By Gary Shipley - PGA Teaching Professional - Sunderland Golf Academy
The golf played between the ears can be AMAZING. You could be AMAZING.
I remember a few years ago I was playing in an event in Kent. My caddy, Pete Ward, and I got to the course early and went to the clubhouse for a cuppa and a bacon sandwich. As we sat, Pete leant over and said to me, “We will win this”.
It was at a time when that was just stating the obvious as I wanted to win every event, I played in. “Yes, you bet”, I replied
“No, we will win this, listen to the players behind”
Sure enough, the players on the table behind were saying that it was a waste of time going out because it was just too windy. Pete and I loved playing in the wind and it seemed to us that several players had already written themselves off. We didn’t win but we weren’t far away.
We have thousands of thoughts every day. These thoughts form our internal world of pictures, sounds and feelings. It is these conversations, arguments we have with ourselves in our thinking process that drive how we feel, our mood and ultimately how we respond to events and this can then in turn influence how we perform.
If I look out of the window on the morning of a game of golf. It`s raining hard and not looking like stopping soon. I really don’t want to get wet. I won`t enjoy the round. I wont play well. What to do???
I can either look at the rain and go straight to my mobile and text the players I am meant to be playing with to suggest that it is not looking good for golf and perhaps it would be better to cancel till next week.
Or
I can dry off when I get in. I will look at it as a challenge. I will play the best I can. So, lets text and let my partners know that I will see them on the tee.
So, I will prepare. All I have to do is to put an extra towel in the bag to keep the grips dry, perhaps another towel for under the umbrella, make sure I have my waterproofs, umbrella and a couple of extra gloves and then get out there and play. Look upon it as a challenge, revel in it, enjoy it.
Your thoughts affect your moods
Your moods affect your body response
Your body response effect your performance.