Stay in the Present
From Focused for Golf by Wayne Glad,
Chip Beck
The shot that you have at hand is the
only shot that can affect your score, your round, or how you finish in a
tournament. Neither the shot you have just completed nor the next shot deserves
your focus. Only the present shot needs your focus. From when you first
approach your ball until the swing has been completed, the ball has landed and
stopped rolling, and you have reviewed the shot (and either stored it because
you liked it or dismissed it because you didn’t), you are in the present. We
could call this period from approach through review “on” time (as opposed to
“off” time, which is the rest of your time on the course, including walking
between shots). When you’re “on,” you want to be focusing on the current shot
and no other. During off time between shots it’s fine to focus on a previous
shot that you hit well, other thoughts or images that are positive, or even
nongolf-related issues or activities, particularly ones that conserve your
energy and help keep you upbeat. But during your “on” time of the current shot,
all thoughts other than those involving the shot are in a sense negative
thoughts, because they break in and disrupt your pre-shot routine or shot
mechanics.
Again, it’s essential to stay in the present only during your “on” time versus
your “off” time, when you may wish to let down your focus in order to conserve
energy. But once you begin your approach, you’re “on” again, and from this
point you focus only on the shot at hand. Practicing this kind of concentration
will protect you from the disease of indecision, the contamination of negative
or worrisome thoughts, the cold chill of anticipatory anxiety for potential
trouble ahead, and the huge cost of a loss of focus.
Check out "Keeping Cool" and "Expose Yourself to Competetive Situations"
from Focused for Golf
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