GreggerKBR
Head Pro
Me too - used to really struggle, sometimes still do. It happens, you have to accept it. I read about 20 books. Attended seminars & mind coaching etc.
I won't say I didn't learn anything but nothing stopped the thoughts and rage of messing up a shot, a hole, a round etc.
It was getting to the point of costing me friendships.
Chimp Paradox was good - endorsed by Sir Chris Hoy. Bit weird but good to isolate actions, thoughts & reactions.
Then I read Stillpower by Garret Kramer and somewhere along the line I changed.
I became a different golfing personality, more than anything I wanted to be happy and be fun to play with.
Didn't want to lose the intensity/focus but I wanted to lighten up.
After I understood what Kramer was talking about it all happened so easily it's hard to understand or explain why I struggled for so long.
I just wish I'd "got it" much much earlier in life.
You gotta learn to forgive yourself for hitting crap shots, learn to "accept outcomes".
It's not like you woke up thinking I'm going out to skank it round the course today or "I'm going to do my best to triple bogey this".
Quite the opposite, you're trying to play your best, but you can't do that from a bad headspace.
You gotta learn patience and belief that's not attached to performances.
that'll make it easier to move on to the next job, to focus on what you'll do next.
Sometimes you'll still be brewing/raging for several shots or holes - no problem, accept it, it will pass.
Kind of have to give up.. let it go... get out of your own way. Don't focus so hard that you can't imagine a shot...
I once won a tournament when I'd played so bad through 11th I texted my wife to say, "OMW hating this, playing rubbish, will be home soon x"
I then went -2 under for next 7 holes and won it - strange game. I won it after I gave up... how does that even work?
Physically - deep breathing and letting your eyes move around taking everything in really helps.
I won't say I didn't learn anything but nothing stopped the thoughts and rage of messing up a shot, a hole, a round etc.
It was getting to the point of costing me friendships.
Chimp Paradox was good - endorsed by Sir Chris Hoy. Bit weird but good to isolate actions, thoughts & reactions.
Then I read Stillpower by Garret Kramer and somewhere along the line I changed.
I became a different golfing personality, more than anything I wanted to be happy and be fun to play with.
Didn't want to lose the intensity/focus but I wanted to lighten up.
After I understood what Kramer was talking about it all happened so easily it's hard to understand or explain why I struggled for so long.
I just wish I'd "got it" much much earlier in life.
You gotta learn to forgive yourself for hitting crap shots, learn to "accept outcomes".
It's not like you woke up thinking I'm going out to skank it round the course today or "I'm going to do my best to triple bogey this".
Quite the opposite, you're trying to play your best, but you can't do that from a bad headspace.
You gotta learn patience and belief that's not attached to performances.
that'll make it easier to move on to the next job, to focus on what you'll do next.
Sometimes you'll still be brewing/raging for several shots or holes - no problem, accept it, it will pass.
Kind of have to give up.. let it go... get out of your own way. Don't focus so hard that you can't imagine a shot...
I once won a tournament when I'd played so bad through 11th I texted my wife to say, "OMW hating this, playing rubbish, will be home soon x"
I then went -2 under for next 7 holes and won it - strange game. I won it after I gave up... how does that even work?
Physically - deep breathing and letting your eyes move around taking everything in really helps.
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