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How we mentally instruct ourselves can either hurt or help our game. Where
applicable, making a simple adjustment in our self-talk strategy will improve
our performance.
Before suggesting the strategy change, I'd like you to say two things to
yourself. First, say to yourself "Don't think of a dog.". Second, say "Don't
think of the Eiffel Tower.". What happened? Right, first you thought of
(imagined) a dog and then you imagined the Eiffel Tower. Why? Because, in order
to understand a negative instruction, our brain must create and attend to an
image of that which we are telling it not to do.
In addition to golf, I watch a lot of professional boxing. Every time a
manager/trainer says to a fighter "Don't lay on the ropes.", sure enough the
fighter will lay on the ropes. Why? Because, the fighter's mental attention is
drawn to laying on the ropes. And, attention to this image guides the fighter's
actions.
Think about the implications regarding our golf game when we say to
ourselves: "Don't think about the last bad shot", "I've got to get rid of
the yips.", and "Keep out of the rough.". Our mind would attend to
the bad shot, the yips and the rough and our body will follow. Instead, the
prescription is to frame our desired actions and goals positively; "Focus
on this being a great shot.", "Be calm and relaxed.", and "Target
the middle of the fairway.". Now, our self-instructions create images
that prompt actions that are consistent with our desired outcome.
In a sense, the prescription for self-instruction is to use the same strategy
that we use when ordering a meal in a restaurant. Rather than telling the server
all the things on the menu that we don't want, we use a positively framed
strategy and request what we do want. Let's do the same on the golf course and
use a positively framed mental strategy. By mentally ordering what we do want,
we are more apt to achieve our desired outcomes and improve our golf game
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