Mind
Games
(sports psychology)
Dealing With Adversity-
Take the opportunity to develop
your mental toughness skills.
by Dr. Rick Jensen
"I hate days like these!"
"Can you believe that?"
"What did I do to deserve this?"
"Did you see that?"
Some of the best excuses for a bad round are preceded by
statements such as these. You hear them on days when the weather
turns inclement, when a player gets a bad break, when something
unpredictable happens, or even when a player hits a great putt that
just doesn't go in.
One of the reasons why golf is such a challenging game is the
inherent adverse situations that arise during virtually every round.
Adversity may be due to conditions outside of a player's control or
from mental or physical factors within a player's control. Almost
without exception, a player is going to have to deal with some form
of adversity during a round. Adversity can come in many
forms&endash;slow play, poor course conditions, rude playing
partners, difficult holes, or bad luck.
The key in dealing with adversity lies in a player's ability to
view the situation with the correct frame of mind. Let's look at a
specific example. Imagine that you have to make a 5-foot putt on #18
to win the match while your partner anxiously reminds you of how much
is at stake. How would you view this situation? Would you view it
from a position of fear or a position of opportunity? This situation
will test a player's ability to perform at a time when many players
simply fear the menacing choke. Let's examine how a tour pro would
handle such an adverse situation.
First of all, tour pros, from a mental toughness point of view,
are quite abnormal. That's right, "abnormal." In other words, they do
not think and react like the "norm." When presented with difficult
conditions, normal people experience self-doubt, fear, anxiety,
pressure and fear of being embarrassed. Conversely, under adverse
conditions, tour pros implement a number of skills that help them
continue to play well.
Adverse conditions do not present a "threat" to a tour pro's
game. Poor results, bad breaks, or bad weather are not factors that
cause a player to feel threatened. Unfortunately, players who lack
mental toughness use adversity as a reason to explain why their game
falls apart. Great players view adversity as an opportunity, not a
threat. Adversity gives a player the opportunity to see how well he
or she can respond to a challenge.
Adversity should be responded to by an attitude of "accepting
the challenge of the difficult situation." Players should feel
"challenged" or "tested" by the adverse situation, and strive to meet
it head on rather than pray it will go away on its own.
Adversity also gives a player the opportunity to practice
mental toughness skills. The best time to train mental skills is when
one's game is not at its best. It is simple to be mentally sharp when
we are playing great&endash;the real test comes during times of
adversity. These times are the opportunities that great players use
to become even better mentally. Adversity pushes the limits of our
mental toughness skills and provides us with the environment to take
our mental capacity to another level.
So the next time you see adversity creeping into your round,
smile! That's right, smile and accept the opportunity that has
presented itself. Look forward to times of adversity (they are not as
frequent as one might think), and take advantage of the situation.
Strive to see how well you can handle yourself under adverse
conditions, and take the opportunity to further develop your mental
toughness skills. What an opportunity!
Dr. Rick Jensen is President of the Performance Enhancement
Center of Boca Raton and the Director of Sport Psychology at the
Academy of Golf, PGA National Resort and Spa. He works extensively
with touring pros on the PGA, LPGA, Nike and Golden Bear Tours, and
is a frequent lecturer at golf clubs nationwide. He can be reached at
561-852-3603.
