Sports Psychology

[d_clarke]

Hi, everyone. I thought it would only be polite to introduce myself. I'm a sports psychologist with a keen interest in golf and I'm interested in discussing the mental aspects of the game with fellow forum members. If anyone has any questions about the psychology of the game then fire away!

 

[stevelockie]

Hi Dominic,

Thanks for offering to impart some knowledge.

Golf psychology is big news these days and has been for a while. To my mind (pardon the pun!) the subject is fairly well represented.

I would be interested to hear what feel you "bring to the table" that hasn't been covered before?

Many Thanks

 

[MikeH]

Hi Dominic

welcome to the forum and thanks for offering your expertise to the other forum users - there's a great collection of golfers who are serious about the game posting here so I'm sure they'll have some questions to put to you

cheers

MikeH (GM editor)

 

[birdieman]

This is a fun forum for amateurs to discuss stuff in a light hearted fashion, we dont people touting for business and getting free advertising thanks!!

 

[muttleee]

No one minded when the greenkeeper chap offered to impart his knowledge to forum users so I'm sure most people would be happy to hear from this guy too...

I actually saw the username 'd_clarke' and thought surely not...could big Darren be posting here?!

On the topic of psychology, I once heard it said that the brain doesn't distinguish between do and don't very well, so instead of thinking "don't hit it in the lake", it's better to think "do hit it in the fairway". Thinking "don't hit it in the lake" supposedly just makes you concentrate on the lake with the result that you're MORE likely to hit it there rather than less. Do you think there's any truth in that?

 

[golfdonkey]

Hello Dominic - is there an ideal number of swing thoughts to have in your head while you swing. SHould you concentrate on one thing – say, high hands – or should your head be completely clear once the club's started moving?

 

[d_clarke]

Hi, everyone. First of all, thanks for the welcome Mike - much appreciated. Although it is true that there is much written about psychology in golf in magazines etc, my clients often tell me they have a hard time applying it to their games, or realising of what relevance the advice is to their game.

My approach is one of simple analysis with a psychological background and knowledgebase; it's no good getting the knowledge from these magazines if you can't analyse your game effectively and apply the principles. Why is Tiger Woods so good? 2 reasons: he knows himself better than any other golfer does (constant self-analysis), and secondly he is always working on his weaknesses and refining his game; his work ethic is second to none!

Muttleee: What you have heard is indeed true. Your visual mind does not distinguish between "hit it in the lake" and "DON'T hit in in the lake". On both occassions your mind will produce the image of you hitting the ball in the lake. Instead you want your goal clear in your mind. Most of the time your goal will be the fairway or pin. If it's the fairway, make sure you aim for a specific target on the fairway. For best results, your mind should always be focussed on a target.

Golf Donkey: Ideally you want your mind to be clear when you swing. I understand swing thoughts can help technical issues, but I would try and eliminate these during competitive rounds. You should only use these swing thoughts to help you correct transient swing faults in practice. However, it is ok to have pre-shot routine thoughts.

 

[birdieman]

No one minded when the greenkeeper chap offered to impart his knowledge to forum users so I'm sure most people would be happy to hear from this guy too...

The greenkeeeper wasn't trying to SELL you stuff !

 

[shanker]

No one minded when the greenkeeper chap offered to impart his knowledge to forum users so I'm sure most people would be happy to hear from this guy too...

The greenkeeeper wasn't trying to SELL you stuff !

I'm with you Birdieman. The Greenkeeper offers info. These other guys NOT.

 

[shanker]

Hi, everyone. First of all, thanks for the welcome Mike - much appreciated. Although it is true that there is much written about psychology in golf in magazines etc, my clients often tell me they have a hard time applying it to their games, or realising of what relevance the advice is to their game.

My approach is one of simple analysis with a psychological background and knowledgebase; it's no good getting the knowledge from these magazines if you can't analyse your game effectively and apply the principles. Why is Tiger Woods so good? 2 reasons: he knows himself better than any other golfer does (constant self-analysis), and secondly he is always working on his weaknesses and refining his game; his work ethic is second to none!

Muttleee: What you have heard is indeed true. Your visual mind does not distinguish between "hit it in the lake" and "DON'T hit in in the lake". On both occassions your mind will produce the image of you hitting the ball in the lake. Instead you want your goal clear in your mind. Most of the time your goal will be the fairway or pin. If it's the fairway, make sure you aim for a specific target on the fairway. For best results, your mind should always be focussed on a target.

Golf Donkey: Ideally you want your mind to be clear when you swing. I understand swing thoughts can help technical issues, but I would try and eliminate these during competitive rounds. You should only use these swing thoughts to help you correct transient swing faults in practice. However, it is ok to have pre-shot routine thoughts.

Total shite! If any of the regular posters go for this dross then they only have themselves to blame. Use your heads and ignore this twaddle, gentlemen.

 

[d_clarke]

I'm open to criticism shanker, but what evidence do you have to prove that what I suggest is "twaddle". Could you please put together a more constructive argument? It would be interesting to hear some different viewpoints, but please provide some evidence to your view rather than simply condemning others' views as "total shite!" Such a statement with no evidence to support it helps no-one.

 

[John_Findlay]

Welcome to the forum, d-clarke !

You'll have realised that we are generally the die-hard, bitter and twisted, cynical sorts. Would have loved you to profer your services out of the love for the game...but sadly, you included your web-site address. Oh dear.

 

[MikeH]

general thoughts on posts

Hi all

I really don't want to get involved removing threads, or individual posts that are promoting stuff etc. I much prefer to let you the golfers whose board this really is to monitor it as you feel is right.

Birdieman's reply post to Zachary's one this morning made me laugh and IMHO that's the way to deal with blatant solicitations. Either that or just ignore them. They'll soon get the message.

My view on Dominic's post was that his offer to give advice on mental game issues was a genuine one - hence why I welcomed him. OK he put his website link but you dont have to click on it

cheers

MikeH
(GM editor)

 

[muttleee]

As long as someone posts useful content to the site, I don't think it's a crime to include a web address in a signature. I've posted on plenty of forums (fora??) in my time and I've seen plenty of people do it - in fact I did it myself when posting to fan forums for a band I have a site about. The only difference is that I wasn't looking for 'business' - only visitors. Anyway, I would say there's a world of difference between the likes of aiii saying "look at this great site" with his first and only post and d_clarke offering to answer questions and including a weblink in his signature. If the advice is posted freely on the forum, we can choose to agree or disagree with it as we see fit. No one is forced to click on the link to his site. The aiii poster is a different kettle of fish, actively encouraging people to visit a site for his benefit much more than ours. Death's too good for spammers like that...

 

[John_Findlay]

That's exactly the point I was trying to make, muttlee. Agree with you 100%.

Some good advice first then a reference to the website someway down the line would have got a better reaction, I think. It's all psychology!

 

[chipin1]

I think we all agree that we don't want this forum to become flooded with ads. Lets just make sure that anyone who just wants to advertise (and offer nothing in return to our forum) gets zero response

 

[d_clarke]

I don't believe I have tried to sell anything. I offered advice to those that asked, and muttleee said people can choose to take my advice or ignore it. And with regards to my website link, no-one HAS to click on it. You can take all the advice I offer on here without ever visiting my website. I included it there for anyone that may be curious. Why don't we get down to the business of improving people's golf games instead of bickering over semantics and who is "right" or "wrong"?

 

[Golfer2112]

I say that you are welcome here Dominic solely on the basis of having the balls to call your website intrinsicgreatness.com. What a cracking name.

And you are right, you haven't tried to flog us stuff and you have offered some pretty reasonable advice for free.

 

[birdieman]

I did look at your website and saw in your testimonials quotes from 2 'Korfball players'. I have no idea what korfball is! Maybe some testimonials from golfers would help your business?
Apologies if I seemed a bit off before, normally internet links on here are bad news!
I have read Bob Rotella's book 'Golf is not a game of perfect' - are you coming from the same school of thinking as him??

 

[USER1999]

My problem with sports psychology (apart from spelling it) is that a lot of it is pretty obvious when sat here (focus on the positives, remember performing similar shots well in the past, think happy thoughts, live in the present, empty your mind, etc), but, and it is a big but, when you stand on the eighteenth, with a good card in your hand, and you know that your last 9 out of 10 drives on this hole snap hook into the bundu, all this stuff deserts you.

You can sit and visualise all you like at home or on 'the chair', but it doesn't help outside of this environment.

Now I suppose if you did enough of it, then maybe it would become more natural, but the same could be said of practicing the swing, and most of us don't do enough of that either. I think if I was going to throw money at my golf, golf lessons would be top of the tree, shiny stuff next, and then a very poor last, psychology.

I can see that when you are trying to earn a living from golf, the pressure is different, and trying to get that last 1% that makes the difference becomes more important. However, for most club golfers are problems are more technical than psychological.

(out of interest the drive on eighteen is pretty tough, from down in a hole with a decent carry to an elevated fairway that slopes right to left, but also turns a corner right to left so that every thing slopes into the woods on the left. Too far right, and it is in the woods too, so if you draw the ball, it is a tough call as to which trees you are in (too much draw = left, not enough = right). Ideally a high fade over the first trees is perfect, but this is the shot I keep hooking).