| Nothing is more important to your mental game | | | | "You just have to stay in the moment. Golf is |
| than the ability to stay grounded in the | | | | one shot at a time. You cannot live in the |
| present moment. | | | | past. You have to play the shot at hand. |
| | | | That's what I've always done. " ~Tiger Woods |
| Many athletes cannot do this | | | | |
| easy-to-understand but hard-to-apply concept. | | | | How do you stay in the present when you |
| Some of my students become mentally trapped | | | | constantly are bombarded with distractions in |
| by their own thoughts. They focus on what | | | | sports - your own mental traps and outside |
| just happened during the last play or shot or | | | | distractions? |
| on what may happen in the future. | | | | |
| | | | You simply have to catch yourself when your |
| The classic mental trap is when you begin to | | | | focus wanders and act quickly. This means you |
| think ahead to the end of the game or | | | | must be aware when your mind wanders away |
| performance. Will my team get it done today? | | | | from what is really important. |
| What score will I shoot today? Will coach be | | | | |
| happy with my performance today? | | | | *Refocusing* is a simple three-step process |
| | | | that all of my mental coaching students |
| Thinking ahead about the *what ifs* does not | | | | learn. This mental strategy helps them pull |
| help you perform well in the present. But | | | | their focus back to the present moment. |
| many athletes have a hard time staying | | | | |
| grounded in the present. We live in a | | | | The lesson today - you can't be perfect with |
| result-oriented society. Everyone remembers | | | | your mental focus. No one is perfect. Not |
| winners - not losers or who finished second. | | | | even Tiger Woods. But he is the master at |
| | | | refocusing or regaining his concentration |
| Regardless, you must train your mind to focus | | | | after is slips. |
| on the process - or what I call execution - | | | | |
| if you want to enter and stay in the zone. | | | | The mental strategy of refocusing should not |
| | | | take you longer than 2-4 seconds to complete |
| The number 1 golfer in the world, Tiger | | | | in competition. The sooner you can refocus - |
| Woods, is a master at the present-focus | | | | the better your concentration and thus, |
| mindset. | | | | performance! |
| | | | |