Robert`s - Mental Golf Workshop Inc

© 2004-2012 The Mental Golf WorkshopTM Co.
Mental Golf Workshop Profile
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Powered by the DISC Profile System
Prepared For:
Robert Barney
1
Robert's Mental Golf Profile
Welcome to your profile. Before moving into the body of your report, please take a
moment to consider the four basic ways you can improve your game.
1) Technique - improve your swing and short game mechanics.
2) Equipment - use the right club specifications and balls for your swing.
3) Golf Fitness - increase your flexibility, strength, balance, stamina, etc.
4) Mental Game - enhance your mental and emotional approach to the game.
Make improvements in any of the three physical areas - technique, equipment and fitness and you're making progress.
Combine those improvements with mental game
improvement and you'll really be on your way to reaching more of your full potential.
- Your report focuses on these mental game areas Golf Temperament - Playing with positive energy by understanding
and managing your unique golf temperament style.
Pre-Round Preparation - Getting rounds off to good starts with a
consistent and effective pre-round routine.
Shotmaking and Short Game - Improving performance by
increasing commitment and reducing tension over the ball.
Practice - Taking practice tee improvement to the course by using
effective practice habits.
Course Management - Making solid course management choices
by using strategies suited to your golf personality.
Working With Instructors & Coaches - Creating a productive
learning environment for you and your coach.
Now turn the page to
review a great process
for making best use of
this report.
2
User-Friendly Process For Using Your Report
Your report is quite comprehensive and you'll likely find more helpful
strategies than you can implement at any one time. Follow the userfriendly process below to select the key points you will integrate into
your game.
– Review your full report highlighting key points and making
notes as you go.
– Then go back and select 5 to 10 key points you will
incorporate into your game to make a positive impact on your
performance.
– Write each key point on an index card and leave space to
make progress notes in the future.
– Keep these cards in your golf bag and commit to a 5-minute
review before every round, practice session and session with
your coach or instructor.
Note: Feedback from players of all levels using this index card
strategy has been very positive. Invest in the future of your game by
following through with this process.
Your Report Includes The Following Sections
The DISC Profile System----------------------------------------------------Pages 4 - 5
Your Mental DISC Style---------------------------------------------------- Page 6
"You At Your Mental Game Best"-------------------------------------------Page 7
Your Mental Golf Style & Tendencies-------------------------------------Pages 8 - 12
Workshop Strategies----------------------------------------------------------Page 13 - 25
Page 26
Building Your Mental Game Reminder System--------------------------Pages 27-28
Resource Pages For Your Instructors/Coaches ----------------------------
Turn the page for
information about the
DISC Profile System.
3
The DISC Profile Model
Your profile is based on the DISC model, which is used worldwide to help people better
understand themselves and reach higher levels of performance. DISC is very userfriendly and you'll see these points come to life as you work through your report x DISC uses "styles" to describe a person's behavioral tendencies.
x Every DISC style has potential strengths and weaknesses.
x A strength overdone can become a weakness.
x Using a strength properly is often the best way to correct a weakness.
Very important point to remember - There are no good, bad, or best DISC styles. For
example, the players with the two best records over the last ten years, Annika and
Tiger, have two very different mental styles.
The key is that Annika and Tiger have clearly learned how to use their styles to their
best advantage. Now you are going to learn to do the same with your mental style.
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"We've been familiar with the DISC system for years, but have
never seen it applied at such a high level in golf terminology like
it is with this profile.
The participants at our golf schools have been very pleased with
their profiles and we were proud to include a section on the
profile in our book."
Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott,
Co-authors of the best-sellers Every Shot Must Have A Purpose
&
The Game Before The Game.
Turn the page to
learn more about
DISC.
4
Determining Your DISC Style
Your DISC style might be a Basic Style or a Combination Style. With a basic style,
one of the four DISC factors below clearly stands out from the other three factors.
D (Dominance)
S (Steadiness)
- Aggressive
- Strong-willed
- Sense of urgency - Risk-taker
- Goal-oriented
- Competitive
- Steady
- Patient
- Relaxed
- Adaptable
- Even-tempered - Persistent
Players high in the D factor -
Players high in the S factor -
Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson
Greg Norman
Suzann Pettersen
Morgan Pressel
Ernie Els
Retief Goosen
Fred Couples Karrie Webb
Jay Haas
I (Inspiration)
- Enthusiastic
- Optimistic
- Sociable
C (Conscientious)
- Creative
- Spontaneous
- Instinctive
- Careful
- Analytical
- Exacting
Players high in the I factor Brad Faxon
Paula Creamer
Rocco Mediate Natalie Gulbis
Chi Chi Rodriquez
- Logical
- Methodical
- Fact-finder
Players high in the C factor Ben Hogan
Se Ri Pak
Jack Nicklaus
Jonathan Byrd
Bernhard Langer
Combination DISC Styles
Combination Styles are a blend of two basic styles. Using these styles greatly increases
the flexibility and accuracy of the system.
Arnold Palmer is a classic example of a Combination DISC Style - as he is clearly a
"blend" of Dominance traits - strong-willed, risk-taker, highly competitive and
Inspiration traits - enthusiasm, optimism and incredible social skills.
Combination D&I Style
- Future-oriented
- Self-starter
- Competitive
- Confident
- Sociable
- Optimistic
Turn the page
to see your
DISC Style.
5
Robert's Mental Golf DISC Style
Your answers on the Dominance, Inspiration, Steadiness, and Conscientious
Brief
Snapshot
Potential
& Weaknesses of Your
Style Style.
scales
indicate
your of
DISC
Style isStrengths
a Dominance/Conscientious
Combination
- Dominance - is most prominent and is your primary factor.
- Conscientious - is also relatively prominent and is your secondary factor.
D & C (Dominance/Conscientious)
Descriptors for the Dominance/Conscientious Style
x Task-Oriented
x Competitive
x Focused
x Responsible
x Factual
x Analytical
Every DISC Style has potential strengths and weaknesses. A key principle from the DISC
methodology is that a strength overdone can turn into a weakness. Following are examples
of this principle regarding your Dominance/Conscientious Style.
Potential Strengths
Competitive and Reasonable
"Robert sets high standards for himself
and has a strong desire to do things as
correctly as possible."
Focused and Determined
"Robert's determination ensures that he's
energized over the ball and ready to
concentrate on the task at hand."
Analytical and Task Oriented
"Robert has strong analytical traits and
works on his mechanics in an ongoing
effort to improve."
Potential Weaknesses
Competitive and Reasonable
"Robert can be quite intense in his desire
to succeed and hard on himself when his
play doesn't meet his expectations."
Focused and Determined
"Robert's strong determination can lead to
excessive tension that takes away from
making best use of his athletic ability."
Analytical and Task Oriented
"Robert's tendency when playing poorly is
to over-analyze his mechanics, which
sometimes makes things worse instead of
better."
6
"Robert At His Best"
This is an imaginary summary of you using your Dominance/Conscientious DISC Style to your best
advantage. Use your report to make ongoing progress in moving closer to "You At Your Best."
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more aggressive Dominance traits in making strategy and shot selection decisions.
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course management decisions before the round.
7
Robert's Mental Golf Tendencies
The following five pages describe your mental tendencies for these areas of the game x Golf Temperament
x Pre-Round Preparation
x Thought Processes Over The Ball
x Course Management
x Working With Instructors
x Golf Fitness
As you review your report, please highlight and make notes on key points that have a
significant impact on your game. Be sure to note your strengths mentioned throughout
this report.
Golf Temperament Tendencies - Think in terms of playing with
positive energy throughout the round.
Make notes on key points that have a
positive or negative impact on your
game.
Robert's core golf temperament style is influenced by his strong
competitive nature and his analytical thinking style. He is very taskoriented and has a strong desire to do things as correctly as possible.
Robert can be quite intense in his desire to succeed and hard on
himself when his play doesn't meet his standards. When anger gets the
best of him, it affects his course management judgment and detracts
from making best use of his physical abilities. These are the times
when it's important for Robert to reassess his expectations and make
sure they are at a reasonable level.
Robert's tendency when playing poorly is to work hard at analyzing
his mechanics, which sometimes makes things worse instead of better.
Relaxing a bit and visualizing himself playing at his best, is likely a
more effective way for him to create positive energy and confidence
for turning his game around when he's on the course.
At his best, Robert's rather intense golf temperament would be
described as competitively driven and mentally focused. At his worst,
he's overly intense, easily frustrated and uptight. Properly managing
his intensity level and not trying to force good performance is a key
golf temperament strategy for Robert. (Related strategies are on pages
14, 15 & 16.)
8
Pre-Round Preparation Tendencies - Think in terms of getting your
rounds off to a good start.
Robert is usually more intent on preparing to play than on socializing
with others before the round. He views preparation as a key success
factor and will do his best to make sure he's organized and properly
prepared to play. With his rather intense style, one of Robert's
challenges is to stay relaxed and get a good feel for managing tension
while he's warming up.
Make notes on key points that have
a positive or negative impact on
your game.
Robert is an analytical thinker and feels a strong need to have his
swing keys organized before the round. He wants to be ready to
compete when he steps on the first tee, rather than spending the round
searching for a swing. Being able to play shots without going through
a burdensome checklist of swing thoughts is an important pre-round
success key for him. Simulating playing some of the actual shots he'll
face on the course while he's warming up will help Robert organize his
swing thoughts and get a good feel for managing tension before the
round begins.
Robert is best prepared to play when he feels ready to compete, yet
relaxed enough to begin the round composed and focused. Allowing
adequate time for a relaxed pace for his pre-round warmup, is a key
strategy to help Robert prepare for a good start to the round. (Related
strategies are on pages 17 & 18.)
Tendencies When Playing Shots - Think in terms of your mind and
body working in harmony when playing the shot.
Robert's mental approach for playing shots is strongly influenced by
his competitive spirit and analytical thinking style. His competitive
traits create determination over the ball and his analytical traits help
him focus on what he's doing.
Properly managed, [%FirstName%]'s rather intense style can be a very
effective style for playing shots. On the other hand, if not properly
managed, he can become overly intense and create excessive body
tension that causes his swing and short game to suffer. Deep breathing
and other relaxation techniques can help him relax and maintain a
healthy level of intensity and good feel for his swing.
9
Robert likes to work on his mechanics in an ongoing effort to improve.
Like all analytical thinkers, has to be careful not to bog down with
mechanical swing thoughts to the point that it inhibits making best use
of his athletic ability. Visualizing a clear picture of the shot before he's
over the ball tends to lessen his dependence on mechanical swing
thoughts.
Make notes on key points that have a
positive or negative impact on your
game.
Robert is at his best over the ball when he feels determined and yet
relaxed enough over the ball to make full use of his athletic ability.
Visualizing a successful outcome for the shot and keeping swing
thoughts at a minimum once he's on the course helps him relax and trust
his swing. (Related strategies are on pages 19, 20 & 21.)
Course Management Tendencies - Think in terms of making sound
strategy and shot selection decisions.
Robert's course management style is an unique combination of
aggressive and conservative tendencies. He's usually comfortable
making both conservative and bold shot selection choices based on the
circumstances of the shot.
At his best, Robert makes strategy choices situationally - he's
aggressive when the odds are in his favor and plays conservatively when
the odds are stacked against him. Jack Nicklaus used a course
management style similar to Robert's in building the greatest record the
game has ever known.
Robert likes to use course information like yardage books in making his
strategy and shot selection choices. At his best, he has the patience to
make good use of this information. At other times, he might pay little
attention to the information as he's ready to get on with playing the shot.
Robert can put his strong analytical traits to good use by developing a
game plan for the course before the round. The more strategy decisions
he makes before the round begins, the fewer he will have to make based
on the emotions of the moment during the round. (Related strategies are
on pages 22 & 23.)
10
Learning Style When Working With Instructors - Think in terms of
learning more effectively with less stress.
Robert has an unique learning style in that he expects to see quick
results, but also wants to take enough time to gain a thorough
understanding of what he is learning. These two learning objectives can
be in conflict with each other and sometimes make Robert an intense
student. Instructors will find him to be a serious student willing to make
changes as long as he feels he is making progress and understands the
logic behind the changes and how they will help him improve.
Make notes on key points that have a
positive or negative impact on your
game.
Instructors can help Robert be a more relaxed and patient student by
explaining changes in a thorough but concise manner and by assuring
him that he is making progress even if it's coming in small incremental
steps. This approach helps give Robert the feeling he needs - "I
understand what I'm learning and I'm making progress now," - to
satisfy his desire for quick results.
Robert prefers an instructor who is organized and leaves most of the
small talk for after the lesson. An instructor who is overly talkative and
rambles might distract him and take away from the task-orientated
learning environment he desires.
(A resource page for your
instructor/coaches is on page 27.)
Golf Fitness Mental Tendencies - Bonus section if you're involved in a
golf fitness program.
Robert is quite competitive and if he's involved in a golf fitness
program, he'll view it as a logical step for moving his game to a higher
level. Robert likes to know the facts and will want to understand how
his limitations in flexibility, strength, balance and overall golf fitness
are affecting his swing. Once he has the results of his initial fitness
assessment, he'll want a quality workout program to address his specific
fitness needs.
Robert can be quite intense in his desire to succeed and will work hard
to prove to himself that he can meet the recommendations of his
program. If workout instructions call for an exercise with three sets of
twenty reps at a certain weight, then Robert will strive to meet that
target.
11
Robert's high intensity level can lead to excessive physical tension that
gets in the way of receiving full benefit of stretching and flexibility
exercises. Deep breathing and other relaxation methods will help
reduce tension and allow his body to respond better to these exercises.
A more relaxed mind and body will also help reduce fatigue during and
after his workouts.
Make notes on key points that have a
positive or negative impact on your
game.
Robert is a fairly analytical thinker and if given written information
about his program, he will likely review it in detail. He will expect
fitness coaches to be organized and business-like as he dislikes wasting
time while involved in activities he feels are important. (A resource page
for your fitness professional is on page 28.)
Your Strategy Workshop begins on the next page and
includes strategies for the same areas of the game just
covered in your mental golf tendencies.
Your Strategy
Workshop Section
begins on the next
page.
12
Robert's "Strategy Workshop"
Now for the "Strategy Workshop" section of your report. These strategies are
presented in a "workshop" format and written in as brief and concise format as
possible while still getting the point across.
Consider each strategy from the perspective of how it would impact your game. As
you're making notes, you might be surprised at how clearly you can visualize these
strategies coming to life in your game.
- The Following Strategies Are Included Golf Temperament Strategies
Setting Goals For Your Game--------------------------------- Page 14
Using Positive Self-Talk--------------------------------------- Page 15
Using Strengths From Both Sides of Your Mental Style-- Page 16
Pre-Round Preparation Strategies
Developing A Consistent Warm-up Routine---------------- Page 17
Simulate "On The Course Shots" While Warming Up---- Page 18
Shotmaking Strategies
Seeing The Shot in Your Mind's Eye------------------------ Page 19
Managing Tension Over The Ball---------------------------- Page 20
Commiting To The Shot with Think Box/Play Box ------ Page 21
Course Management & Scoring Strategies
Developing A Game Plan For The Course------------------ Page 22
Developing A Short Game Improvement Plan-------------- Page 23
Note: A very important bonus strategy on Developing Great Practice Habits is
included on pages 24 & 25 of your report.
13
The Strategy - Setting Goals For Your Game
The Purpose - Putting Direction Into Your Improvement Efforts
List goals & action steps for your
game. Be as specific as possible
including timelines.
Start your Strategy Workshop with the goal setting process below.
The competitive traits (Dominance) of your mental style will make it
easy to think of goals you would like to accomplish and the taskoriented traits (Conscientious) are ideal for following through an
action plan to achieve your goals.
Use these strengths to your advantage by setting goals and creating a
clear sense of direction for improving your game. Follow the process
on your own or in collaboration with your instructor or coach.
x Think of your potential to improve from both short-range and
long-range perspectives and list any goals that come to mind on a
separate sheet of paper.
x Now select one to five goals that are most meaningful to you.
Ideally, these goals will be realistic but will also require you to
stretch your abilities to achieve them. Use the space to the right
to list these goals. For illustration purposes, examples of goals
that players of different levels might set are listed below - Lower my scoring average by 3 shots this year.
- Improve my greens hit in regulation percentage by 25% this
season.
- Win my club championship within three years.
- Finish in the top 20 on the money list this year.
x Develop a list of action steps for accomplishing your goals.
Again, just for illustration purposes, examples of action steps are
listed below - Start a golf fitness program in January.
-
Set up a series of lessons starting in February.
Schedule a professional club fitting session next week.
Practice my short game for an hour three times a week.
Develop a consistent pre-round warm-up routine.
Review my mental game strategy index cards before
every round and practice session.
The game's most visible
example of how goal setting
provides a sense of direction is
Tiger Woods, as his goal to win
more majors than Jack Nicklaus
drives him to plan his work
and work his plan with a
remarkable focus.
14
The Strategy - Positive Self-Talk
The Purpose - Generating Positive Mental Energy
List
self-talk
phrases
for
generating positive energy when
you play and practice.
"Often times the catalyst for the destruction of a round of golf is
not so much a poorly hit shot, as it is the reaction to that shot."
Pia Nilsson & Lynn Marriott, Every Shot Must Have A Purpose
The rather intense nature of your Dominance/Conscientious style can
lead to being overly harsh on yourself when you're not performing up
to your expectations. The strategies below are ideal for turning
negative energy back into positive energy.
x Positive Self-Talk
Your golf temperament is the emotional engine of your game
and self-talk is the fuel you put in this engine. One of the
foremost experts on human emotions, Dr. Dan Baker, stresses
the power of self-talk in his classic book, What Happy People
Know "Our self-talk is so powerful that it's very important to
choose your words carefully. Negative language creates
negative internal perceptions while positive language
creates positive perceptions.
Research shows that
positive thoughts increase problem-solving ability and
mental focus. Talk to yourself the way you want others to
talk to you."
- Your Golf "Appreciation Audit" List Things You Appreciate About
The Game
One might reason that it's quite easy to say positive things to
yourself when you're playing well, but the more compelling
point is this«
«it's far easier to play well when you're saying
positive things to yourself.
x The "Appreciation Audit"
Dr. Baker recommends a very effective strategy called the
"appreciation audit ." Try this concept from a golf perspective
by listing the things you appreciate about golf in the space to
the right. Notice the positive feelings you experience as you're
making your list. This is a form of positive self-talk to use
anytime and anywhere to generate positive mental energy for
your game.
15
The Strategy - Using Strengths of Both Sides of Your Mental Style
The Purpose - Play Better With Less Tension
Describe how you can apply this
unique strategy to your game.
Your mental golf style is a unique combination of analytical
(Conscientious) and action-oriented (Dominance) traits. The
contrasting nature of these traits can work together in your favor or
conflict with each other if not managed properly. The key is to use
the right traits for the right tasks.
x Let Your Thinker and Athlete Both Work To Your Advantage
This strategy might take extra thought, but the feedback from other
profile takers with your mental style has been tremendous so give
this strategy a real chance to work for you. The strategy comes
from a golf professional who used his profile to learn how to use
both sides of his Conscientious and Dominance style to his best
advantage Craig Allan is an instructor and master club fitter at The Sea Island
Learning Center. Craig has the same temperament style as your
style and felt he was not playing anywhere near his potential prior
to receiving his profile. Once he understood how his Dominance
and Conscientious traits have a tendency to "compete" with each
other, Craig came up with this solution "I visualize my Conscientious traits as being my
analytical/methodical thinker and my Dominance traits as
being my action oriented athlete."
"For areas best suited for analytical thought like working on
my mechanics on the practice tee or making strategy and
shot selection choices, I put my thinker to work and let my
athlete rest."
"When playing shots on the course, I want to be action
oriented and not overloaded with mechanical thoughts, so I
put my athlete to work and let my thinker rest. In the past,
my action oriented traits and analytical traits tended to
compete with each other and I felt like I mentally had one
foot on the gas and one on the brake with my golf game. My
profile explained why I felt this way."
Craig's game has improved and he feels far more relaxed on the
course since adopting this strategy.
Jack Nicklaus masterfully
blended Dominance and
Conscientious traits, and while
you might not reach Jack's level
of mental mastery, you can learn
to use this temperament style to
your advantage.
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The Strategy - Developing A Consistent Warm-up Routine
The Purpose - Preparing To Get Your Rounds Off To A Good Start
One of your most valuable strengths in preparing for the round is the
strong determination generated by your Dominance/Conscientious
mental style. Take advantage of this positive energy by channeling it
into a pre-round routine designed to mentally and physically prepare
you to get the round off to a good start.
Write out a "script" for your preround routine. You might have to
experiment to find the routine that
works best for you, but use this
opportunity as a starting point.
x Consider These Components For Your Pre-Round Routine - arrive at the course early to set a relaxed pace for your warm-up
- loosen up and relax with some deep breathing and stretching
- hit a few shots using drills your instructor might recommend to
reinforce a swing feel you want to take to the course
- organize and simplify your swing thoughts as you hit your
warm-up shots
- simulate "playing" some of the shots you'll face on the course
during your warm-up (see next page)
- get a good feel for your putting routine and the rest of your short
game (see next page)
x Develop A Consistent Pre-Round Routine
Dr. Morris Pickens, Sports Psychologist at The Sea Island
Learning Center recommends using a "script" to develop a
consistent pre-round routine "The touring professionals I work with have a basic
'script' for their pre-round warm-up routines with each
component having an approximate amount of time
allotted. I recommend this to players of all levels to put a
sense of routine and consistency into their pre-round
preparation. There are varing circumstances - practice
facilities being different at each course being an obvious
one - but following a routine as consistently as
circumstances allow will help you prepare to play your
best."
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The Strategy - Simulate "On the Course Shots" While Warming-up
The Purpose - Get Your Rounds Off To A Good Start
Use the strategies below as part of your warm-up routine to help get a
feel for managing tension over the ball before you step on the first tee.
Describe how these strategies will
help you prepare to get your
rounds off to a good start.
x "Play" The First Few Holes On The Range
Simulate playing the first few holes as part of your warm-up.
Use your full pre-shot routine for each shot to get a good feel for
how you'll play shots once you're on the course. Try this
sequence and then experiment to find what works best for you - visualize the tee shot on #1 and hit the shot
- then change clubs and go through the same process for the
second shot
- keep going until you "play" the first three or four holes
x Copy Tiger and "Play" The Par 3 Tee Shots
To help get into a "ready to play" mindset during his warm-up,
Tiger "plays" the par 3 tee shots he'll face on the course that day.
Copy Tiger's strategy and add some of the tee shots you'll play on
par 4's and 5's, and you'll likely be more comfortable playing
these shots during the round.
x Use Your Full Putting Routine On The Practice Green
Brad Faxon, eight time winner on the PGA Tour and one of the
greatest putters ever, recommends using your full putting routine
on the practice green before the round "Before I go to the first tee, I'll hit some putts using my full
routine. I get into a flow with my routine and then take it to
the golf course."
The key phrase here is, "Before I go to the first tee." Brad
doesn't want the first green to be where he's first getting into the
flow of his putting routine.
"The biggest challenge on the
first tee is changing your
mindset from 'on the range' to
'on the course.'"
Johnny Miller Former U.S. Open
Champion & 24 time
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The Strategy - Managing Tension Over The Ball
The Purpose - Improving Your Shotmaking Performance
A key DISC principle is that a strength overdone can become a
weakness. When your determined and task-oriented approach goes
overboard, excessive tension can detract from making best use of
Describe yourself using these
strategies to help manage
tension and promote a smooth
tempo for your swing.
your athletic abilities. Following are three great strategies for
managing mental and physical tension x Alternate Hitting Shots With A Different Tempo
A great way to heighten awareness of the tension in your body is
to practice hitting shots at a different tempo for each shot - hit a few shots at what feels like 50% tempo
- then hit a few at 100%
- drop back to 25% and then up to 75%
- go back and forth until you can really feel the difference in
your swing tempo.
You might be surprised how athletic your body feels and how
well you hit the ball when you're swinging with what feels like a
50% or 75% tempo swing.
x Use Mental Imagery And Other Relaxation Techniques
Jonathan Byrd, a five-time winner on The PGA Tour, uses mental
imagery to manage mental and physical tension "When I'm trying too hard and feeling tense, I know I
need to get back to a more relaxed state to play my
best shots. Deep breathing, stretching, and thinking
about a calming place like a beach helps me get to a
more relaxed state in the middle of a competitive
round."
x Visualize A Smooth Tempo
Many players, including Jack Nicklaus, used the great Sam
Snead's ultra-smooth, and yet very powerful swing as a model for
working on their swing tempo. Snead authored one of the classic
tips that instructors have used for years to help players manage
tension "As you grip the club, imagine that you're holding a
baby bird just tight enough so it doesn't fly away, but
"Nothing sabotages a golf swing
more successfully than tension.
Those times when you grip the
club too tight or swing too fast are
all caused by excessive tension."
Every Shot Must Have a Purpose
Pia Nilsson & Lynn Marriott
loose enough so that you wouldn't hurt it."
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The Strategy - "Seeing" The Shot In Your Mind's Eye
The Purpose - Improving Your Shotmaking Performance
Your notes on using your visual
senses
to
improve
your
shotmaking.
"One of the difference makers between really good players and
the rest is imagination - their ability to visualize shots. Being able
to see the shot is everything. Your athletic ability will come out
so much more when you play visually."
- Tom Kite - 1992 U.S. Open Champion
As vital as using your visual senses are to your shotmaking
performance, there's no one "best" way to visualize a shot. Even the
greats like Annika and Tiger describe it differently as you'll see at
the bottom right of this page.
All players have to experiment to find what works best for them, and
the more you practice your visualization skills, the stronger they will
become. Experiment with the strategies below to strengthen your
visualization skills.
xDescribe The Shot In Words
Describe the shot you're about to play either verbally or mentally to
yourself. This takes just a second and you'll find it virtually
impossible to describe the shot in words and not form a visual
image of the shot at the same time. The more you practice this on
the range, the more it will help you on the course.
xPersonal Highlight Video
Develop a "highlight video" of yourself playing great shots and
making great putts - see yourself making a great swing or putting stroke
- experience the unmistakable feel of solid impact
-
watch the ball go to the target
experience the positive emotions great shots produce.
Using the "highlight video" strategy is particularly helpful when
you're struggling with your game. By focusing on such a positive
image, even for just a moment , there's a good chance your mind
and body will respond with a more confident swing."
Two of the greats describe their
YL
V
XD
O
L
]
D
W
L
RQ
SU
RF
H
V
V
H
V
«
Annika Sorenstam "From behind the ball I see
the shot and that vision gives
me a feeling for what I need to
do. I step into the Play Box
with that feeling and trust my
swing."
«
Tiger Woods "I look at the target and
mentally pull it back into my
hands.
Then I let my
subconscious react and my
swing just happens."
20
Describe typical doubts you
experience when playing shots.
The Strategy - Think Box / Play Box
The Purpose - Building A Strong Commitment To The Shot
"Doubt over the ball is the number one cause of missed shots."
- Davis Love, Jr - one of the greatest teachers of our time
Visualize yourself over the ball ready to start your swing. This is
golf's moment of truth . You're either fully commited to the shot or
you have doubts like these - being unsure about your strategy or shot selection choice
- wondering if you have the break figured correctly on your putt
- being overburdened with too many swing thoughts
- thinking about potential negative outcomes for the shot.
Think Box/Play Box - Renowned coaches Pia Nilsson and Lynn
Marriott, use a brilliant concept - Think Box/Play Box - to help golfers
commit fully to the shot. Pia and Lynn have coached players of all
levels, including Annika Sorenstam, to use Think Box/Play Box as
part of their pre-shot routine.
Your notes on using the Think
Box/Play Box strategy.
Play Box
Think Box
Ball
Decision Line
While in the Think Box, commit to your shot selection choice
a mental picture of the shot
a swing feel for producing the shot.
Once fully committed, step across an imaginary Decision Line into
the "Play Box," where you connect to your target
-
trust your swing to make the shot happen.
The key is to fully commit to the shot in the Think Box.
Think Box/Play Box is fully explained in Pia & Lynn's best-selling
book, Every Shot Must Have A Purpose. This is highly recommended
reading for players of all levels.
Tiger's Version of
Think Box/Play Box
"Tiger's practice swings have a
purpose. He rehearses the
motion until he's fully committed
to the shot and has a clear
picture of the shot in his head.
Once he does that, he doesn't get
distracted with other thoughts.
He gets over the ball and
executes."
- Hank Haney, Tiger's Former
Swing Coach
21
The Strategy - Developing A Game Plan For The Course
The Purpose - Play Smarter Golf By Making Decisions Before The Round
DISC styles tend to influence how players make strategy and shot
selection choices. Your particular DISC style is an unique balance of
Practice developing a game
plan by writing out a tee shot
strategy for all eighteeen holes
on your favorite course.
aggressive traits (Dominance) and more conservative and patient
ones (Conscientious). Jack Nicklaus - perhaps the greatest course
management thinker ever - used these same traits to his advantage
with two essential course management strategies x Develop A Game Plan
Nicklaus used patience and analytical skills to map out a game
plan for the course and make strategy decisions like these before
the round -
which holes to hit driver and which ones to play for position
with a fairway wood or an iron.
-
pre-determined "go" spots on certain holes - lay up if you're
behind the spot and know you can comfortably carry a water
hazard or bunker if you're ahead of the spot.
-
which greens to leave the ball below the cup to avoid a fast
downhill putt.
Use the exercise at the top right of the page to get a feel for
developing a game plan by writing out your tee shot strategies for
tee shots on your favorite course.
x Use Risk/Reward Logic
Nicklaus made great shot selection decisions by basing them on
risk/reward logic rather than on the emotions of the moment.
Even though he was one of the most powerful players of his time,
Jack played fairly conservatively for the most part and built the
greatest major championship record to date.
Follow Jack's lead and use your conservative course management
tendencies more than your aggressive ones. You'll avoid wasting
shots when low percentage shots don't pan out and reap the
rewards when your "smart risks" work out.
"Develop a game plan for the
course in advance of a round.
A strategy conceived in the preround calm is almost always
better than one born in the heat
of battle."
Dr. Richard Coop
Mind Over Golf
22
The Strategy - Developing A Short Game Improvement Plan
The Purpose - Improving Your Scoring Average (probably by quite a bit)
Use the space below to describe
steps you're going to take to
improve your short game.
"Fall in love with your short game."
The Golfer's Mind - Dr. Bob Rotella
The vast majority of golf instruction and practice takes place at the
driving range rather than at the short game practice area. The irony is
that many golfers can lower their scores faster by improving their short
games than by improving their long games. Unless you're already a
wizard around the greens, talk to your instructor about developing a
short game improvement plan.
Take a minute to assess your short game as it is today.
Pitch Shots:
1
2
3
Poor
4
5
6
Fair
7
8
9
10
Excellent
Chip Shots:
1
2
3
Poor
4
5
6
Fair
7
8
9
10
Excellent
Sand Play:
1
2
3
Poor
4
5
6
Fair
7
8
9
10
Excellent
7
8
9
Long & Medium Range Putts:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Poor
Short Putts:
1
2
3
Poor
Fair
4
5
6
Fair
10
Excellent
7
8
9
10
Excellent
"Kids have no fear when they
putt. They miss it and it doesn't
affect them. You've got to keep
that attitude your whole life.
That's my whole premise
toward putting."
Brad Faxon - 8 Time
Winner on the PGA Tour
and one of the most
optimistic players ever.
23
Very Important Bonus Strategy
The Strategy - Developing Great Practice Habits
The Purpose - Transferring Practice Improvement To The Course
List the primary weaknesses in
the way you practice now.
"All my life I've tried to hit practice shots with great care. I try to
have a clear-cut purpose in mind on every swing. I always practice
as I intend to play."
- Jack Nicklaus
Dr. Morris Pickens, Sports Psychologist at The Sea Island Learning
Center, works with players of all levels including tour players Zach
Johnson, Jonathan Byrd, Charles Warren, Lucas Glover, John Rollins &
others. Dr. "Mo" as he is known to his clients, is an expert on creating
great practice habits and offers this advice "One of the most common frustrations I see with players of all levels is
their inability to take their practice tee improvement to the course. Hitting
countless balls on the range or stroking putt after putt on the practice
green without simulating actual playing conditions, often creates a false
sense of ability for hitting the shot. This leads to the frustration of, "I
don't understand why I hit it so well on the practice tee, but can't take it
to the course." Knowing what and how to practice is a key to significant
and sustained improvement.
Your notes on using the three
recommended types of practice.
I recommend three different types of practice with each serving a
different purpose x The simplest is Practicing For Learning , which should be used
when first working on a change or for developing a new skill. An
example would be hitting twenty 5 iron shots to the same target.
This repetition provides the feedback for adjusting a bit here and
there until your ability to hit the shot improves. With this simple form
of practice, you're improving your skills without worrying about
taking it to the course.
x The next level is Practicing For Transfer , which is designed to
transfer skills from the practice area to the golf course. You do this
by simulating playing shots during practice much as you would play
them on the course.
24
For example, instead of just hitting twenty 5 iron shots to the same
target, add to the difficulty by alternating clubs and hitting each
shot to a different target. The probability of transferring progress to
the golf course increases because you're practicing more like you're
playing golf, instead of just hitting the same shot over and over.
More notes on improving
practice habits.
your
x The third level is Practicing to Simulate Pressure (or "practicing to
play better under the gun"), which adds competitive games to your
practice sessions. For example, take the twenty shots where you're
alternating clubs and targets and set a goal to hit a certain number of
imaginary greens and fairways.
By "competing" against your goal, you're simulating on-the-course
pressure. You can add even more pressure by repeating the game
until you reach your goal. Following are two examples of "games"
to use when Practicing To Simulate Pressure - Number of Fairways Hit - Hit 14 drives (about the
number you'd hit in an average round) to imaginary
fairway - say 40 yards wide. Set a goal to hit a certain
number of fairways and compete against your goal.
- Tornado Putting Drill - Starting from 2 feet away and
adding a foot for every putt as you move clock-wise in
a circle, place 7 tees in the ground so that you create
an expanding circle (a "tornado") around a single hole.
Start by putting from the closest tee and keep moving
back until you miss. Once you miss, restart back at the
first tee. See how many attempts it takes for you to
complete the "tornado."
In closing, let me re-emphasize that practicing as much as possible like
you actually play golf, will greatly increase the transfer of practice tee
improvement to the golf course." - Dr. Morris Pickens
Note: The Game Before The Game, the latest book by Pia Nilsson and
Lynn Marriott, is another great resource for developing great practice
habits.
Turn the page to view the
process for building your
Mental Game Reminder
System.
25
Building Your Mental Game Reminder System
An obvious question you might have at this point is this - "How do I boil all of
the information in my report down to a workable amount I can begin using now?"
Two ways are recommended 1) Use the user-friendly index card process outlined on page 3 and described
again below - Go back through your report, especially the points you've
highlighted and made notes on.
- Select 5 to 10 (or more) key points to implement into your game.
You (and perhaps your coach) will be the best judge of which
points will help you the most.
- Write each strategy on an index card and leave room to make
progress notes.
- Keep these cards in your golf bag and review them before you play,
practice or have a session with your instructor or coach.
- Go back through your report from time to time and add new
strategies to incorporate into your game.
2) Use the "You At Your Best" summary on page 7 to put the power of positive
suggestion to work in improving your game.
Think of your strategy cards and "You At Your Best" as awareness and
repetition tools, just as you would swing drills on the physical side of your game.
Resource Pages For Robert's Coaches
Your DISC Style is a big part of your learning and communication preferences.
The next page will help you and your coach create a more productive learning and
coaching environment for both of you.
A bonus page is also included for your fitness coach if you're involved in a golf
fitness program.
26
Resource Page For Robert's Instructors/Coaches
Use The Space Below to
Make Notes
Robert has an unique learning style in that he expects to see quick
results, but also wants to take enough time to gain a thorough
understanding of what he is learning. These two learning objectives
can be in conflict with each other and sometimes make Robert an
intense student. Taking a few minutes before the lesson for some deep
breathing and stretching will help him relax and be ready to focus on
the objectives of the session.
Instructors will find Robert to be a serious student willing to make
changes as long as he feels he is making progress and understands the
logic behind the changes and how they will help him improve.
Instructors need to be prepared to answer his "how and why" questions.
Instructors can help Robert be a more relaxed and patient student by
explaining changes in a thorough but concise manner and by assuring
him that he is making progress even if it's coming in small incremental
steps. This approach helps give Robert the feeling he needs - "I
understand what I'm learning and I'm making progress now," - to
satisfy his desire for quick results.
Robert prefers an instructor who is organized and leaves most of the
small talk for after the lesson. An instructor who is overly talkative and
rambles might distract him and take away from the task-orientated
learning environment he desires.
Quick Tips for [%FirstName%]'s instructors are below x Have Robert take a few minutes for some deep breathing and
stretching at the beginning of the session.
x Be organized and leave the small talk for after the lesson.
x Be prepared to explain changes in a thorough but concise
manner. Make sure he understands the mechanics, but don't go
into long theoretical discussions unless he asks for them.
x Remember that Robert wants to see fairly quick results - let him
know when he is making progress even if the progress is coming
in small incremental steps.
27
Bonus Page To Share With Fitness Professionals If You're Involved In a
Golf Fitness Program
Use The Space Below to
Make Notes
Robert is quite competitive and if he's involved in a golf fitness
program, he'll view it as a logical step for moving his game to a higher
level. Robert likes to know the facts and will want to understand how
his limitations in flexibility, strength, balance and overall golf fitness
are affecting his swing. Once he has the results of his initial fitness
assessment, he'll want a quality workout program to address his specific
fitness needs.
Robert can be quite intense in his desire to succeed and will work hard
to prove to himself that he can meet the recommendations of his
program. If workout instructions call for an exercise with three sets of
twenty reps at a certain weight, then Robert will strive to meet that
target.
Robert's high intensity level can lead to excessive physical tension that
gets in the way of receiving full benefit of stretching and flexibility
exercises. Deep breathing and other relaxation methods will help
reduce tension and allow his body to respond better to these exercises.
A more relaxed mind and body will also help reduce fatigue during and
after his workouts.
Robert is a fairly analytical thinker and if given written information
about his program, he will likely review it in detail. He will expect
fitness coaches to be organized and business-like as he dislikes wasting
time while involved in activities he feels are important.
Tips For Fitness Professionals Working With Robert x Robert likes having the facts - the initial assessment will help him
understand how his present fitness limitations impact his game and
how his workout program will address these limitations.
x Be organized and keep the workout atmosphere fairly business-like
as Robert likes a focused workout approach.
x Demonstrate how deep breathing and other relaxation methods will
reduce body tension and help Robert get the most out of stretching
and flexibility exercises.
28