What if I told you that everything that has ever happened to you happened in order for you to someday achieve greatness - would you believe it?Would you handle yourself differently on a daily basis, knowing that everything, good or bad, was a gift to you from a higher power in order for you to achieve grand things?If your goal was to be a champion golfer, do you think you would take a different approach to each golf shot you hit if you had no fear of failure?Would there be any reason to swing at the golf ball with fear knowing that your destiny is already set in stone… knowing that you will be great?
Yes, this does sound a bit far-fetched I know. But it’s incredible how many times we hear people talk about how life is against them. This is a common theme on the golf course, right?How many times have you heard your playing partner lament about how they always get the bad bounces, or tell you that the infamous “golf gods” are, once again, out to get them? I’d have to say that the majority of people that talk like this genuinely believe this.Silly, isn’t it?
Well, here’s the catch: the only thing that we as human beings really have control of is how we think.We really do have a choice about what we believe and what attitude we take towards each and every thing that happens to us throughout our entire lives, including during our rounds of golf.We can choose to think one way, or we can choose to think another way.Why do so many of us choose to think that the “golf gods” are against us? Wouldn’t it be just as east to that they are out there to help guide us to greatness? So many of us have trained our minds to believe bad things are bound to happen. Would it hurt to take the extreme opposite approach to your game, and your life for that matter?
One of my favorite quotes of all time, written by an author by the name of Anon, pretty much says it all: “Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens to us.Not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thought, events, and outcomes.It is a catalyst… a spark that creates extraordinary results.”
What if a golfer had written this quote, and it read: “Our golf games are not determined by what happens after each shot, but how we respond to each shot.Not by what our game brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to our games.A positive attitude after each and every shot causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes.It is a catalyst… a spark that will create extraordinary results.”
If we took this approach to the golf course with us on a daily basis, would anything bad come of it?Would it hurt us to learn to manage our thoughts and emotions by truly believing that even on the worst of days there are events and outcomes that will, without question, bring us closer to our long-term goals?
It is important to really “get” that we all create our own energy and beliefs. Every single thought we have will literally change our bodies.Our future is what we think it will be.The thoughts we have and the feelings we feel after each shot will determine the speed of our progress on and off the golf course. the extent to which we manage our emotions will directly affect the speed of our progress- or make no progress at all. We can either believe that the “golf gods” are there to help us, or to hurt us.We can believe that our life experiences can contribute to our learning and guide us, or we can believe that we are victims of a world just waiting to push us off track.If we let life teach us, then we will learn.
Not to long ago, I had the privilege of caddying for one of my junior golfers, James, in a US Kids event.James was really struggling on the second nine holes of this event.He had just hit a ball into the water off the tee, took his drop, and then proceeded to hit his next shot into a bunker that looked as deep as a two story building to me. I can’t imagine how deep it looked to a seven year old.I mentioned to James that champions are made by how they handle themselves when things were not going their way.James looked me right in the eye and said, “OK, coach!”James went on to fearlessly blast his next shot out of the bunker, and then flew a pitching wedge directly into the hole, on the fly, from 50 yards out.The ball never even touched the putting surface.James went on to play his last four holes at two under par.After the round James asked me if he handled himself like a champion.Kids… they’ll believe anything, won’t they?
Well, isn’t it good to know that we, as adults, have the ability to believe anything as well, as long as we put forth the effort?The mind is the most powerful thing in existence! James has a desire to become a champion; therefore, he was able to channel all of his energy in that direction.The great thing is that we are all capable of creating our own destinies.If you believe that, then no matter where you hit your next golf shot, you will create a chain reaction of wonderful events throughout your future rounds and in all areas of your life. With practice and discipline, you can learn to direct your thoughts to only manifest towards your goals and dreams.
Remember, the “golf gods” do have a plan for you.They are really on a mission to help you in your quest to reach your true potential. So don’t slow them down, or get in their way.Continue to have a vision, and know that there is a reason why you drew that bad lie, or brought up that mud on your ball in the middle of the fairway.It is all part of the bigger plan.It is all part of the plan that will help you in your quest to achieve your golfing goals.
On behalf of MyGolfingGoals Academy, I would like to wish all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.
In celebration of this wonderful holiday, I would like to offer all golfers out there a delicious pie. Yes, this is a bit on the corny side - but not if you’re trying to reach your true potential as a golfer.
Please check out the MyGolfingGoals Peak Performance Circle that I’ve developed. This is to help players understand that it is not all about the golf swing. Please make sure to incorporate a plan for 2010 that involves attacking each category of this circle!
What are your on course goals? While playing a round of golf, the huge majority of golfers put their energy towards what they don’t have control over. Learn to focus all your energy towards what you do have control over and your round will be much more enjoyable. This skill will without question help you reach your true potential!
Controllable Goals
Making crystal clear decisions about the shots you want to hit before you hit them
Making a consistent pre-shot routine before each and every shot you hit
Committing 100% to the shot you are about to hit
Always have control of your emotions (don’t ever let your emotions control you)
Never give up
Uncontrollable Goals
Your score
Winning the tournament or beating your playing partners
Try to spend some time, the next time you go to the driving range, working on coming up with a pre-shot routine. Here’s a quick video from Tiger Woods, on the importance of a pre-shot routine:
I’ve been asked many times in my professional coaching career what I think is the most important piece of advice I could give a golfer. Strangely enough, my answer would be the same as if I were giving a non-golfing friend advice on making more money, furthering their professional career, finding a job… or actually, just about anything. Have a crystal clear vision of what you want, and don’t really waist any energy on what might get in your way, or what you don’t want.
Too many golfers out there put to much energy and focus into trying not to do anything wrong at the driving range. Too many golfers out there put to much energy and focus into thinking about where they don’t want to hit the golf ball on the golf course. If you spend your life trying not to make mistakes, most likely you will not get very far life… and the same goes for your golf.
Try setting the following goal for yourself the next time you go to the driving range, or go out to play on the golf course:
On the golf course - Focus solely on what you want in each golf shot, and nothing more. No need to worry about trying not to hit the golf ball to the left or to the right… consider that wasted energy. If a thought like that creeps into your head, fill it with a thought like “I will hit this ball right in between those two trees in the distance!” And remember, the mind is only capable of thinking of one conscious thing at a time… so make it something you want rather than something you don’t want!
At the driving range - Focus only on the fixes, not the faults. As long as you know what it is that’s making your golf ball react the way it is, there’s really no need to waist your time worrying about what you don’t want to do wrong… instead, put all your energy into working on what you need to do right to get the results you want. Find a good drill that will help you come up with a feeling of what it is that you’re looking for to groove a proper golf swing!
In closing, I can almost promise you that if you set this as a goal for yourself, it’d be nearly impossible for you to get any worse… and you’d have a really good chance of getting better!
One of my all-time favorite quotes was by Jack Nicklaus… “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of the shot in my mind.” This pretty much says it all people!
How bad do you want to be good at the game of golf? Well if you really, really have a desire to improve at this game, then make it a point to never, ever take a shot for granted. Have a purpose, have a plan… have a vision of what you’re trying to accomplish for each and every shot! This will, without question, help you minimize those on course mistakes and bring you closer to your golfing goals.
DJ Gregory proves to us all that anything is possible if you have a dream… and that if you fall, get back up, learn from your mistakes and try it again!
Here’s a bit of Bill’s Achieving Greatness With Goals Part 2 article… click here to view the entire article online at www.GolfFitnessMagazine.com.
I’m going to once again remind Golf Fitness Magazine readers that human beings in general are goal-oriented, goal-driven creatures. Every single day of our lives we move from one goal to the next, even though the goal may not have been written out or planned. Some of our goals are simple, like turning off the light before we go to bed.
In the last issue I stressed the importance of knowing what you want. I challenged you to take the first step toward finally realizing your true potential by coming up with your very own crystal clear goals. In case you missed it, some of the simple criteria in coming up with your own goals are as follows:
The goal(s) you set for yourself must be your goal(s) and not a goal that someone else wants for you. This is important because if you do not have a burning desire to achieve the goal, then most likely you will not put forth the effort or do what it takes to achieve the goal.
Your goals should be specific. “I want to become a better golfer,” or “I want to be stronger,” are not specific. “I want a six handicap,” or “I want to be able to do thirty pushups and run five miles” are specific. Being as specific as you can will keep your vision well defined.
Choose a goal that is realistic, and pick a date on which to complete your goal. For example, “I would like to increase my driving average by 20 yards, within 90 days from today.”
Write your goal(s) down. Remember, if it’s not written down, it is a dream, not a goal. Dreams rarely come true; well-planned goals almost always come true!
Based on the goals that you have come up with, write your very own mission statement to keep you motivated when things may not seem to be going your way.
Very exciting stuff! Now that we have a clear vision of what we want or where we want to go, we are ready to take the important next step.
Two major, major recommendations I have for those parents out there that have young children playing golf competitively:
Only Demonstrate Positive Emotion & Encouragement… especially when in a competitive environment! A major problem I see when parents are caddying for their kids, or watching their child from the sidelines at a golf event, are the emotions parents display. Kids are masters at reading emotions, and their parents are the first ones they look for after a good shot or bad shot. If a parent throws their arms up in the air, and gives facial expressions that read “I can’t believe he missed that short putt” or “How could she have hit that ball in the hazard” then the child will grow up with a fear of hitting bad shots. As much as you care, want your child to play well, and want to let out an “Ewww!” or an “Oh no!”….. or even a “@#$%”, DON’T! As difficult as it is, swallow your pride and show as much encouragement as you can muster up! If you continuously show a positive spirit, and only demonstrate positive emotion, your child will know nothing else… and follow in your footsteps! Remember… fearless golfers are dangerous golfers… so don’t ever let your young boy or girl think it’s a horrible thing to hit a bad shot!
Learn To Read Greens… take a short-game clinic, or short-game lessons for yourself. If you plan on reading your child’s putts, you better actually know how to read greens yourself. Green reading is an art in itself, and takes lots of practice… but it’s critical for you to learn if you’re going to be telling your child where to hit their putts. Your child could potentially have a wonderful putting stroke, but if you keep giving him or her the wrong read (telling him or her to aim the putt in the wrong spot), then they will unintentionally start pulling or pushing putts and think the problem lies in their putting stroke or ability to make putts. But in reality, the problem lies in his or her parents ability to read greens. Remember, if you give someone a bad read, they will actually have to do something wrong to make the putt… not good!!!
I recommend attending a Dave Pelz short-game golf school or clinic. They do a wonderful job at teaching you to understand green reading and give you some great tips on how to read greens. You will also learn some really simple and fun shots around the green that would really improve your child’s game and yours!
Click here to find a Dave Pelz clinic in your area. _
