What is the Mental Game???

Golfers often talk about the mental aspect of the game but really what is the mental game. I used to ask the same question but clarity, adoption and practice have helped me understand and put it in use for some golfers.

My mentor Nick Middleton had urged me to try a system simply known as HearthMath. It was purported used by Annika for the longest time and was also used by the European Ryder Cup Team when they outgun the US team.

To cut a long story short, it is a system than helps put the heart and brain in synch and therefore allowing the body to perform its job in a single high coherent state. In sports we call this being in the Zone.

So what happens when you are out of synch?

When the brain and heart are not in synch, the person’s nervous system becomes chaotic; he or she becomes frustrated, anxious or angry. It’s like driving a car with a foot on gas pedal and the other on the brake. There is no coherent and only doubtful, negative and frustrated thoughts will be realized, therefore creating what we call….when you think about it, it happens.

The worst thing one can do is blocking out those thoughts because without proper technique, it will not stop but gain power and repeat itself more often.

There are techniques to help different people at different age group deal with this problem. Depending on the person’s emotional level there are differently technique to deal with this.

What do you feel when you are in high coherent?

You will feel no stress and will be able to overcome negative emotions and thoughts. Most people will feel better in a very short time; they will recover from bad experiences quicker, think clearer and get along with others.

When your heart and brain are in Synch, you will perform at your best, – meaning you will feel confident, positive, focus and calm yet energize.

However everyone has a different focusing abilities and the better the golfer, the faster he or she gets in the Zone. The key thing is to understand how long a golfer can stay in the Zone so that he or she can work out how to get in and out of the Zone in a manner that will work for them.

We use a heart rate analyzer, which is clipped to the person’s ear and is able to monitor his or her coherent state in real time. By creating distractions we can also better understand how much and how long they are affected. This allow the golfer to better understand themselves and devise a “get in and out of the Zone” timeframe. When practiced often they become “master of their own destiny” instead of blaming others for failure.

here's some photos of Nontaya Sriswang (Net) who plays on the European Ladies Tour.

Making her understand her emotional state



Using Heart Focus, Heart Breathing and Heart Care Technique





Testing the learning on the green



Hope this helps. for those who want to know more, please feel free to come by BFG BM.

Have a great week ahead.

DGman

hey just wanted to say thanks for writing that so true! how does a consultation go?

Thanks for your reply Clau,

i have absolutely no idea as i do not charge for mentoring the players that come to see me so far. but i have been known to take percentages of winning (in a thread), accepting food and getting tour equipment for free....haha

they are not your average golfers but players who show great potential or are near the top of their game.

but you are welcomed to come and have a chat and try out how this may work for you. even if its not about golf, you will find out ways to relieve stress and calm yourself in everyday living.

in the case of competent golfers in a low coherent state - the tell tale signs are...giving up on a hole, trying to achieve the impossible, showing impatience, frustration often result in throwing clubs or swearing, finding excuses or blaming technique and equipment...sounds familiar right?

if you have a friend who is really in this state, seek help fast before the game kills him or her.

DGman

Normally when my kakis are in the state like what DGman mentioned, I confirm plus chop will tell them and make sure they keep playing with me.

Anyway, thks for te refresher DGman, putting eas much better. Missed putts were due to wring line reading rather than the putting stroke.

Eric

The yips are now showing up even from the left! HEEEELP

Thanks Eric,

For another great topic on mental. I still remember when I have a mental blocked toward the end of last year. My coach spend hour with me just talking about this topic when I am back in Singapore.

The best of all, was the book that I brought from you "Zen golf mastering the mental game". I think I did ever mention about this book in one of my post. All I can say, it works and I have reading this book over and over again for almost 3 times now.

As far as I am concern. My mental stage in golf is so much better and in control.. in result playing much better. I hope you still have stock in bf if anyone wished to purchase it.

Now, is heart and brain in synch. I am looking forward to talk to you once I am able to return to Sin.

Interesting stuff Eric.
Love this forum, learn new things every day. Will have to come see you and discuss this further. I have some candidates including myself that would benefit from this

pushslice wrote:

Eric

The yips are now showing up even from the left! HEEEELP

Panji....this was predicted by Nick when he saw you the first time. Use the Zen-i more often and we do need to work on the grips to reduce the conflict in your hand eye coordination.

Paul - would love to share a bit more of this so that you can see how it will work for you and your students.

DGman

pushslice wrote:

Eric

The yips are now showing up even from the left! HEEEELP

you must be watching too much Yip Man movie......haha !!

I just played at Serapong last week on a corporate golf game. The green speed was 11. Everybody relatively had difficulties with speed and breaks, but I also struggled mightily on short putts. I had 7 3 putts for a total of 42.

My full shots were pretty good, I felt great on the tee and on the fairways. Yet when I face the short putts, my mindset was of fear. Fear missing the putt and not getting the par, and this was a game with really no $ stakes. I did not feel positive, energized or confident on the greens at all.

I was also playing with a 7 handicapper, he told me I was pulling my putts a lot.

Before Serapong, I did try the RH putter with the new grip style at Keppel and Battam. Worked well on long putts, but short putts I missed even more. Senmin, Wilkang and Snowman witnessed my struggles with the short putts.

Now laying off golf and lunch during the day, so I will go to den at least once a week at lunch time to roll balls on the greens. I will beat the YIP!

Bro, let me know which day u are going, I go join u...keke

Bro PS... now u see the things that betting helps to train??? Hehehe.. concentration..... at crucial putts, no time to think about other things except making the putt. Imagine, miss the putt.. die... individual down $40. Vegas kana reverse X 2 and your partner make a double bogey.....

On the other hand, control breathing also helps. I remember during the days of competitive snooker. We were ask to run round the stadium, and then back to the table to practise. The shaky legs plus the breath catching... how to cue straight???? But with control breathing, all we could think of is to tell ourselves about breathing in and out slowly, hence the thoughts of the shaky legs will be forgotten.

Panji will be taught the magic words.

william OOOONNNNNNGGGGGG for his short putt.

Duffy.....the man is in dire straits and you want him to bet...but looking on the bright side, if you solve his problem you can write a book liao.

How to beat the odds...The Water Fish Method.

DGman wrote:

Panji will be taught the magic words.

william OOOONNNNNNGGGGGG for his short putt.

Duffy.....the man is in dire straits and you want him to bet...but looking on the bright side, if you solve his problem you can write a book liao.

How to beat the odds...The Water Fish Method.

Hahahha... not asking him to bet now... but if he really wants to feel positive, he should go take a ferry to batam with those die hards... I tell you.. those gamblers are the most positive people you can find per square meter.

Anyway, the William Onnnnnnnnnnnnggggg works on long lagging putt too.

looks like the Zen ZAC is in her bag for the rest of the season.

Interview on Thai TV

DGman

Eric, looking at the photos i'm wondering whether your breathing techniques have contributed to your lush full head of hair......if it did, i shall be making an appointment soon enough...

Francis, we do have techniques to help you lose hair. this include the legendary storeroom treatment and volunteers are abound.

DGman

i have no problems losing hair...i'm looking to increase hair.....so that when i wake up every morning, my pillow doesn't look like the floor of supercuts..