Mind
Games
(sports psychology)
Here Comes the Judge! Stay focused and
play one shot at a time
by Dr. Rick Jensen
Not too long ago, one of the club players (let's call
him "Bob") who I work with, came up to me and described a round that
he had just completed as part of his club championship. The
conversation went something like this:
Rick: How'd you play today?
Bob: Boy, what a frustrating day. I really had it going well on
the front nine, but then on the back nine, I felt like a completely
different player. Everything seemed to be going just as I had
planned. I was hitting my driver and irons well, and my short game
was there when I needed it. I shot 40 - I can't remember the last
time I shot 40 on the front nine during a tournament.
Rick: So what happened on the back nine?
Bob: I don't know - my swing, my chipping, my putting...
everything just disappeared!
Rick: Everything???
Bob: Yes, everything.
Rick: That's interesting. What did you do while you were making
the turn to the back nine?
Bob: Not much. I stopped by the snack bar and grabbed a drink and
a sandwich, and I spoke briefly to some friends.
Rick: Did you tell the friends how well you were playing?
Bob: Of course! They were really excited for me. I've never broken
80 in my life and finally, I had the opportunity. I was surprised
even more by the fact that it was happening in a tournament.
Rick: When things started breaking down on the back nine, what
were you thinking?
Bob: I couldn't believe that I was blowing such a great
opportunity. Since I bogeyed #10, #11, and #12, I knew that I would
have to par all of the remaining holes in order to break 80.
Rick: What did you end up shooting for the day?
Bob: 87!
What do you see happening to Bob as he plays his round? How is
his mindset changing from the front nine to the back? One of the
primary mistakes that Bob is making is that he is beginning to JUDGE
how he is playing in the middle of the round. I call it, "Here comes
the judge!"
Great golfers need to become sensitized to the temptation to
judge and evaluate their rounds while playing. As you read the above
dialogue, ask yourself, "How often do I think like that?" Did you
realize that there was something wrong with the way Bob was thinking?
How long does it take you in a round to realize that the "judge" has
arrived and is beginning to evaluate how you are playing?
As you can see, judging one's game in the middle of a round can
have serious consequences. Judging detracts from your ability to stay
focused on one shot at a time, and place all of your attention on the
shot that you are about to play. Additionally, judging imposes
unnecessary pressure on you to perform in a way that simply may not
be "in the cards" that day.
Bob could benefit most by borrowing a familiar line from one of
Flip Wilson's famous skits - "Here Comes the Judge! Here Comes the
Judge!" I find that the most difficult thing for players to do is
recognize when the judge has arrived. Once you know that the judge
has arrived, then you can redirect your attention back to the task at
hand. You can start playing golf shots once again, instead of trying
to shoot a particular score. The key is catching yourself "being the
judge" before it is too late.
So the next time that you find yourself paying attention to
your score, trying to break your personal best, or evaluating how
well you are playing, stop in the middle of the fairway and do your
best Flip Wilson impersonation of "Here Comes the Judge! Here Comes
the Judge!" When everyone is finished laughing, send the judge home,
refocus your attention to your upcoming shot, and get back to playing
one shot at a time.
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.
