Tiger Woods is living proof that golf is a mind game.
What is his secret? He's not telling but no doubt his mind has been meticulously carved and conditioned to excel like he does as the worlds number one athlete.
No matter what kind of pressure a situation represents for him he cruises to victory with a display of skill and confidence that is awesome to all those who watch him play.
Maybe the following mind conditioning tips are not what Tiger is using but perhaps they are right on. Whatever, if you are a golfer that plays in the nineties or more you can develop a mind game of your own and reduce your score by as much as fifteen or twenty strokes. You may ask “Are you kidding? No,” Try it for yourself and watch your errors diminish and your scores go lower than you ever played before.
There are two minds to deal with. A conscious mind and a sub-conscious mind...
The conscious mind is used for reasoning.
The conscious mind is the part of your mind that is responsible for logic and reasoning, When you decide to take any voluntary action like moving your hand or leg, this is done by you conscious mind. So whenever you are aware of the thing that you want to do, you do it with your conscious mind.
The subconscious mind is automatic. It acts on predetermined images.
The subconscious mind is the part of your mind responsible for all of your involuntary
Actions like experiencing emotions, controlling your heart beat or breathing rate.
Your subconscious mind is also a store for your beliefs and memories. It works like a computer, what comes out is what you have programmed in previously.
When you figure out how the sub-conscious works you will realize why in the past you never accomplished the things you believed you were capable of. A confused sub-conscious mind will defeat you every time.
Here are some examples of how the sub-conscious mind can be your enemy instead of your friend.
Before you take your driver you note there is a water hazard in the fairway and you make sure that you are going to stay clear of it, not so your sub-conscious mind has an image of water and more often than not you'll manage to flub your shot into the drink.
You're standing over a putt of two feet and you make sure you are not going to miss it but your sub-conscious mind has an image of a miss and only understands that it is the desired result so it will make you shake a little bit or rush your shot to arrive at the desired result.
The subconscious mind doesn't think or reason it simply acts on the information you put into it.
Since it cannot reason it doesn't understand words either. It only acts on images. It must have a picture. Give it a picture of water and that's where you will end up, give it a picture of sand and you'll find the bunker. These are negative images but the sub-conscious mind also works on positive images and that is where Tiger Woods finds his strength.
How to get the sub-conscious mind to work for you
Now that you know how the sub-conscious mind works what do you have to do to cut a dozen or more strokes off your golf game.
The subconscious mind has first to get the picture.
Without an image the subconscious mind will be confused. A confused mind has serious consequences and can easily ruin your day on the links.
The Windmill Stance
People mistakenly try to help you by advising you to turn your shoulders for more power.
Woe to those who concentrate on turning the shoulders, their game will collapse and scores mushroom. Concentrating on mechanics of any sort will defeat you. The only thing you should be thinking about is the image of the result you want and the proper image of obtaining it. With the proper images in mind the shoulders and other elements will automatically follow suit.
What kind of image does your sub conscious have when you set up to prepare your shot?
Answer, a blank, a distorted image of what has to be accomplished. It cannot provide the consistency needed for a good golf score.
This is why when you swing your club you sometimes sway to your right side or you lunge towards the target and fluff your shots. There is no sub conscious mental control; you are really out to sea. There is no sub conscious discipline.
The set up position does not prepare you mentally for the perfect shot.
The perfect shot is performed when you automatically resist all unnecessary movement of the legs, hips and head. The sub conscious must have the right picture to accomplish the desired result.
