September is all about the Present moment
Everyone has a firm start on creating a pre-shot routine! I am really happy that this routine is evolving for everyone. To recap some things about the routine and working with everyone:
- The routine is individual but should be very consistent.
- There are boxes of the routine. Behind the shot is the first box where decisions are made or practice swings are made (some of you like the practice swing near the hitting box and that is fine). The 2nd box is where you have stepped forward to hit the shot. Once you step in you are fully committed. If you find you are not committed, step out and re-start.
- Intention of the shot is a must. As everyone evolved you grew to be able to visualize certain shots. The intention could be to land the ball left of the pin, right of the pin or on the 3rd mowing stripe in the fairway for your driver. Regardless; intention is included.
- The pre-shot routine involves emotions, beliefs, attitudes and of course fear. So this month we are going to start to address those concepts.
we should celebrate your success with the routine
Here in the above picture is one of the players in this group. This is Ava Sanchez. As you can see she had her First Hole In One over the holiday weekend! The week before she shot her personal best of 76 at Torre Pines. Great job on the pre-shot routine Ava and really visualizing the shot. As you can see, mental work is real and most of you have experienced aha moments of picturing the ball landing in a certain spot and the next thing you know the ball is landing where you intended it.
Each shot has a new moment - The present moment
As you have experienced with your routine, sometimes the routine is more efficient than others. Hey you are just getting started with this so cut yourself some slack. However I am sure you all have observed some shots are better than others. So let's be clear, the swing mechanics are always at work. If your clubface is open at impact, the ball is going to start to the right. If Ricky Fowler had to go back to Butch Harmon (his previous coach) this last week it must be because his swing needs work. So be it.
With this all said above, if you have been on the course and implementing the pre-shot routine as best you can, no doubt you have seen some wayward shots. Everyone does, that is golf.
But this month we have to start to observe what we are doing just after a shot? What are the emotions you have after all shots?
With this all said above, if you have been on the course and implementing the pre-shot routine as best you can, no doubt you have seen some wayward shots. Everyone does, that is golf.
But this month we have to start to observe what we are doing just after a shot? What are the emotions you have after all shots?
- Did fear set in after a poor shot?
- What reactions are you having after shots?
- If you have a good shot is your reaction really happy?
- If you have a bad shot is your reaction making you mad or angry?
- Are these reactions and emotions things you have had before?
- Are you able to handle the reactions you have well enough so they do not disturb your focus for the next shot or the shots after it?
Becoming the new you
As you know I have strongly suggested you read Dr. Joe Dispenzas book, Becoming Supernatural because it gets to the heart of what we are going to start to dive into. For now the first 3 chapters are the main focus. These three give you a basic understanding of how the mind works and how you become stuck in your ways.
Yes, we all are creatures of habit and these habits are causing each of us to react the same way to the same situation most of the time. In golf this is where the golfer feels they are 'stuck in their game' and are not making enough progress.
If you feel you are not making progress and making new outcomes in your golf game you first need to master the concept of the present moment: the present moment where new possibilities exist. As golfers we all are have created habits of reacting to a past shot or hoping for a future good shot. But as Dr. Dispenza explains in his book;
you will have to learn to get beyond the physical world including your body and identity and your environment in order to find the NEW realities you want to create for yourself on the golf course.
After all, if you don't get beyond who you think you are and the way you have been conditioned to believe your golf game works, it is not possible to create a new destiny for you golf game! So in a very real way, you are going to have to get out of your own way and allow something greater than your present self to emerge for your golf game game to improve.
When your brain is in action and you are going to hit an 80 yard shot to a green with a bunker in front of it for example, you are in fact turning on specific sequence, pattern and combination of neurological networks that work together like a community to help you create the shot. Just like an automatic software program in a computer, your neurons will fire together to accomplish the shot because they work together. That is what all that practice time you put in on the range has created. As you are consciously choosing to hit the shot 80 yard you could say that you are automatically selecting and instructing your neurons to turn on in the brain and create the shot.
As Dr. Dispenza explains, for the most part your brain is a product of the past. It has been shaped and molded to become the living record of everything you have lived and experienced in your golf game to this point. Basically as you learn new shots to hit your brain is always getting an upgrade. These new experiences of shots create new neuro pathways, etc etc.
These new shots and experiences create emotions as well. Think of emotions as a chemical residue from past experiences. The stronger the emotion from a shot, the more that experience will leave a residue or lasting impression in your brain. That is how long term memory works. As golfers we all have long term memories of past failures or shots we do not like to face. These could be a 4 ft putt to win a hole, or a drive to a narrow fairway you dread, or hitting onto an island green that you hate coming back to.
Your past becomes your future
The moment you have a fearful thought about a shot you have to make, you will feel fear. The moment you feel fear that emotion influences you to think more fearful shots. Those feelings release chemicals in your brain and makes you feel more fear. The next thing you know; you get caught in a loop where your thinking creates feelings and your feelings create thinking. This is why players get stuck. They think it is the swing. Many times it is what are you thinking and feeling that is creating a chain reaction.
Which leads us to our September work. First thing, read the first 3 chapters of Dr. Joes book.
Next you have to journal what you are experiencing. This is not easy since our world is so chaotic. But it is a MUST for you to know what your reactions to shots currently are. As I have shown you above; you are a product of your past. But for the most part, all of us are not very aware of how that product came to be.
Being self reflective is challenging so you have to do it in small doses. If you take on too much you will overlook obvious things. As you know, if you re-read a book you pick up on small details you missed the first time. So small doses help you be specific in what you observe.
Years ago when I was in Sacramento working on what you are about to dive into I would commit range time to observe how I am reacting during my pre-shot routine work? If I was hitting to a target into the sun on a Sunday morning at 135 yards could I see the target clearly? In my routine did I react to shots if I miss hit them? How would I react to them?
I would write those reactions (emotions) down so I could identify what distances bothered me. What part of my swing that I was struggling with was bothering me? Did I prefer certain distances and targets over others and why?
I had to do a lot of reflection on what I was doing. I never heard of Dr Dispenza back then but I did know my emotions effected my performance. As he shows you in his book ; your emotions are records of your past.
So this month you must journal and self discover what you observe yourself doing, reacting, feeling to different shots and situations. It is that simple, but not easy.
Journal these from the range and after a round of golf. Later in the month, go play a short course or a few holes at a course you are familiar with and monitor what emotions and thoughts you have for 3 holes at a time? Three holes is not overwhelming.
This month is a data recovery month, you must collect data about yourself.
The reason for this is because we have to start to re-program you mind in October. But you MUST self discover this month. We can review this on a short course such as Oaks North, Emerald Isle or Balboa 9. Or we can review it over a zoom call.
The task is self discovery and it is never easy to observe what you are thinking and how you are reacting to shots.
However you must journal it and become aware of what you are doing. There are no short cuts to this, I am sorry.
Ill contact you to find out how you prefer to meet. In the meantime, the heat will be gone in a few days so enjoy the San Diego weather again and your journey to better golf.
Which leads us to our September work. First thing, read the first 3 chapters of Dr. Joes book.
Next you have to journal what you are experiencing. This is not easy since our world is so chaotic. But it is a MUST for you to know what your reactions to shots currently are. As I have shown you above; you are a product of your past. But for the most part, all of us are not very aware of how that product came to be.
Being self reflective is challenging so you have to do it in small doses. If you take on too much you will overlook obvious things. As you know, if you re-read a book you pick up on small details you missed the first time. So small doses help you be specific in what you observe.
Years ago when I was in Sacramento working on what you are about to dive into I would commit range time to observe how I am reacting during my pre-shot routine work? If I was hitting to a target into the sun on a Sunday morning at 135 yards could I see the target clearly? In my routine did I react to shots if I miss hit them? How would I react to them?
I would write those reactions (emotions) down so I could identify what distances bothered me. What part of my swing that I was struggling with was bothering me? Did I prefer certain distances and targets over others and why?
I had to do a lot of reflection on what I was doing. I never heard of Dr Dispenza back then but I did know my emotions effected my performance. As he shows you in his book ; your emotions are records of your past.
So this month you must journal and self discover what you observe yourself doing, reacting, feeling to different shots and situations. It is that simple, but not easy.
Journal these from the range and after a round of golf. Later in the month, go play a short course or a few holes at a course you are familiar with and monitor what emotions and thoughts you have for 3 holes at a time? Three holes is not overwhelming.
This month is a data recovery month, you must collect data about yourself.
The reason for this is because we have to start to re-program you mind in October. But you MUST self discover this month. We can review this on a short course such as Oaks North, Emerald Isle or Balboa 9. Or we can review it over a zoom call.
The task is self discovery and it is never easy to observe what you are thinking and how you are reacting to shots.
However you must journal it and become aware of what you are doing. There are no short cuts to this, I am sorry.
Ill contact you to find out how you prefer to meet. In the meantime, the heat will be gone in a few days so enjoy the San Diego weather again and your journey to better golf.
