SAVOR the Good Shots

“You can turn your brain into Velcro for the good and Tephlon for the bad”  Rick Hanson, PhD

The brain is shaped by what you pay attention to (Neuroplasticity).  Focus on the double bogey, and the brain stores that memory.  Focus on the perfect 6 iron to 3 feet from the hole, and the brain stores that also.

Here’s the catch. . . it’s a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative.  In other words, you need to have 5 good shots/or positive memories to equal 1 bad shot/negative memory.  Yikes!

When you hit a good shot:
 SAVOR IT!  Remember Everything!  
-What did the shot feel like? Look like?  Sound like?
-Were you confident before you started your swing?
-What was your pre shot self talk like?
-How was your tempo? Fast or slow?
-What was your tension level like?
-How committed to your club selection were you?
-How well did you see the shot before you began the swing?
Store all of this great information for future golf shots.

In the rare occurrence that you don’t hit it perfectly:
–Stay Neutral (For example, the shot was hit solidly but it was right of my intended target.  “I must have been aimed to the right” or  “I felt my hands tighten and I rushed my downswing”. . . etc.)
-Hit the “Mental Delete” Button (simply forget everything possible about the shot and move on)

Every shot is an opportunity to contribute to your neuroplasticity ratio.  Pay attention to the positive and neutralize the bad ones. . . it will pay off in the long run.

Dodie Mazzuca is the Director of Instruction at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ (Nov.-April).  She also teaches golf in Santa Cruz, CA (May-October).