Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Erin Macy and Tiffany Wilding-White both earned masters degrees in exercise and sport science, with an emphasis in sport psychology, at Ithaca College. Erin has been a college instructor of mental training for athletes, and Tiffany, a former national gymnastics champion, has worked as a sport psychology consultant for numerous school teams, private sports academies, as well as amateur and professional athletes.

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GOLFING YOUR WITH EYES CLOSED

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Contents

Chapter One

Your Ace in the Hole

Michael is an amateur golfer whose mind often gets the better of him in the game. He has had a difficult summer on the course, losing to his rivals nearly every round. Often, it takes just one mistake to break his rhythm, leading to more mental errors and missed shots. Michael knows the value of visualization and has tried off and on to implement it in his game. As an important tournament approaches, he begins to practice it more consistently, seeing each stroke in his mind's eye before he makes it. At home, off the course, he pictures himself at the tournament and in a variety of situations on each hole.

The day of the tournament arrives, and Michael is feeling confident, believing in his ability to be near the top of the leaderboard. He arrives at the course at his usual forty-five minutes ahead of time and runs through his warm-up routine. Ready but anxious, Michael steps into the first tee box, going through the motions he has practiced so many times. He drives through the ball. It carries over a small ridge and comes to rest on the fairway. He's off to a great start! His approach shot lands him on the green within range for a sinkable putt, and he is feeling good. He lines up for an easy putt and blows it five feet past the hole. Frustrated, Michael uses an extra minute to collect himself, taking the time to go through his visualization routine and even seeing his name on the leaderboard. He addresses the ball for his second putt, repeating his mental mantra to himself. Body balanced, he gently strikes the ball. He hears the ball hit the bottom of the cup, and his confidence returns.

TEEING OFF

In your own golf game, you've probably felt the frustration of blowing an easy putt and wondered, "How could I have missed that?" Logic tells you that your lineup was accurate, your read of the green was right on, and your stroke was smooth. But reality shows that something went awry. Most likely, it was your mental composure. Like Michael in the previous example, you may have rushed a little instead of slowly taking each step in your pre-shot routine. By learning to visualize, you increase the likelihood of making more shots more regularly, because you become sharply focused on the exact actions required to consistently hit your target.

This first chapter introduces you to the basics of visualization and gets you started on a plan of action. The theories, examples, and exercises here help you:

-> understand the different forms of visualization

-> practice both external and internal imagery at appropriate times

-> focus on the positive images and block out negative pictures

-> keep in mind the theories that govern visualization's power over your game

-> replace thinking with visualization on the course

-> integrate the elements that make images come to life

You may want to consider the exercises that follow in this chapter to be as important as your pregame preparations. You wouldn't play golf without first taking out your clubs, tying your golf shoes, and putting on your glove. This chapter, like those rituals, is both basic and essential to playing your best.

IMAGERY'S INNER WORKINGS

In the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played, two different styles of visualization are portrayed. Harry Vardon brilliantly erases every distraction surrounding him—the crowd, the noise, and even the trees lining the fairway. He wipes these images out and sees only his target. Francis Ouimet, on the other hand, creates a picture of the hole being extremely large by making his mind zoom in and fixing his aim on this one point. Other players use different techniques. Jack Nicklaus talked about seeing the shot take form before he even addressed the ball, and Sam Snead compared visualization to painting a picture of the shot he planned to hit. Imagery comes in many forms, and this section should help you determine the most beneficial form for your golf game.

Forms of Visualization

Visualization can be external or internal. If you practice visualizing externally, you see yourself from an observer's view, as if watching a video of your performance. Visualizing internally, you see yourself executing a skill through your own eyes—what you actually see when performing. For example, a golfer visualizing herself teeing off from an external perspective sees her feet shoulder-width apart; arms, chest, and hands coming together to form a triangle; her head tilted at an angle; and her eyes focusing on the ball. From an internal perspective, however, she only sees the tee and the ball, the grass underfoot, her feet, and in her peripheral vision she may see the natural surroundings of the course.

Your answers to questions 3 and 4 of the Self-Assessment Scorecard show you how you visualize.

COACH'S CORNER

Try this exercise to help your players learn the power of imagery: Tie a weight to the end of a string six to twelve inches long. Have them hold the end of the string, close their eyes, and keep their hand and arm perfectly still. Ask them to visualize the string and weight swinging like a pendulum, back and forth, back and forth. Lead them through this for about one minute. When they open their eyes, the string will actually be swinging, convincing them of the strength of their mind-body connection. This should really wow them!

External visualization is used to assess how a stroke looks to an observer. It allows you to analyze your body positions, thereby enabling you to correct mistakes and refine your movements. On the other hand, internal imagery is used to assess how your swing feels. Repeatedly visualizing from your own perspective helps internalize the feeling of a stellar performance. Once you can see and feel your mistakes or fears, you can correct them by mentally rehearsing the right technique instead. Regularly creating images of the performance you hope to achieve equips you to execute under pressure.

Try it! Let's imagine the same scene from two different viewpoints. First, close your eyes and visualize externally: You stand on the green, alone, wearing a collared shirt and pants and carrying your putter. Other golfers watch you from the edge of the green. They are completely silent as you take your time examining the green and lining up your putt. You approach the ball, align your body, and take a practice swing. Take your normal stance and address the ball. Like a pendulum, your arms swing and you strike the ball. Watch the ball travel across the green and drop into the hole.

Now try visualizing this same scene from your own internal perspective.

Notice the differences. From an external perspective, you probably saw the other golfers, your putter in your hands, and the contours of the green. From the internal perspective, you probably saw the ball and felt the putter extending from your arms. Make a note whether one form was easier for you than the other.

Given this information, you may ask, "So which one should I use?" The answer is both! A combination of the two perspectives is optimal. Continuing with the preceding example, the golfer putting on the green needs to use external visualization to see her tempo and follow through. She also needs to...