Relaxed Concentration
Integrity, Sportsmanship, and Hard Work.
CHS Golf Team Pledge
I am going to put forth the necessary time and effort needed and to do my part to help this golf program succeed.
My commitment to the CHS Girls Golf Team is the following:
To manage my time, plan and identify areas of improvement for the team, myself and to keep up with school. I will be an active member of this team, attend and be on time to all practices, games and meetings. I will put forth the highest level effort and be mindful of other team members and coaching staff needs while valuing everyone's time.
I will expect in return that other team members and coaches will commit in the same way to the team and give it the time & effort it demands.
Relaxed Concentration
Golf Myths are out there, they are everywhere, but are they all true?
Which myths are you attached to? What is stopping you from letting go of them?
I need to remember certain parts of my swing in order to swing well?
My practice swing needs to feel perfect, so my actual swing will perform.
I lost something in my swing because I hit the ball poorly.
You have to be positive about everything in order to play well?
I had a bad day today, therefore I'll have a bad day tomorrow.
I will miss a shot at a vital time?
Two Keys To Good Golf: Attitude and Relaxed Concentration
When you step into the first tee, do you have the right attitude so you can keep relaxed and concentrated to play your best golf?
Without the right attitude, you will not play to your potential.
Poor attitude causes the mind to become unbalanced and leads to loss of concentration.
Equanimity: Learn to let go, accept and take responsibility
Develop self trust and patience, commit to your intentions and accept what comes.
Expect less, get more: Lose your anger, frustration and expectations
After a round, ask yourself:
How was your attitude, where can you improve it.
Did you keep your intentions and let go of your expectations?
Did you try too hard?
Your Mind & Thinking: Do you have a mind or are you your mind?
Playing in the moment promotes relaxed concentration and, makes you a better golfer.
You have many minds: intellectual, unconscious, ego and conscious mind
Thinking too much about your score takes you away from the moment and loss of equanimity
Walking consciously puts (or brings you back) to the moment - can you feel the air passing through our nostrils as you breathe, or your feet hitting the ground as you walk?
Staying in the moment is not an accident - it takes practice.
Your mind is a powerful tool, but it is not you, and you should not allow it to control how you want to play the game.
Practicing Relaxed Concentration: Less Trying - More Attention. Less Effort - More Observation.
Focused Attention -> Less Interference -> More Awareness -> Relaxed Concentration
Player: "I was hitting the ball so well on our practice round, now I can't get it back!" Coach: "Maybe it is because yesterday it did not matter as much as today - today you are craving it, you want to swing well so you can win? - Moral of the story: This very subtle craving causes your mind to become unbalanced, and you lose your concentration and feel - Enjoyment needs to be present in order to be able to play our best.
Practicing Relaxed Concentration: Let go of the results of your shots as you play and practice - keep a curious frame of mind and focus on one thing at a time. Go to the driving range and practice this, then take it to the course. Practice focusing your mind and not reacting or worrying when the outcome of your shot is not what you expected. Instead, and without judgment: observe and maintain attention.
Pre Round Questions: What will you focus on for this round (pick one): Target, Tempo, Freedom, something else you are working on.
Post Round Questions: How did you concentrate (1-10)?, Where can you improve? What did you learn from this round?
Remember, relaxed concentration is something you practice - it does not come naturally for everyone.
Sharpening The Mind For Golf Away From The Golf Course: Strengthen Your Mind So It Becomes Firm And Stable
While away from the golf course, practice closing your eyes, taking long slow deep breaths: Feel the air (not hearing it) as you breathe, and feel your heart rate slow down. Then visualize standing on a tee box and seeing the landscape of a golf hole, thinking how you would play it: visualize making the shots as you planned them - throw in a miss/recovery just for fun. See yourself walking down the fairway feeling relaxed concentration as you approach the next shot. Play one, nine or eighteen holes like this - with some practice you can do this without becoming distracted throughout the exercise - take 30 to 45 mins to do this :)
Playing Under Pressure: Chicken Nuggets
This great game we love to play is hard on any day. Add some pressure, and then what? Don't deny it or try to get rid of it, instead accept it and learn to play with it. For most of us pressure feels like nerves and anxiousness, but in reality it is a little extra adrenaline that makes you feel this way - this puts you in an elevated mental and physical state, so use it to your advantage!
Move slow, swing slow, relax your grip and trust yourself!
Maintain an even pace, stick to your routine, plan your holes and trust the decisions you make!
Think your way around a course, simplify the game, pick big targets, trust your training!
Realize you are in the greatest park in the world and you are playing a game you love... if pressure sneaks in, accept it and embrace the challenge that comes with it -Chicken Nuggets (Thanks JL - best advice ever!)
Allow Yourself Success: In order to win, you must be prepared to lose.
"I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions ,I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And this is precisely why I succeed" - Michael Jordan.
Short Term, Mid Term and Long Term Golf Goals - Working To Achieve Our Goals Is A Lifestyle, Not A Destination :)
In order to achieve our goals, we take small steps towards them - they are usually met in small increments.
When setting your goals, make sure they are reasonable and measurable. Reasonable goals set you up for success, and measurable goals let you know how close you are there, and most importantly when you achieve them. Measure, review and redefine your goals regularly.