Negative self talk

Tiger

Tiger

Money List Winner
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Messages
5,789
Location
Suffolk
rub-of-the-green.blogspot.com
Just read something interesting about awareness of hazards having a negative impact on performance. Apparently in a study when told about a hidden hazard that needed a shot over 150yards to clear it 68.4% of golfers failed to do so. Conversely the control sample who weren't told this information 83.7% managed it.

Now I've heard numerous times on here about how people seem to play better away from home. I know of three holes on my course where I sabotage myself by making reference to a hazard. While when I play away I play the shot as I see it and where I want to be.

So moving forward I intend to talk positively to myself about ball placement as I walk to each tee and each shot. The 'sledgers' among us might use this information for more nefarious purposes ;)
 
I totally get where you are coming from Tiger, but I always wonder what this positive thinking means in reality and how to make it work.

I think it needs a sort of mental discipline that is never particualrly well explained in books or whatever.

Take the hazard scenario you outlined. This is what I think would go through my mind if I tried the positive approach ...

"-Nice smooth swing... there's no trouble up there
- Why are you saying there's no trouble up there?
- Because actually there is trouble up there
- Well thanks for reminding me.
- oops. Now I'm thinking about the trouble. "

My point is that not thinking about something actually makes you think about it.

That and the voices in my head :mad:
 
its human nature, what you dont know cant worry you, on your home and well played course your head gets filled with the bad shots and consequences about bad shots. You are correct to think positively, when you see a hazard then think about the shot to avoid it and commit to it, and dont just think "I'll just hit it and hope I dont go in there"
 
I play with a couple of guys that are very self destructive while playing. All it takes is one bad shot and their round can blow up very very quickly.
No matter how much they are told that even with a single figure handicap your going to get bad shots and to not let them effect you.
IMO it very much depends on how that person is wired, it has zero to do with ability. Both these people in life are stress heads, they both handle stress the same way (Badly). Both try to blame external factors and then get angry.
 
Monty_Brown said:
I totally get where you are coming from Tiger, but I always wonder what this positive thinking means in reality and how to make it work.

I think it needs a sort of mental discipline that is never particualrly well explained in books or whatever.

Take the hazard scenario you outlined. This is what I think would go through my mind if I tried the positive approach ...

"-Nice smooth swing... there's no trouble up there
- Why are you saying there's no trouble up there?
- Because actually there is trouble up there
- Well thanks for reminding me.
- oops. Now I'm thinking about the trouble. "

My point is that not thinking about something actually makes you think about it.

That and the voices in my head :mad:
Click to expand...

I'm thinking more along the lines of

"a good shot on this hole/from this position is to this point. Nice smooth swing. Practice swings with swing thought. Align to target." swish
 
Monty_Brown said:
I totally get where you are coming from Tiger, but I always wonder what this positive thinking means in reality and how to make it work.

I think it needs a sort of mental discipline that is never particularly well explained in books or whatever.

Take the hazard scenario you outlined. This is what I think would go through my mind if I tried the positive approach ...

"-Nice smooth swing... there's no trouble up there
- Why are you saying there's no trouble up there?
- Because actually there is trouble up there
- Well thanks for reminding me.
- oops. Now I'm thinking about the trouble. "

My point is that not thinking about something actually makes you think about it.

That and the voices in my head :mad:
Click to expand...

I think that is a very fair description. You know its their no matter how much you try to ignore it. The more you try the more you think. Guess I need lessons in positive mental attitude.
 
It all comes from worrying about the result of the shot, and as a result trying to force the outcome. If I had 150yds to carry a hazard from the middle of the fairway, I have to be honest and say I wouldn't give said hazard a 2nd thought because it really isn't in play. If I was 200yds away I'd give it more thought because the chances of going in it are higher.

For me it's all about knowing your game and playing the shot appropriately. We have a hazard on our 3rd you have to carry from ghe tee, at a guess I'd say it was 180yds to carry it. I can honestly say I have never stood on the tee and thought about hitting it in there because I know that 99 times out of a hundred, I will clear it. All I think about is hitting the left hand side of the fairway.

The way I see it, if my normal shot wouldn't go in the hazard, why focus on the hazard?
 
Treat ALL hazards with the contempt they deserve.
What a waste of time it was putting a bunker/pond/ditch there, it's only going to catch out the daft duffer and you certainly won't catch me going in there.

:)

Unless I'm playing foursomes :whistle:
 
The pro's (and coaches) say that you should see the shot in your mind before you play it. The reason being that your body subconsciously does it's best to produce the image it's been given. What is going to happen if the last thing you focus on before you swing is a hazard?

The mind also doesn't know what to do with the word "don't", so standing on the tee repeating "don't go right, don't go right" isn't a good thing to do.

Yes the hazard is there and yes you will go in it if you make a bad shot.
Part of being confident over a shot is being able to accept a bad result if it happens.

Some people may scoff at the above, and that's fine. There is no guarantee that positive thinking will be successful. Negative thinking though, is nearly always successful.
 
I have a friend who confessed that he was completely unable to play our 13th hole - 540 yard uphill par 5 with OOB to the right and many gorse bushes to the left.. Every time he stood on the tee, he knew what was going to happen. I suggested he try a trick that I have used with some success:

Get you brain to imagine that you are about to play a shot on another part of the course where nothing bad is likely to happen and keep that thought in mind while you play the shot. It worked for him as he no longer has a hang-up on that tee - but it doesn't guarantee 100% satisfaction.
 
All of Region3's comment is absolute sense. Those who scoff, let them.

I wish I could have worked this out during my teenage years - I'd have been a lot better player then… and, as a result, now.

I can't help but think that many really talented players have this mental attitude from birth, even if they don't realise it. They focus on target, try to hit it at the target, then go find it and repeat. It's a simple as that.
 
Last edited:
A wise man with a shoddy swing once told me " the brain doesn't understand negative orders ". IE " dont go in that lake "... the brain will compute as " go in that lake ".

not sure if there is any sense in it but thinking along these lines does seem to promote a negative outcome. often you hear guys say " dont duff it into that that bunker "... only to do exactly what they said they didnt want to.
 
JustOne said:
I can think "don't hole this putt" ...........and pretty much miss it every time :mad:
Click to expand...

:rofl: im trying that!!



ive seen guys whos natural shot is a draw / hook play 14 holes bombing draws/ hooks then stand at our 15th with ob all down right hand side and slice 3balls over the fence. its a mental thing.


if i have the wind at my back they im carefree hitting a drive. if its into my face i get all tense and usually end up with a slice. aaaahhhhhhhhhh!
 
garyinderry said:
ive seen guys whos natural shot is a draw / hook play 14 holes bombing draws/ hooks then stand at our 15th with ob all down right hand side and slice 3balls over the fence. its a mental thing.
Click to expand...

That's called not trusting yourself and trying force the outcome of the shot
 
If there's trouble right people tend to swing more left... causing a slice
If there's trouble left people tend to swing more right... causing a hook

Long carry? People tend to lean back to get the ball airborne....... thin!

That's how simple it is. Rocket science it isn't.
 
I've heard that the brain doesn't compute negative thoughts, so thinking don't go xyz just enforces the body to go there. Though with my swing it just goes anywhere really!
 
As mentioned in a previous thread, I've always been one of those people who use a cheap ball if it looks like there's a good chance of losing it in a hazard, so I'm effectively teeing off with negative thoughts already in my head, with the obvious outcome. I'll play this year with only one brand of ball in the bag.
 
It is exactly what Rotella has been banging on about in all his books. Negative thoughts = negative outcomes and don't becomes do

He talks a lot about the need to have a set pre-shot routine and stick to it on every shot so the brain doesn't see the hazard or fear the outcome. He also says about picking a target in the distance and making it as small as possible (a single leaf on a tree) so the mind is really honed in. It makes perfect sense reading it but its a lot harder to do in reality
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Why are people A-Holes when playing MATCHPLAY?
5 6 7
Replies
121
Views
14K
Sid Rixon IV
S
Lord Tyrion
Kingsdown, Wilts & Celtic Manor, Montgomery
Replies
2
Views
801
Neilds
N
Tashyboy
Castle Stewart
Replies
0
Views
2K
Tashyboy
Tashyboy
Sats
Been to Tenerife, Well I've been to elevenrife!
2
Replies
23
Views
4K
need_my_wedge
need_my_wedge
TheHeron
Wilson Dynapower Irons 6-SW
Replies
1
Views
2K
TheHeron
TheHeron
Top