Mental Toughness Training

I tried the 100 paperclip technique referenced in the mental game section to monitor my attitude during my last round and the results were surprising. Throughout my round I was more aware of how my thinking impacted my game than ever before.  I realized how damaging negative thoughts can be and have been in the past for me.  After missing the 5^th green with a sand wedge from the middle of the fairway, I arrived at my ball and found what I would call a nightmare lie next to a bush.  My round had been going smoothly up to this point and this is usually where I would take a large number.  My typical pattern from here is that the next few holes I would compound the mistake with more errors and I would jump on board the negative thought train.  But today I reached in my front left pocket, pulled out a paperclip and stuck the paperclip in my back pocket.  Amazingly, I immediately got over the fact that I had butchered my attempt at a sand wedge and started figuring out how to save par.  I ended up pulling off an amazing chip but wasn't able to convert the par attempt.  Again, a paperclip when in my back pocket.  With my negative thoughts literally in my back pocket, I went on to the next hole got a par, didn’t let my round unravel due to one bad shot, and immediately exited off the negative thought train.  The paperclip technique really showed me the impact the mental game can have to your benefit or detriment if left unchecked.  For anyone who hasn't tried this technique, give it a try and let me know how it works for you.     

Steve

Madj,

You bring up an excellent question and one that many people could benefit from. Growing up as a junior golfer, I would often find myself acting with the same type of behaviour that you are describing.

I think the issue is that we somehow connect our "golf score" to our "self worth." How often have we entered the grill room at the course and gotten the question "what did you shoot?." How many times has that question been answered with a "different score," or some explanation of how our score could have or should have "been alot better?" It's just a number, but once that number leaves our mouths we get the feeling that we will be judged by that number. In a world where the desire for acceptance is so great, it becomes much easier on us to "bend the truth."

This "judgement" that occurs in our communication with others is actually occuring within ourselves as well. This is why I believe that you are stuggleing with the way you are feeling about yourself and your game durning a round of golf.

The key to breaking this cycle is to make the concious decision to live your life with a higher level of "authenticity" no longer judging circumstances or outcomes as good or bad. If I make 7 on a hole, it does not define who I am. It's not good or bad, in fact it just "IS."

Remember: "Nothing is good nor bad until our thinking makes it so" - William Shakespear

The key to being consistent is through heightening your "awareness" of your behavior and being able to catch yourself when you stray from your goal of authenticity.

I think making this shift will actually benefit you two-fold:

First, you will have an increased level of self esteem from knowing that you are making a mental shift outside of the societal norm as you are actively living 'YOUR TRUTH."

Secondly, your friends and playing partners WILL notice and correlate your honorable attitudes towards competetion with the way you would likely handle situations away from the golf course. They will appreciate your integrity and perhaps even decide to enact positive change in their lives as well.

After all, golf is the ultimate metaphor for life. It is extremely revealing of our character, yet gives us the arena to learn so much about who we are and who we would like to be. Take this opportunity to learn and grow and I believe you will find more joy from your life and your golf game.

Hope this helps!

Jeff

Finally got out today for the first time this season! I found one course in the area that only had 5% of the course covered in snow. I found myself dropping back into the mentality of NOT counting strokes again. However, I quickly remembered this site and Jeff's response. I immediately ACCEPTED the score. I found myself calmer and my next four holes I got pars.

I will keep working on this mental thinking. Jeff, it is good to see you encorporate your answer above into the online chapters. I believe others will be helped by it. Now I can't wait until someone asks me how I did today! By the way, my last tee shot on the par 5 18th was fantastic. ;-)

-Dan

smisuta said

Jeff,

 

I thought alot about where to put this post but finally settled on the mental game because it starts with some decision making, a mental process. After reading through your book, I decided I was going to (1) play golf with the simplest swing possible, and (2) when things go wrong, embrace the opposite. I slimmed down my one plane swing concepts to mimicking the 3rd photo of the takeaway and follow through in your swing sequence stills, showing the left arm across the chest in the backswing, right arm across the chest in the follow through, arms on plane and maintaining body posture throughout. I banished all the thoughts about "twist and throw", "correct hip motion",  "snap vs push release", "inner circle, outer circle", etc, etc. With only these few thoughts and one practice session, I found it easy to take my swing from the practice range to the course. The first payoff was my enjoyment level: it felt great to actually play the game, focusing on the target and course strategy instead of sorting thru alot of complex concepts. Then during the round today, I had the second payoff when I hit a big hook from the tee into water on the left of the 3rd hole. On the next hole, there was water on the left again, so it was a great opportunity to "embrace the opposite" and so I hit a big slice over the trees and into the adjacent fairway, and from there I hit the green and two putted for par. For the rest of the round, my driving was down middle without having to think about it and without fearing the hook would return. Sure, I made alot of other mistakes but didn't dwell on them, just did the opposite on the next shot and quickly found the middle ground.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on the site: I am confident I will have more fun in the future!

 

Regards,

Steve.

 

Awesome Steve!

 

Thanks for the comments!!!

 

Jeff