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____________________________________________ “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” Kahlil Gibran ____________________________________________ Introduction “Channeled and purposeful emotion transforms ordinary into exceptional, replacing a purely intellectual and thought-driven process with one where we believe – we really begin to feel – that our crowning achievements have already arrived.” – Spirit of Golf’s “Thoughts of the Day” It has often been said that golf is a mental game, but I don’t “think” that is accurate or true. I “feel,” instead, that golf is an emotional game; one in which performance is ultimately powered - or disempowered – because of inner qualities surrounding emotion, attitude, temperament, and mood. Indeed, our ability to focus, process, analyze, and make sound decisions – what I think of more as mental qualities – is decidedly hampered whenever we are in the midst of an unhappy or even volatile emotional space (remember, for example, the last time you were in the throes of a heated argument with yourself or someone else and the quality of the thoughts you were thinking). It is not until we regain our emotional composure that we are able to start thinking clearly once again, at which time we align with a more precise internal energy that allows us to tap into empowering states of clarity and calm. It is my firm belief that It is my firm belief that emotional mastery – the emotional mastery will hallmark of what is shared become the next frontier for through Spirit of Golf – will improvement in golf. Swing become the next frontier for instruction has never been better, equipment more improvement in the game. technologically advanced, bodies more fit. And yet, Swing instruction has never there seems to be been better, equipment more something seriously technologically advanced, missing from our bodies more fit. games, requiring us to look inside ourselves if we And yet, there seems to be are seriously committed to something seriously missing improving our games and our lives. from our games, requiring us to look more deeply inside ourselves if we are committed to improving performance; not just in golf but in every aspect of our lives. Spirit of Golf Skills and Drills Peak Performance Techniques for the Athletic Mind Tim N. Kremer, M.A. President and Founder, Spirit of Golf Table of Contents Front Nine 1. Why Do I (Really) Play Golf? 2. The Illusion of Control 3. Believing is Seeing: Learning to Tap into ‘The Flow’ 4. The Pre-Shot Routine 5. The Post-Shot Routine 6. The Emotional Scale 7. Language, Self-Talk, and the Incredible Power of Words 8. The Breath 9. Meditation Back Nine 10. Tapping into “The Zone” 11. The Goal Setting Process 12. The Manifestation Process 13. Action vs. Imagination 14. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Feel No Evil 15. Keeping Emotional Score 16. Act (Feel) As If 17. As Seen on TV 18. Telling a New Story 2 The Illusion of Control “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” - 20th century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr It is paradoxical not only in golf but in our everyday lives how much emotional energy we waste by getting upset trying to control conditions that were never within our control. Traffic, the weather, what gets reported in the news, caring what others think about us and our performance and score; thinking that we can control any of these conditions becomes an exercise in frustration and futility, not to mention a severe emotional energy leak. In golf, it would be safe to say that some 99% of all negative emotion surrounds our attachment to conditions that are totally outside our control: course conditions, score, winning, the competition, how our bodies move during every swing, ultimately where a golf ball goes (other than maybe a six-inch putt). While we can still get by and play adequate and at times great golf in spite of a moody disposition, we will never be able to optimize performance for very long with an attitude that is ornery and behavior that is out of control. In truth, most of us have no idea how much powerful life-force energy we waste during a typical round of golf. Time and again we complain and beat up on ourselves in highly unconscious and addictive ways, overlooking the reservoir of power that we always have available to us that would enhance every aspect of our games and lives. _________________________________________________ The $100 game … Imagine that you were given a $100 bill before a round of golf. You get to keep whatever money is in your pocket after the round is through, but there are a few “fees” for some emotions and behaviors along the way. Here is a price list for what things cost: A strong, angry reaction - $15 (add $5 for slamming or tossing a club) Steaming on the inside and thinking that by not saying anything you’re off the hook - $10 Berating yourself (silently or out loud) or bad mouthing someone else - $10 Complaining about course conditions, slow play, or club politics - $5 Making any excuse - $5 Analyzing a shot in hopes that someone will commiserate with you or that anyone else really cares - $5 Ask yourself, “How much money would I have left over after my round?” If the answer is $0, at what point during the round would I have run out? (The joke with this game is that most of our pockets would be empty by the end of the third or fourth hole.) __________________________________________ The Practice Step 1: Make a list of four things you want to accomplish in your game the next time you play. For example, “The next time I play golf, I want to: Break 80 Hit at least 10 fairways in regulation Have no more than two three-putts Have more fun Now it’s your turn. The next time I play golf, I want to: 1. _____________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________ 4 The Pre-Shot Routine “Each of us could make it a part of our games to ‘front load’ powerfully-focused emotions into the pre-shot routine. Otherwise, we leave the door wide open to old emotional patterns that often include impulsive and habitual reactions filled with judgment, criticism, anger, and blame. The decision to remain centered and calm has to happen long before we hit the ball, however, in much the same way as we keep the gasoline far removed from an open flame.” - Spirit of Golf’s Thoughts of the Day What I have discovered over my years as a peak performance coach is that most golfers have a very repeatable pre-shot routine. It might not be a great routine, a good one, or even one that looks like a routine, but it still repeats itself time and again. What I’ve also found with most pre-shot routines is that they match a player’s abilities and goals. Lower handicap golfers often have more focused and deliberate routines, whereas higher handicap players become a little less disciplined (they become consistently inconsistent) with the mental and physical preparation that goes into their routines. Seldom do we What I have yet to find however – even among the best players in the game – is a consider the mindful and deliberate attempt to “front- powerful effect load” positive states of emotion into the pre-shot routine. Instead, emotions are that the unseen conditional and often left to circumstance and chance, resulting in happy feelings world of emotion when we are playing well and not-so-happy has upon feelings when shots are errant and out of control. performance The bottom line is that most who struggle and success. with anger, frustration, anxiety, and other negative emotions have not been coached or taught how to effectively deal with emotions relative to their games. Seldom do we consider the powerful effect that the unseen world of emotion has upon performance and success. What we also fail to understand is that all negative emotion – which is truly nothing more than a state of mind – could be diffused or avoided long before the energy gains too much momentum and steam. By learning to retrain the body/mind to “feel” states of emotion – especially emotions unrelated to golf – we can bring these high flying “un-conditional” emotional states into our games. Hence, the value of a solid pre-shot routine. The Final (and most compelling) Step: Front-Loading Positive Emotions into the Pre-Shot Routine The most compelling step in what is about to become “My New and Improved Pre-Shot Routine” begins as we deliberately front-load positive, feel- The goal is to good emotions into every shot. This process eventually learn to effectively becomes the single-most important part of the pre-shot routine! separate emotion The purpose of “front-loading” emotions is to from performance, consciously (not accidentally) create a highly powerful, Zone-like state of mind. In effect, we at which time we use “emotional imagination” to feel as if something feel positive good is about to unfold; at which time the tangible, physical proof of the shot begins to arrive. (A emotions so concept that cannot be emphasized enough.) powerfully that no It often helps in the early stages of this emotional work to practice feeling emotions in a calm, neutral shot can throw us or setting away from the golf course (what I like to call our games off track. away from the scene of the crime).

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