All golfers feel the pressure of competition at some point in their career. The word “choke” is a dirty five-letter word in sport, especially when it leads to failure.
No one will admit to others that they choked, PGA Tour player Bob Tway says.
“It’s how you handle it. Some people handle it better. Everyone is choking; if they don’t say they are choking they are lying.”
What does it mean to choke? Choking is a response to perceived pressure. Choking starts with a poor focus of attention.
Your mind gets sidetracked from the real task. The mind races with thoughts of negative outcomes or screwing up a big lead.
“What if I blow a three-shot lead?” you say to yourself.
Then anxiety sets in. Your mouth gets dry, your hands sweat, your breathing becomes labored, and you feel like someone is strangling you. If your mind wanders under pressure, here are some suggestions for getting back on track.
Challenge yourself to hit your best shot
Many players take a defensive approach to their game when they feel the heat. Don’t! Instead of playing defensive and trying to avoid a poor outcome, challenge yourself to play your best shot. Take a positive approach.
Use an aggressive mindset instead of an “avoidance” mindset. If you try to avoid the water to the left of the green, most likely you will focus more on the water than hitting the necessary shot.
Play Like You Don’t Care
When you care too much about winning, you try too hard to make it happen.
“You need to play golf like you don’t care, but if you work at something your whole life, it’s hard not to care. But that is the way you need to play golf. You need to sit on the first tee and not care, just let the ball go. That’s how you play your greatest golf,” says Bob Tway.
Tame the demons from the past
Memories can also haunt you. Some people try to draw from the past to help them succeed, and find themselves recalling negative experiences. Memories of past failures pop into your head when faced with a challenging situation. If you don’t stay grounded in the present, those memories will haunt you. Use the past only if it’s to your advantage.
Be your own coach
What you say to yourself can have a big effect on how you feel and behave. Positive self-talk can be one of your most powerful assets on the course. Your self-talk should always be encouraging and supportive, just like a good coach. You don’t want to be telling yourself, “You will never win if you keep playing like this!"
Stay task focused
Most fear relates to outcomes such as missing a par putt to win a match. The fear causes you to get ahead of yourself rather than focus on the task. Focus on what you can control, which is execution and staying in the present.
For example, your task in putting is to stroke the ball on line with the right pace. Focus on that. Don’t think about what will happen if you miss.
Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is a leading golf psychologist who consults with tour pros and amateurs. He is the author of The Mental Game of Golf: and The Mental Art of Putting.
He also is the leading talent in the video Make Your Most Confident Stroke and the audio Great Putting-Right Now. For more information call 888- 742-7225, or write to Peak Performance Sports, 7380 Sand Lake Rd., Suite 500, Orlando 32819. Website: www.peaksports.com.
