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MENTAL SKILLS FOR GOLF

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Technical mental skills (using your brain during skill acquisition) ... Example: Despite playing partner being Tiger Woods, can focus on own game. Keeps In Control ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: MENTAL SKILLS FOR GOLF


1
MENTAL SKILLS FOR GOLF
Presentation by Sean McCann, Ph.D. USOC
Sport Psychology
2
What DO You Need? Distinguishing mental skills
  • Technical mental skills (using your brain during
    skill acquisition)
  • Including (imagery, concentration, thought
    control)
  • Competitive skills
  • The skills that help separate winners from losers
  • This presentation will discuss a model of these
    skills
  • (Offensive Defensive Mental Skills)

3
A Model Of Necessary Mental Skills Good
Offense, Good Defense
4
Role Of Offensive And Defensive Skills
  • Offensive Skills
  • Allows an athlete to DOMINATE
  • Attacking, aggressive approach
  • Put YOUR imprint on the event
  • Essential For Greatness
  • Defensive Skills
  • Allows an athlete to be RESILIENT
  • Always under control
  • Adaptable to any situation
  • Essential for Consistency
  • OLYMPIC SUCCESS
  • Requires BOTH

5
OFFENSIVEMENTAL SKILLS
  • Do They Have The focus of a PREDATOR?
  • (Luc Longleys One Word Description Of Teammate
    Michael Jordan.)

6
OFFENSIVE MENTAL SKILLS INCLUDE
  • Desire to dominate
  • Drive To Set and Achieve Goals
  • Ability to Visualize Success
  • Confidence
  • Develops Effective Competition plans
  • Willing and Able To Commit
  • Comfortable With Risk

7
Desire To Dominate
  • Intrinsic Extrinsic Motivation
  • (I want to win with a World Record)
  • Dominate The Situation- Navy Seals
  • Genuine Push For Personal Best

8
Drive To Set Achieve Goals
  • Athlete Sets Goals Without You Asking
  • Athlete Sets Challenging But Realistic Goals
  • Bobby Knight The will to win is less important
    than the will to prepare to win
  • Example Has asked coaches for feedback on
    weaknesses, as well as extra work over winter to
    work to strengthen the weaknesses.

9
Ability To Visualize Success
  • Dreams Big
  • Looks To Emulate Champions
  • Doesnt Always Need Evidence, Can Take Leap Of
    Faith
  • Example Compares herself with NCAAs best, not
    her other College Teammates, even though she was
    only 2nd or 3rd best on her team as a freshman.

10
Confidence
  • Athlete Actively Works On Confidence
  • Optimistic World View
  • Solution Oriented
  • Can Look Arrogant When Young Unproven
  • Example Not afraid of great golfers. (Moneyball
    quote)

11
Develops Effective Competition Plans
  • Athlete Analyzes Data
  • Takes Control Of Competition Day
  • Athlete Anticipates Challenges
  • Example Has a detailed plan for what works well
    at tournament. Will work hard to maintain that
    plan.

12
Willing Able To Commit
  • Once A Plan Is Made Action Mode
  • Able To Shut Down Brain When Useful
  • Willing To Give A Plan Time It Needs
  • Example After an analysis of 03 season, decides
    to re-make swing, even though early season
    results in 04 likely to go down.

13
Comfortable With Risk
  • Athlete understands that staying aggressive is
    usually the smart play.
  • Athlete doesnt compete differently when in lead.
  • Doesnt calculate cost of mistake, instead
    focuses on performing cleanly.
  • Example Once the shot has been decided upon, no
    hesitation, no caution thoughts in backswing.

14
Offense Wins Games,Defense Wins Championships
When It REALLY Matters, Everything Gets Tougher,
At Big Competitions, Things Are Rarely Easy
15
Defensive Mental Skills- The Key To Winning The
Big One?
16
Key Word For DefensiveMental Skills
  • RESILIENCE

17
Defensive Mental Skills
  • Can control emotions
  • Can regulate energy levels
  • Can recover from bad performance
  • Can stay focused amidst chaos
  • Flexible when schedule or conditions change
    quickly
  • Doesnt lose control of thoughts under greatest
    pressure

18
Controlling Emotions
  • Has learned how to channel strong emotions
  • When faced with reality of Olympic Medal chance,
    does not get overexcited
  • Can respond to bad start without panic or
    frustration
  • Example A bogey on first hole of tournament
    doesnt lead to athlete taking dumb risk on
    second hole.

19
Regulating Energy Levels
  • Knows how to control over-arousal
  • Actively works on anxiety management exercises
  • Can bring Heart Rate, Muscle Tension, and
    Breathing under control in a minute or less
  • Can bring up intensity when needed (like at
    smaller competitions, or at the end of practice)
  • Example Athlete takes the extra time to breathe,
    which leads to patience, and better control of
    putter.

20
Recovery From Bad Performance
  • Fairly Slump Resistant
  • Competes The Same After A Win Or A Loss
  • Takes information from bad result, but never
    loses hope
  • Doesnt Try Too Hard After an error
  • Example Bad experience at last qualifying
    tournament doesnt lead to over-careful
    approach to this current tournament.

21
Flexible
  • Although plans are followed when appropriate,
    they are not rigid.
  • Can adapt to changes in time schedule.
  • Is willing to try something new, even at biggest
    match.
  • Example Can handle television time changes,
    weather delays, and media meetings that accompany
    the Majors.

22
Focused In Chaos
  • Sticks to program, even as rest of team is
    frantic
  • Keeps thoughts simple and effective, doesnt
    overthink
  • Can effectively manage friends and family at
    competition
  • Doesnt get caught up in team discord
  • Example Despite playing partner being Tiger
    Woods, can focus on own game.

23
Keeps In Control
  • Keeps thoughts very simple at competition
  • Doesnt panic at competition
  • Pressure doesnt change thinking, just increases
    effort to keep to plan
  • Example When leading after third round, with a
    night to think about it, athlete doesnt melt
    down. Keeps thoughts on process, not on result.

24
OFFENSE/DEFENSE- WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
  • Great Offense/ Poor Defense- Brilliant, but only
    every once in a while. Can disappear off the
    front page of results, then pop into the top 5.
  • Great Defense/Poor Offense- Consistent, but
    still, you get the sense they could be much
    better. Sometimes wonder if their main goal is
    simply making the tour. Get the sense they
    arent Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.

25
Can You Change These?(Well Either They Have It,
Or They Dont)
  • What Options Do You Really Have?
  • Do you stop trying to change basic technical
    mistakes?
  • Why would you stop trying to change mental
    mistakes?
  • How Long Does It Take To Change Technique?
  • If both coach and athlete agree, you can give
    feedback, and make modifications to a mental
    approach, just as you would a technical approach.

26
Thank You!
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