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How to Handle Distractions in Golf
Wade Pearse
Distractions in golf - How do you deal with them?
Distractions in golf are a part of the game. From the rattling
of change in your playing partners pockets to the shadow cast
across your line when you're just about to take the putter
back.
It's difficult to recall a round where there wasn't at least
something to get distracted by. Well, that is if we let it.
What kinds of distractions get you a bit rattled? Are there
certain scenarios that seem to take your focus off your shot
more than others?
It's useful to make a note of these. This way you can apply
some techniques I'll show you and remove the negative impact
these "distractions" have on your game. The inner game must
be developed to as high a degree as possible.
I want to offer a different perspective. This might fly in
the face of conventional wisdom yet it has proven to be an
effective shift in mindset. *Just like hockey, where the referees
are a part of the game (like it or not), distractions are
a fundamental part of the game of golf.*
Distractions disappear first with a change of mindset.
Now this might sound strange I realize, but this "reframe"
is essential. Once you get it your overall perception of what
influence these distractions will have will change forever.
So first begin to look at them as a part of the game.
By seeing them as simple elements inside the game, not as
something that is destroying your concentration or ruining
your good rounds, a mental toughness will develop in you.
I will show you how things that previously distracted you
can actually trigger increased focus in your shot or putt.
You see, by placing too much emphasis on removing distractions
and "getting everyone quiet", or making sure things are just
perfect before you make your swing, you are inadvertently
increasing the negative influence these inevitable distractions
will have on your performance.
Now let's be clear. There will always be something we can
focus on and blame for our poor shot or bad round. It's the
easy out. Do you recall the heat Colin Montgomery took years
ago in New York when fans wouldn't quiet down for him and
he refused to hit until things were quiet?
I don't support or encourage needless crowd noise or heckling,
yet the increased attention he brought to himself caused more
distraction than what was already present. It ended up becoming
a multi-year issue for him.
How can you manage distractions?
I want you to look at the 3 areas of distractions.
What you see - This can be the shadow cast by a partner. Someone
standing behind you in your peripheral vision (I'll admit
this is one of the most challenging to overcome for me). Players
moving across your view when standing over your putt. The
list is endless of course.
What you hear - People talking. (Have you noticed that sometimes
whispers seem louder than someone talking at normal volume!)
A horn going off in your backswing. Someone coughing just
as you take the club away. I'll let you add to this list...
What you feel - This is more about your physiology. A little
itch above your left eye you feel like scratching right when
you are making your putt. Your blood sugar level. Your mood.
Your sense of tiredness. Fatigue. Your attention drifting
to how fast your heart is racing.
I've merely expressed a few in each area. You are undoubtedly
aware of these and countless others. Which area tends to have
the most influence on you? There are mental game strategies
you can use to reduce the influence of distractions in golf.
It begins with building a solid mental game plan.
Wade Pearse is a Peak Performance Coach who spent
7 years applying the most advanced mental game strategies
in golf with his clients and in his own game with phenomenal
results. Visit his website. It is filled with mental game
resources you can use in your game right away. He has a mental
game ezine and a daily blog you can subscribe to
Wade Pearse
Keeping you on target!
Visit the website now =>
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Article Source: http://www.amazines.com/
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