- Denmeister wrote:
- I have been through three months of hell with my golf game. Shooting in high 90s and high 100s. Tee off ob. Iron shots shank or pull, chips topped or duff. Putts short or too strong.
Now I am peaking. Shooting low 80s and winning my bets. Then one fine day, with my confidence sky high, I played bad and lost big! there goes my 6 consecutive winning steak. How the hell can I shoot 99? ? ?
Then I saw this one liner.... Losing teaches us humility.
I realized that I became cocky and was close to be arrogant. I needed that loss as a wake up call to find my place.
I don't know whether I am making sense, but just wanted to share this with all.
With respect, a counterpoint is offered below.
Fact: The golf ball is not affected by whether the golfer is arrogant or humble.
Fact: The golf ball is affected by the laws of physics, Newton's 3 laws, D-plane, etc.
Fact: The ability to execute a complex motion such as the golf swing is dependent on the player's subconscious mind. The conscious mind cannot control all the muscles that need to fire within that fraction of a second.
Fact: The subconscious mind is affected by the conscious mind. When there is danger, the conscious mind will want to take over, and in doing so, totally mess up the ability of the subconscious mind to do its job properly.
So, when a putt has a lot on the line, we tend to putt it short. Because the conscious mind jumped in as the putt is made and yelled, "CAREFULL! DANGER!" and we pull back the strength of the stroke.
That's also why when a golfer has to carry a shot over water, if he pays too much attention to the water ("Whatever you do, don't hit it into the water!"), he is almost guaranteed to hit it... you guessed it... into the water.
Ergo, respectfully, being overly humble (to the point where the subconscious mind actually believes it) has no place in golf.
Humble in the press conference after the victory being interviewed by the press, or when you are taking your flight-mate's money at the end of the round, sure. That's good PR.
But stepping up to a shot or a putt, with whatever amount riding on the line, the moment there's a slightest bit of doubt, that golfer is lost. The subconscious mind cannot draw the distinction between humility and self-doubt.
A golfer who is anything other than cocksure of himself cannot pull of the crucial shot under stress when it matters most.
(Sidenote, JJ is a good golfer, yes? Would you say he strikes you as humble, or confident?)
That is not to say throw course management to the wind and go for every par 5 in 2. The conscious mind still has a job to do - evaluate the risk and reward and pick a club and a shot.
After that, the conscious mind should step back, mutter soothing words to the subconscious, "Come on big guy, you can do it, you've hit this shot thousands of times at the range, this is no different..." etc, and let the subconscious take over.
Here's an example of how to program one's mind to improve one's game.
http://www.fearlessgolf.com/professional_testimonials.php
"I feel confident. My putting feels very free and very confident, and that's a beautiful place to be. You can make putts from there! I am putting much better, and my mental capabilities are only getting better and better."
- 8 time PGA Tour Winner, Stuart Appleby, a week after working with Dr. Valiante
You won't hear words like "humble", or "know my place" in those testimonials of how using sport psychologists helped the players. Instead, you'll hear words like "confident", "comfortable", "fearless".
The next time a flightmate is crumbling in the round, pay attention to the dialogue he is having with himself.
"What are you doing?!?"
"That was a lousy putt!"
"OB again! Dammit!"
"I knew it! Left it short again!"
"I suck!"
His conscious mind is beating up his subconscious mind pretty badly. And it is rare that his game will improve in the round as it continues. This usually goes on for a while as he blows hole after hole
Then... he gets so tired from all that self-beating that he mentally gives up and stops the self-abuse.
And almost magically, hits a beautiful tee shot at the next hole.
Why? Because when the conscious mind got tired of dishing out the abuse and stopped, the subconscious was allowed to relax and do its job without interference.
So, whether others find it cocky or arrogant or whatever, it is better to be confident than to be humble. At least, and most importantly, internally, in our mind.
And if we back up that confidence with substance, ie. sufficient study and understanding and practice of one's swing, to the point where we can catch the problem when the swing starts to go wrong and correct it at the very next swing, the confidence becomes reinforced with steel and concrete in the subconscious. Otherwise, after continuously hitting bad shots, the subconscious will not believe anymore.
So, while the golf ball is not affected by whether the golfer is arrogant or humble, a confident golfer, perhaps perceived as arrogant by some, stands a better chance of hitting a good shot.
Subject: Re: Lost - Golf Mojo 
Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:52 am
