Page 33 - Golf World (February 2020)

★ mental game ★ swing study ★ putting
L E A R N

Take control mantras work
Make your

1
with mantras Identify when you have
Identify
the tricky moments in a
round. Which areas
would benefit most
from positive head
chatter?
take a leaf out of the tour pro psychology book and use 2
positive reinforcement to boost your confidence Notice
Notice what self-talk
you are already using in
n have around 50,000 thoughts a under pressure in international tournaments you come off the course
euroscientists
we
A study on how young elite Irish golfers coped
estimate
that
your head at those
moments. You can jot
down thoughts once
day. That means for the four
found these techniques were key within their
or even use the voice
hours you are out playing golf,
them to regain a sense of control. The studies
your inner caddie will have talked coping strategies. Their positive self-talk helped recorder on your phone
to capture what you
to you over 10,000 times. This is helpful when on these types of self-talk show they are think in these key
you play well but when you don’t, it can feel like particularly effective when competing in tricky moments.
someone is following you around ripping your environments such as extreme heat. 3
game to shreds. This is not only unhelpful, it There are a number of suggestions as to why Consider
Consider what would
can make you feel out of control, angry and mantras work. A persuasive view is that when help. Would it be
frustrated. With these thoughts having such a we are under pressure we are held back by lapses instructional; to improve
your stance, routine,
powerful influence on behaviour, motivation in motivation and the effort we feel we are
breathing or skill, or
and focus, learning how to deal with them can putting in. Having our inner caddie talk to us motivational; to psych
make a huge difference to your performance. so positively decreases our perception of effort you up, stay focused on
One of the ways the pros do this is by (how hard, heavy, or strenuous the movements your mental strategy, be
reminded of your
developing their positive self-talk. Specifically, are feeling) and can increase our potential purpose or to reduce
they use mantras – short phrases that remind motivation to master the moves. When you stress.
them of the practice they’ve put in or the skills remind yourself of your motivation, the effort 4
Think
they’ve mastered. Using a mantra can be like feels easier and the same workload suddenly Think of all the different
receiving verbal persuasion from a caddie or feels less strenuous so we perform better. phrases you could use.
coach who is standing alongside you as you So follow our guide to writing your own Try to hone each one
down to about three or
compete – either focusing on your technique or mantras, test them until you find one which fits four words which would
helping you stay motivated. and regularly assess in your post-round analysis be easy to remember.
The persuasion these mantras offer can boost if it is working. Once your reflections show it is 5
your confidence so you play to win rather than having a positive impact at least 50% of the Ensure
trying not to lose. They are helpful in the tough time, you can feel confident you are starting to Ensure the phrases are
positive. Rather than
moments as they can help you evaluate situations get a great handle on your inner caddie. reminding us not to do
more positively and enhance your ability to something (don’t get
distracted) we need to
cope with the pain or pressure that comes when Dr Josephine Perry is a sport psychologist at focus on what we can
you push yourself mentally or physically. Performance in Mind. performanceinmind.co.uk do (hinge and turn).
6
Get emotional
If you go for a
motivational mantra it
should make you
slightly emotional. If it
gives you a bit of a lump
in your throat thinking it,
then you’ve found the
right one.
7
Experiment
Try your different
mantras on the course
until you settle on the
one that feels right
for you.
8
Practise
Once you have found
your mantra practise
using it until it feels
natural and stays front
of mind.

golfworldtop100.com | February 2020 Golf World 33