note" you placed in the center of your steering wheel after you parked at the office this morning. The note is a simple reminder of the commitment made to yourself for making new choices today. You smile to yourself remembering.

Then you speak the first line of your new script, saying to yourself; "I want to play golf today and my intention is to be energized and fully present to the experience, which begins NOW!"

On the way to the course use each stop light as an opportunity to do a body scan, focusing your attention, and intention, on relaxing the tension specific to each part of your body.

Roll your head side-to-side in a slow circular motion, letting it drop forward as you move from one side to the other, flex your fingers--releasing the death grip on your steering wheel, shrug your shoulders several times, release tension in your jaw by opening and closing your mouth, listen to soothing music, notice the natural beauty going past your window, recall your favorite round of golf, and last, breathe--feeling the air inhaled deeply into your abdominal area, and then while you exhale imagine the release of tension and removal of toxins from your body.

You arrive at the course 20 minutes before your assigned tee time, and after dropping off your clubs and getting on your shoes you have about 10 minutes left. Your highest priority, based on the intention written on your sticky note, is to spend the time creating a positive inner energy.

Choosing a place where you will be undisturbed, like sitting in your car, or on the bumper of the open trunk, in a golf cart, or a corner of the locker-room; close your eyes and invite your body to relax more and more with each breath you take.

Now, recall a time in your life in which you experienced the inner positive energy that you desire for today's round of golf. Notice where you are and what you doing. Notice the specific qualities that are present in the energy. Perhaps you feel clear-headed, focused, tingly with anticipation, warm, confident, or wise.

There are no right or wrong, better or best qualities to have--there are only those qualities which are present in your imagination. Accept the qualities that come as long as they represent, for you, the desired state of positive energy. If they don't, simply recall a different experience, one which does bring forth the qualities you want.

Now imagine that you "step into yourself" in the remembered experience and invite an awareness of the positive energy flowing through your body. Notice and experience each of the qualities in turn, thanking them for being present.

Remaining quiet, imagine your newly energized self on the first tee of today's golf course. Image yourself in great detail, calling upon all of your senses to make the experience as "real" as possible. Notice the feel of the grass under you feet, the sun warm on your back, the gentle breeze ruffling your hair, see the fairway and pick a target, feel the texture of the grip in your hand, and the weight of club as you lift it from the bag.

Tee off and watch the flight of the ball as it soars in the air, lands and rolls right to your target!

Open your eyes, (if you had them closed) and head for the first tee. As you stand on the tee simply notice that you have successfully recharged your batteries and re-energized yourself, just as you imagined and intended!

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Dr. Paula King, Golf's "Head" Coach®, is a licensed sports psychologist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. Specializing in work with golfers her clients include professional, amateur, and junior players. Comments or Questions?