My main problem in golf isn’t my grip, my clubs or my swing. No, it’s my concentration. The slightest thing will distract me. A leaf blows by; a plane flies over; someone near me breathes!
When I relayed this information to young professional Tom Reid – who you may know as the 2010 Trilby Tour champion – he had some interesting things to say. “It’s strange because in the early 1990s mental game advice wasn’t spoken of. There was an element of embarrassment if a player had to see a ‘golf shrink’ to enhance their performance,” explains the 25-year-old from Twickenham.
“But in the current game players are forthcoming in thanking their golf phychologist in acceptance speeches and interviews. Graeme McDowell paid tribute to Dr Karl Morris on the 18th green at Pebble Beach when he won the US Open last year. “And Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has the famous red dot on his glove which he uses as a mental 'on/off' button for his concentration – a very simple mental game tip that enabled a talented player to reach his full potential at golf’s biggest event.”
I stood over my second shot at Fulwell Golf Club’s opening hole. And with 120-yards to go, I pulled my wedge from the bag. I looked at the shot in front of me. Moments previous, Reid had pitched his ball to within five-feet of the pin
“The player I’ve learnt the most from mentally is, of course, Tiger Woods,” he told me. “The way he focuses under extreme pressure is uncanny. “When Tiger stands over a shot preparing to swing and stares at the target, there’s a cool and calculated look in his eyes. You can tell he’s visualising the ball flying towards the target.
“He does this by feeling the shot, hearing the shot and finally seeing the shot. If you rehearse the moment, your body is more able to create the shot when the brain is sending it the correct messages.” I did as I was told. I stood behind my ball; I pictured a smooth swing; a nice connection and the ball finding the green. It worked... and some. As we strolled up to survey our respective birdie putts, I asked Reid what he’d tell my readers to do to help focus.
“Next time you are out on the course, take a moment to stand behind the ball and really imagine the perfect shot,” he revealed. “See the ball leave the face, see its flight and then how it reacts when it lands. “Allow yourself to hear that perfect strike and how it feels. This will allow you to let go of inhibitions, employ a natural flowing swing and hit accurate shots.”
The importance of controlling your heart rate through breathing has been practised for hundreds of years through deep meditation. Tiger has practiced this since he was a child. Tom says he has studied what Tiger does.
“When under a pressure situation he simply reverts to calmer, deeper breathing. This controls his nerves and enables his body to relax and hit quality shots. It’s almost like he’s in a trance or more what’s better known now as the ‘zone’. “I have practised all these skills and it has enabled me to perform at higher level.”
Tom’s advice certainly helped me so hopefully it will help other golf players.
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