Dr. Travis Fox | |
Equipment for the Mind
January 1, 2007
Dr. Travis Fox is the official "Head Coach" for GolfObserver.Com.
Holding doctorates in both Psychology & Hypnotherapy, Dr. Travis Fox has devoted his life to understanding the mind and how to be in control of it.
Over the course of the year Dr. Fox is going to examine the game of golf and how you can improve your game.
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GolfObserver editors
Mindset: "Beat old man winter by keeping your 'spring' mindset"
Photo: © Harry How/Getty Image |
With winter here, some have still refused to put the clubs in the garage. |
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As winter set in on most of the country this past week, golfers around the country began the annual worry of "will my game still be there after the winter break" thought process. Many new sets of clubs, new balls, golf lessons and driving ranges are the beneficiary of this mindset.
We tend to start working on our game in hopes of "keeping all the improvements" we made this past season. We set up rooms in our houses as mini practice areas, each room dedicated to an area of the game. If you are like most, your office is your modern day putting green, an area in your garage is an "authorized full swing zone" where we may have mirrors on the wall and a matt to hit from and a net to catch our imagined ball flights. Finally, our living room is our chipping green where we wear down yet another layer of our carpet from the last year's chipping practice. If you are really a die hard golf nut, perhaps even an official member of the "Golf Nut Society," you practice your putting stroke or full swing in front of your bathroom mirror while your shaving cream is still on and hoping your bath towel stays in tact!
Photo: © Richard Heathcote/Getty Image |
Some will find anyplace to play golf. |
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We continue to practice our physical games in hopes of "not forgetting" that golden move that we thought gave us so much joy during this past golfing season. We work hard, forgetting that it is this very movement we ended up hating during the season. So, we desperately rehearse it in order to keep our fear of losing any ground on the game during the months that we cannot actually play. It is that "fear" that actually hurts our ability to repeat good, consistent moves and grow in the game.
Once we hand off our "swing" to our automated subconscious mind, we need not get consciously involved any longer. In fact, it is our involvement that keeps us from accessing our now automated swing and game. Just like when you are going through that daily automated process of shaving; you are doing it on autopilot, drinking coffee, reading the paper, discussing the day with your significant other and preparing items, you do it without thinking your way through it. When you practice during the winter months, practice more in the imagination of your swing.
Daydream about playing golf this coming spring the "ideal" way you would want to play it if everything was "ideal" in your game. During the day take three, one-minute time slots and just imagine putting with perfect touch, driving with distance and control and holding the feeling of shooting great golf. Doesn't it feel great to imagine this experience? Notice that this will tend to elevate your mood when doing this exercise! Great way to pick up your mindset during the day too.
At night as you go to sleep, whisper to yourself a tried and true "Beat The Bogey Man" method, saying "Tic-Toc like a grandfather clock." You will find that not only do you ingrain in your subconscious mind the natural rhythm of your swing, but you will fall asleep faster and more deeply.
What is the outcome for all this? You will improve your confidence from within, which is a strong place to be confident from. Additionally, you will program your subconscious mind to naturally find your base rhythm at any time while on the course by allowing "tic-toc" to sink into your mind.
According to several studies done by the American Psychological Association mental work on one's game will benefit a person as much as, if not more than, physical practice alone. When will you work on your head game? Winter is the perfect time to do just this and ensure that come spring, you will consistently and automatically "Beat The Bogey Man!"
For my part here is your... "Prescription for the Week"
Take one minute a day and imagine your perfect swing and game play; do this 3 times a day during winter months. Then at night as you fall asleep at night imagine "Tic-Toc like a grandfather clock" so that you program into your subconscious mind the natural sound of your swing rhythm.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Fairways and Greens
Dr. Travis Fox
P.S. - Be on the lookout for the Beat The Bogey Man Bus touring around the country spring 2007! Our goal is to help 1,000,000 golfer improve their game 3 to 5 strokes for Free! To have the Bogey Man Bus come to your country club or golf course email our tour director Jessica at info@beatthebogeyman.com
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