If you have been golfing for any reasonable period of time you have probably had occasion to feel sensations ranging from a few flitting butterflies to a full blown swarm of hornets raging around in the pit of your stomach. It can be so severe for some that they feel real anxiety attacks and cold sweats coming on. Not a great way to spend time that is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable.
When do the nerves strike you? On the first tee with your mates looking on or perhaps when there is a crowd. When you've been called through and the group of strangers are watching and waiting like a pack of laughing hyenas to snicker and pretend to look away when you duff it? Or is it when you've got a crucial shot to finish off the opposition, halve a match or outright win your $5 bet.
Certainly if you are even remotely competitive or hate making a fool of yourself (perceived) in front of others with a shot you deem as "embarrassing" then you have suffered golfing nerves. Another thing about nerves is that they don't respect handicaps. The better you get at this game doesn't correspond automatically with lesser nerves, although I do find that more confident golfers certainly suffer less, by and large.
The biggest cause of nerves is plain old fear of humiliation and even if it's not immediately apparent as the cause it's virtually always traceable as the major influence. Even fear of losing a bet to your mate is really about having to admit defeat and that's your ego at it's worst. Imagine what it would be like to get rid of your ego? You could boldly and confidently go forth and not care who thought what. I know you would play better and have more fun.
No matter who you are and how good you are at playing this game and controlling your emotions, there is always a time when you need to control your nerves and if not get rid of the butterflies, at least get them to fly in formation and co-operate with you. Nerves can be a help if they are under control as they will heighten the senses and allow you to both focus more intently and get "up" to the best level for you to perform your best.
Technique number 1 - and probably the best - BREATHE.
Simple but highly effective natural remedy when done correctly. Breathing has deep physiological links to your internal states or emotions so if you are feeling nervous the last thing you want to do is take short, shallow breaths. Shallow, quick breaths actually instruct the brain to respond in a "fight or flight" manner which is the polar opposite of what you want. Your mind is hardwired to respond to fast breathing by being on the lookout for danger or threats of any kind (including humiliation) and when you think that your best golf will be played when you are calm and confident, being tense and looking out for threats isn't going to help.
Technique Model
While waiting for your turn to play stand aside and do the following breathing model.
Inhale 4 - 5 seconds. Breathe in slow and deep, allowing your belly to expand, in other words feel as though you are drawing the breath into your tummy - to the count of 4 - 5 seconds.
Hold 4 - 5 seconds. Hold the breath for a count of 4 - 5 seconds in a relaxed manner. If you are struggling to hold the breath then this won't be helping. Hold it for as long as it is comfortable for up to 5 seconds.
Exhale 6 seconds. Now slowly exhale to the count of approximately 6 seconds, allowing your stomach to contract and flatten again as the breath exhales.
I used the term model because this is only one model of a number of effective ways to use breathing to control and calm states. (nerves) Good breathing techniques are available from a number of disciplines including meditation. Any deep diaphragmatic breathing technique will work effectively.
Muscle Strain/Relax Method
Although I don't personally use this method and don't generally give it to a client first (I prefer the breathing technique) it is effective and deserves a mention as it might suit you personally.
It simply involves tensing and releasing, tensing and releasing. You can take a golf ball and squeeze it in a hand, feel the muscles tense all the way up the arm and over into your back and then relax the hand completely and feel all the muscles relax up the arm and through your back. Do this with both hands. You can also hold a club and squeeze it hard, then relax everything off. Take a deep breath in as you squeeze and then slowly release it as you relax. (Notice how I got sneaky and put some breathing in there)
At the same time as you do these relaxation techniques, repeat the words, "Relax - Calm - Confident" to yourself or use words that have better meaning to you.
There is also another way to instantly change your state which involves conditioning yourself to react in a calm and confident manner to a pre set "trigger." A trigger is a signal which when purposefully activated by you, sends a message to your brain to change your state and get you into the calm and confident state you need to play great golf. We all have many triggers already. Is there a certain tune or song that instantly brings back memories and changes your emotional state? When the traffic light changes to red you automatically break. Triggers are programmable using the NLP technique called anchoring.
Anchoring is most famously used by Tiger Woods, if you know what to look out for you can see him "triggering" himself into ultimate playing states. The good news is that you can learn these triggering techniques too.
If this has been useful to you and you would like to be able to learn "triggers" and "anchoring" - the quickest most powerful way to control your emotions - please visit my site for more information. You can find my recommendations of the top Mental Game programs like Every Golfers Guide To The Development And Mastery Of The Inner Game which you can read about at http://www.golfmindshop.com Wishing you FIR's, GIR's & Blue Skies, Mark. PS - You can also get your FREE copy of "Bring your golf scores to life" at http://www.golfmindshop.com Discover What's HOT & What's ROT. Reviews of Golf Training Programs are now available online so you can read up on a system before deciding if it's right for you. Mark Wright is a Master Coach and Sport Psychologist. He can be contacted via his website where you can get free advice on your golf swing or mental game just for the asking. |
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