Once you’re able to recognize your emotions pulling you into the past or future, you need to be able to change the script and allow your brain to sync up again, which will allow yourself to be present and for you to perform at a higher level.
Feel whatever emotion comes on as a reaction to a shot, name the emotion you are feeling, and then if it is a negative emotion, say “Pause” or “Cancel” and say a phrase that resonates with you (you will have to come up with this one on your own but make sure it’s positive!) Examples;
“I have everything I need to be able to do this”
“I make good decisions”
“I’ve practiced shots like this before”
Another option after naming the emotion is to buy yourself more time before you have to react: If you hit a shot and the negative self talk takes over before you can direct the narrative in the direction you want it to go- simply buy yourself more time by talking louder than your thoughts. Count. Continue on your way but count in your head, for as long as it takes. I have some players who said they couldn’t change the script after a shot and they just counted until the next shot. Other options with similar outcomes: Say the ABC’s, forward or backwards, Sing a catchy song in your head or recite your favorite poem.
If you hit a shot and feel a positive emotion, enjoy the feels and maintain the joy. If you hear the internal conversation start up- find a way to stay in the moment… listen to the birds, count the clouds, feel the breeze.
Have you noticed you play your best golf when you’re playing with other people? Do you get “distracted” between shots by great conversation and good times? Allow this to happen, as it keeps you present and keeps the internal monologue to a minimum. On the other hand, do you think you play your best golf when you are alone or with only a few certain people? If this is true for you, then you need to find ways to refocus and prepare for a shot while maintaining some sort of recognition of the other humans who you are with. You may have to allow yourself to have a positive internal conversation to distract yourself from whatever is going on around you.
There is no right or wrong here- we are all different and will need to practice the way that works best for us. These are not skills that we save for special occasions; just like our fundamentals, we need to consistently practice them and put them into action on the golf course when we are playing for fun so that we don’t change anything when we are in a tournament or feeling more pressure. Each time we put any of these skills into practice, our chances of repeating it in the future goes up.
Remember this: the best performers in the world don’t change a thing when the stakes are the highest. They rely on the things they have practiced and done time and time again. We just remember the shots because the stakes are higher.
Jon Doyle said in Baseball Training Secrets: “The first key is to NOT change a thing. Most hitters make the mistake of trying to do too much or something they simply cannot do. You hear the phrase ‘Step up” but the reality is the players that ‘step up’ simply do what they always do. They don’t change a thing. And since pressure (internal or external) destroys most guys (or girls!) and makes them play at a lower level than they usually do, if you can just do the things you always do, you’ll ‘step up’ without changing a thing!”