Author: Phoenix Delray
Golf instruction schools across the country are embracing an old theory and developing it into a new concept: golf psychology. Like any other sport, there is a degree of mental preparation that must be undertaken to really succeed as a golfer.
Once a player has mastered his swing, he must learn how to control the thoughts and emotions that go hand in hand with playing golf. To be a truly great player, you must learn to maintain emotional balance on the golf course and use energy effectively, not wasting it on unnecessary emotions and actions.
It is known in the field of psychology that anger, frustration, anxiety, and a fear of failure can all affect a persons physical actions quite negatively. With all of the anxiety and frustration, a persons adrenaline kicks in, releasing norepinephrine, releasing adrenalin into the muscles. This causes heart rate increases, high blood pressure, and blood lactate levels increase. This all increases the tension in a players muscles, affecting flexibility and a golfers ability to perform well. Thus the cycle keeps circling, because this then of course causes more frustration and anger. Increased adrenaline also can reduce the amount of blood flowing to the hands, affecting a players grip on the club. This is all why it is believed that the basis of any great game of golf starts with mental health and control.
According to many golf instruction schools, gaining control of the thoughts and emotions that present themselves during a game can be accomplished by many different means, including hypnosis, meditation, and relaxation training. Reducing stress by mastering the mind is an exciting area of golf. Psychologists agree that the mind always leads the body. The brain creates the mental images that are necessary to accomplish certain goals in a game of golf. The images then serve as a reference point, or map, that guide the bodys actions towards the goal. In the end, golf instruction school experts claim that once a golfer masters these concepts, all that is left to be done is to just swing the club.
Many golf instruction schools teach the keys to performance as being able to imagine or visualize what you want your performance to be like and being able to manage emotional challenges effectively. Distractions are a constant part of any game of golf, and strategically avoiding and managing those distractions is key. Finally, golf instruction schools recommend becoming vigorously involved in the mechanics of the game, maintaining focus and also avoiding outcome thinking and over emphasizing results.
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