Pre-Shot Routine – Positive Thinking
Hi. Dave Cahill here with Cahill Golf at the Logger’s Trail Golf Course in Minnesota. Golf can be a mind game. You want to tell your mind what to do, never what not to do. In other words, in a shot like the one I have here, a long bunker tucked in close to the edge of the green where I am standing at the end of the bunker furthest from the green, I do not want to say to myself “now don’t hit this one short you’ll end up in the bunker.” I want to tell myself “Hit this shot up by the pin. If you go a little bit long it will be OK.” Same thing if you have a water hazard. If you say to yourself “Do not go in that water to the left of the green.” Chances are you are going to go right there. Your brain is very powerful when you tell the mind what to do rather than what not to do.
Positive Self-Talk Pointers
- Self-talk is best when practiced.
- Focus on what produces the desired result in each situation.
- State what should be done, rather than what should be avoided.
- Self-talk can be effective in a variety of situations.
- Instructional self-talk (“Rotate the hips.”) is helpful in shots requiring fine motor skills or shots where you are working on improving technique.
- Motivational self-talk (“Punch it out to the center of the fairway!”) is effective when you need to boost confidence.
- Calm yourself with self-talk (“Breath in…breath out…relax.”)
- Focus on one thing (“Land it just a bit left of the pin.”, ”Just swing”)
- Self-talk is natural, so make it helpful and positive!
- What works for each person is personal preference.
- Addressing yourself by name or ‘you’ has been found to be more powerful than ‘I’ statements. “You can do this” rather than “I can do this.”
- Using positive self-talk as a tool will help you to play better golf.
PGA Instructor Mike Cahill and PGA Master Instructor Dave Cahill are here to help you play better and enjoy the game more. Please come see us in Palm Springs CA or Stillwater MN for golf lessons or visit us for a Palm Springs, CA or Las Vegas, NV Golf School.
PGA Instructor Mike Cahill 612-501-9015 mikecahill@cahillgolf.com
PGA Master Instructor Dave Cahill 952-994-0387 davecahill@cahillgolf.com