What if you could just think about hitting great golf shots and they would magically happen? Have I got your attention yet? Well, It is not that easy but your mind and your inner vision does have a huge effect on your performance. Mental coaches have really become popular on the PGA Tour and in all sports and for good reason. The ability for the athlete to control their emotions and their mind is what separates the winners from the rest of the field. I am no sports psychologist but have read enough books, talked to enough sports psych docs and worked with enough tour player who work with these guys to be dangerous. I have really tried to improve in this area so that  I can help my players with more than just their golfing skills but assist them in their mental games as well. I will write a book someday and one of my so-called titles was “How To Get Bubba To Hit First”. The first thing that you are asking yourself is “Who Is This Bubba Character?” Great question. Have you ever missed a four-foot putt only to rake it back and make the second one. Have you ever made the worst driver swing in your life, out-of-bounds, re tee and stripe it down the middle? Stand over an easy chip shot, duff it, step up and hole it like you were Phil Mickelson. We have all been there, right? That second guy is pretty good. Well, I want you to meet Bubba! The best player that lies within all of us. The Ranger Rick that stripes it on the range and drives 300 yards to the first tee and hit a drive like it was your first day playing golf. So what has changed and why does Bubba play so well and you don’t? Well, it has nothing to do with your skill because you obviously could do it on the practice tee or the provisional drive after you hit it out-of-bounds. It starts with VISUALIZATION! Have you ever heard of the LAW OF ATTRACTION? The Law of Attraction simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about.  Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest. Golfers are the worst at thinking about the negatives or simply viewing themselves as lower than they are . I talked in some previous posts about “Acting As If”. Before you can act like a better golfer, you must visualize yourself as better golfer or see yourself hitting the shot that you want. I believe that the best players can visualize each shot so vividly that they have trained their mind into thinking that they have already done it…………Bubba gets to hit first. We do it in our careers. We do it in our lives. We set goals and outcomes that we want to achieve for ourselves and our families. So why not our golf games? There is an excercise called a “Vision Board” where you take a piece of poster board and paste pictures of things that you want to achieve or accomplish. They encourage you to look at it every day as you would your goals an visualize yourself doing these things. Golf is such a visual sport and the best players use their eyes  so effectively. Why did Jack Nicklaus take so much time over a putt? Not because he had a lot of swing thoughts. He took time to visualize the putt (in real-time) tracking to the hole, going in, then returning to his putter before he would pull the trigger. That took a long time! Why did Johnny Miller sit in a chair before a tournament, close his eyes and picture himself playing every shot in an entire round before he went to the course……I think he shot 63 in alot of majors in his mind. Visualization or being able to picture the outcome  or shot is one of the first things I teach in developing an effective pre-shot routine. Here are the 3 ways to visualize……find out which one works for you and Bubba will hit first more often.

1.  Seeing the flight of the ball or shot – You are the camera and you picture the ball flight as it was a video game with a white stripe.

2.  Visualize yourself as you stand outside your body – This when you are picturing yourself making the proper swing or short game shot that you want. That is why I think your should always take a video lesson when you are hitting it your best. This way you view what your swing looks like at its best and you can call that image up when you need it.

3.  Picture another Player to help your game – I used to picture Ernie Els’ driver tempo and Tiger Woods short iron swing for excellent results. You can choose your models but this is an effective way to maintain tempo and rhythm in your swing or stroke. It is no coincidence that after you return from a tour event and have watched the best players in the world practice or play, that you suddenly develop effortless tempo and rhythm in your swing….for at least a little while, right.

It worked for King Louis (and the red dot) in the Open Champioship and it can work for you. Work on your visualization skills for your golf and for your life and I can promise that you will start to attract the shots and the things that you want in your life and your golf game…….It has worked for me and I know it will work for you

See you on the lesson tee and don’t forget to breathe as you paint the picture,

Guru