Matt Kuchar has one of the best mental games on the PGA Tour. I had the pleasure of walking inside the ropes with Matt during a practice round for the 2011 Canadian Open, and Matt shared his insights into the game, taking challenges in stride and reinforcing that life outside of golf is what’s really important. Anyone who doubts this belief needed only watch the post-round celebrations when Kuch was surrounded by a very happy family.

Kuchar is also a fierce competitor and chalked up his ability to deal with pressure to his upbringing and time spent at Georgia Tech, as detailed in his post-round interview. “I had a great upbringing with a father that pushed me, that challenged me, with a team at Georgia Tech that gave each other more grief than you can imagine,” Kuchar said. “You had to have thick skin, you had to be able to handle anything thrown your way.”

When asked about his smile and overall demeanor, Kuch said “It’s not meant to fool you; it is completely a natural reaction,” Kuchar said. “I love playing the game of golf. I have fun doing it. I am a golf junkie. I have to force myself to take vacations where I cannot play golf, where the clubs don’t make it.”

When asked about the strength of his mental game, Kuchar offered “Not a whole lot gets under my skin. I’m good about letting things just roll off and not affect me.” Amateurs and professionals alike can learn a lot from this statement. Sometimes shots don’t go as planned, but ultimately, there is more to life than golf, and your score does not define who you are as a person.

Go out there and have some fun, play with possibility accepting that bad shots will happen on occasion, and you you’ll find yourself playing better, Just like smiling Matt Kuchar!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dave Sheldon, host of Sportstalk Weekend on CKNW 980, and his fiancee, Janice, as part of the TPA Project. In this season-long program, Dave and Janice will be visiting the coaches at The Players’ Academy in North Vancouver to systematically transform their games through golf coaching, fitness coaching, and mental game coaching. Dave and Janice are fantastic people and great students; here is an excerpt from Dave’s recent blog post that shares three learning from their mental game sessions so far:

1)      We have been given a lot of information.  With that being said, just go hit the ball!  Over-thinking the shot will only frustrate you.  The remedy to over-thinking is to practice.  Get the repetition of what you are doing at the range down and bring it to the course.

2)      After each round, do the opposite of what you are doing now…and you know what I’m talking about.  Far too many times, I will walk by a player in the parking lot who has just finished his/her round.  I will ask how the round went, and I will get a heavy sigh, or the golfer lamenting his or her bad fortune on the golf course.  Take five minutes and celebrate what you did RIGHT on the golf course!  Reinforce the positive.  You have heard the expression ‘That shot will bring you back’.  I can tell you that each round you will have a dozen of those moments.  Celebrate the good in golf, remember, you are out there to have fun!

3)       Playing on the course is not practice.  I know you are going to hate to hear this, but even if you practice once a week, you will improve your game.  Too many golfers go and hit twenty balls at the range, then run out to the first tee, only to be frustrated by having a tough day on the course.  If you are going to spend on average $80 a day to golf, why not spend $10 bucks a week to hone that game in so you can better enjoy it.  I am not saying that it is a quick fix.  I am saying that taking away a good day of practice at the range and applying it to your golf game later in the week is a good recipe for having better success at the links.

Fantastic insight from Dave… I am looking forward to more wisdom as the season progresses!

If you are like most people, you probably took the opportunity to set some goals for 2012 right around the beginning of the year.  You may have been so passionate and confident in your plans, that you share New Year’s resolutions with friends and family. Fast forward a month; it’s now the end of January. Have you kept your resolutions? If not, you are not alone. According to a recent study of 1,000 Americans, 98% of all resolutions to change unwanted behaviour fail. Wow!

I’ve helped many clients set goals for golf (and life in general) using a unique process called S.E.T.T.I.N.G. Goals. Once a goal has been established, I help clients to flag limiting beliefs; statements and feelings that the client holds to be true that will limit his or her ability to achieve the goal.

Here is how you can flag your limiting beliefs:

1. Set a goal using the S.E.T.T.I.N.G Goals system
2. Grab a notebook and a pen
3. Read your goal and ask yourself “If I didn’t achieve my goal, why would that be?”
4. Listen to all the answers that flood your thoughts and write them down!

These answers are your limiting beliefs. Whether or not they are true is irrelevant; if you hold them to be true they will impact your performance and derail your plans for success.

As an example, a golfer might set the following goal”

“November 1, 2012. I now carry a 5 handicap or better in golf”

When flipped around with the question “if I didn’t achieve my goal, why would that be?” , the golfer might write down

• I am a terrible putter under pressure
• I don’t have enough time to practice
• I can’t hit consistently straight drives
• I am not flexible enough
• I never achieve my goals

Limiting beliefs are flagged by words that are personal (I can’t, I’m not, etc.) and permanent (always, never, etc.). If these beliefs aren’t changed or challenged, there is no way that the goal will be achieved.

Once your limiting beliefs are identified, it is time to share them with your golf coaches. Your trusted team of professionals can help separate fact from fiction and provide instruction, coaching, and motivation to destroy your limiting beliefs and replace them with new beliefs that support your goals!

“Golf has never been work for me. You don’t work golf. You play it!”

-Tom Kite

One of the recurring things that I hear players say is “I have trouble putting/driving/scoring, etc. under pressure.” I’ll challenge this statement every time I hear it. There is no pressure in golf. Period.

Charles Barkley, a fantastic basketball player with a notoriously funky golf swing, said it best when asked about pressure in basketball: “Pressure? There is no pressure in basketball. Pressure is something you put in tires.”

When players talk about being under pressure, they have lost sight of the process and the task of hitting a shot and are instead attaching meaning to the result or outcome. I just finished reading a series of comments on LinkedIn where a golfer was looking for tips on how to sink the “dreaded three foot putt.” A three foot putt is always just a three foot putt; it doesn’t matter if you are putting for double bogey, or to win your club championship, or to make the cut, or to win the Masters. The task is the same (sink a three foot putt) and your process must remain unchanged.

If you experience something that you label as “pressure” in golf, it’s most likely just your conscious mind creating results-based conversations inside your head. This internal dialogue is full of analysis about the impact of the shot at hand on your score/round/tournament. Statements like “I need a birdie on this hole to make up that last dropped shot” or “I have to par in to make the cut” make it nearly impossible for you to focus on the shot at hand, which is the only shot that matters.

If you want to banish the discussions of pressure from your golfing mind, you need to have a pre-shot routine that will quiet the chatter inside your head while at address. You also need a between-shot routine that gives your something to do between shots other than worry about past or future shots. If these are skills that you’d like to add to your bag, I’d highly recommend reading “Every Shot Must Have a Purpose” by Lynn and Pia from VISION54. You can also schedule an online consultation with me and we’ll depressurize your golf game.

Today’s golf blog is a tasty one.

Hopefully, you’re aware of the great health benefits of a day golfing. Not only does it promote a great mind set; relaxation, great scenery and good friends to lift your spirits, but physically you burn one heck of a lot of calories. If you ride around the course, you can expect to bun about 400 calories or more for 18 holes. If you carry your bag, you can burn up to 700 calories or more!

From a sports nutrition standpoint I have a few nuggets of info and a few ideas on how you can get the most from your body during every round. There are three things to consider when it comes to nutrition and golf. First there is pre-round, second is during play and the last, post-round.

It is imperative that you fuel up properly before a round. If you are able to have a good meal before hand, do so. Have a healthy breakfast or lunch; carbs, some protein and minimal fat. (Fat is digested slowly and takes some effort by your body.) If you can have a meal, do so about 2 hours before you get to the golf course. If you can’t have a meal and are pressed for time, try for a healthy but smaller meal an hour before tee time. This can consist of a Bagel with light cream cheese or (my favourite) PB&J, along with a piece of fruit like banana or apple and a big glass of water.

During a round of golf you’re burning energy. It’s important, not only for your body, but also mental clarity and focus that you stay fuelled for the whole round. Here are a few ideas and a big do not for during round nutrition. Take along water, or drink a cup ever couple holes to stay hydrated. Even if it’s cool out, you still need it. Every few holes, nosh on a handful or two of nuts, or trail mix. Making your own mix will help you avoid unnecessary sugars and fat. Visit http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,trail_mix,FF.html for some ideas. Note; cut down on the dried fruits and chocolate in the recipes. You’ll avoid a sugar crash later in the round if you do. Also, take along two or three pieces of fruit and have one every four or five holes.

At the turn here’s the big don’t. If haven’t eaten before the round or if you haven’t taken snacks with you, the loaded hot dog and beer will be very appealing. Here’s the problem; your body will have to use a lot of energy to digest the food. The consequence is you will be robbed of energy for the rest of the round. Your mental energy will wane and you’ll feel off of your game. Yes, I have tested the theory! Same result every time. I’m not sure why I tried it three times because it certainly didn’t help my handicap!

Finally, within the first half-hour of the round finishing, re-fuel properly. Again, the high fat food and a beer will be very appealing. So, do this first. Drink a glass of water and follow it with a sensible meal that is not heavy with fried or fatty food. After exercise is the absolute beat time for your body to replenish carbohydrate stores (energy) and to put protein into muscle. So, a burger and fries sounds good right? Sure, choose salmon or chicken (no bacon or cheese!) half the fries and add a salad or veggies.

Follow these guidelines and enjoy fun energy filled round of golf with a clear head and strong feeling body.

Please respond with feedback It is always appreciated.

Did you read the latest about Canada’s new physical activity guidelines? Apparently, Canadians are so out of shape our government has decided to make the guidelines easier!

So, instead of kids supposing to get 90 minutes of activity daily and adults 150 minutes per week, kids are now supposed to drop the 90 minutes to 60 and adults less than 20 minutes daily.

Seriously?! Hello?! What’s even more pathetic is the line in the study stating;

Behavioural scientists say higher targets disenfranchise those who need to improve the most. (perhaps if the guidelines were followed in the first place….)

The original targets were there for a reason. They weren’t set so people could not do them, whine about being out of shape and then whine further so they (guidelines) could be made easier!

Here’s the real news though. A CBC poll found 42% of adults get no (as in ZERO) vigorous exercise and over one-third of kids get less than two hours of exercise per week! What is even more bizarre is the reason for the modifications;

…another reason for moderating the guidelines is to help reach public health goals.

So, this helps how?

We (as in friends, parents, a community etc.) can lead by example. Can I have your commitment to get out there and do it? Turn off the T.V., the X-Box and the iPods’. Grab your friends, kids, partners and pets and commit to spending more time outside? Or, stay inside but get active. Want a home workout plan or need ideas? Send me a message!

Here’s how I see this going down. If we do less, the guidelines may become even looser. By the time our kids grow up (if they make it adulthood) we can have a whole country of fat, inactive and unhealthy people.

Well, that’s it for this golf blog; no golf, just a rant on how pathetic some and many of us have become. It’s a sad day for sure.

Let’s get this viral. Post a comment, add it to your FB page, post a rant on You Tube , tweet it, Myspace it and tell your friends.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/12/31/exercise-fitness-guidelines-canada-weighs-in.html?ref=rss#ixzz1A5zSBqW3

Have you ever set a resolution for the new year? How successful was the process? Most people set resolutions that are abstract or vague (I am going to eat healthy, I’ll exercise more, I will lose weight, etc.) and this makes it very challenging to keep your attention focused on your intention to change.

If you’d like 2011 to be different then past years, your first and only resolution should be to replace wishy-washy resolutions with an effective goal-setting system. When working with students, I use the “S.E.T.T.I.N.G.” system for writing effective goals. This system allows you to write clear goals that can be understood by others and verified for success. Each letter in “S.E.T.T.I.N.G.” represents a key point of the system:

Specific

The best goals are very specific. You should be able to have someone else read your goal and understand exactly what you want to accomplish

Evidence

How do you know that your goal has been accomplished? Your goal must be written so that you know without question when it has been achieved

Timed

Goals need to have a success date, the date that the goal will be achieved by. Use a specific date, month, and year when writing your goals.

Towards

The goal must be written using positive or “towards” language such as I am, I have, etc. Negative or “away from” words such as not, don’t, etc. are not powerful goal-setting words. If you find yourself using away from words, simply re-word your goal. If you find yourself writing “I will not make any bogies”, for example, you can use “I will play all holes in par or better.”

Important to you

Your goals are YOUR goals. While it may be tempting to let friends and family tell you what you should be doing, you need to have a genuine desire to achieve any goal that you take the time to create.

Now

The word “now” is very powerful in goal setting. It allows a future goal to be written as if it has already occurred. When you read a goal that has the word “now” in it, you are reaffirming that the goal is achievable and within your grasp.

Genuine

Your goals need to be written from a win-win perspective. You can’t control what others do and must not imply that your goal will be achieved through someone else’s failure.

Here is a sample goal that I have seen students write without knowing about the S.E.T.T.I.N.G. Goals system:

“I will drive the ball much better this year”

When we analyze this goal using our system we see that it doesn’t meet the following criteria:

1. Specific: what does “much better” mean? Farther? Straighter?
2. Evidence: how will you know when you are driving the ball much better? There are no targets to judge your performance against
3. Timed: when specifically “this year” do you want to achieve the goal?
4. Now: the word “now” is not included in the goal

Rewriting this goal using our system, the result might be:

“November 15, 2011. I now hit an average of 11 fairways per round”

or

“December 1, 2011. My average driving distance average is now 295 yards”

Both of these goals follow the S.E.T.T.I.N.G. Goals system and clearly outline a target for success.

Once you have written your goal, post it where you will see it every day. A great location is the bathroom mirror; you can read your goal while brushing your teeth!  Repetition of your goal reaffirms that it is important to you, and your unconscious mind will do what is necessary to make sure that you achieve your goals!

Note that goals can be short-term (within 3 months), medium term (within 1 year), or long-term (more than a year) and that you can have more than one goal at any given time.

There are some excellent creative visualization techniques that I use with clients to strengthen goals even further. Send me a message if you’d like to find out more about these techniques.

Play well and have fun in 2011!

Today’s Golf Blog is a quick one. In the fall 2010 edition of ScoreGolf Canadian Mile Weir answered this question from a reader;

“How often do you work out and what type of exercises do you think are good for golf?”

Mike answer is too long for a short golf blog but here are a few lines in which I am in total agreement. These are excerpts from the article.

“As I get older, my fitness level is more important than ever to stay competitive.”

“I have two different seasons when it comes to working out; the off-season and playing season. In the off-season, I work hard in the gym strengthening.”

“I do a great deal of core training and working on muscles that help with rotation- abs, back, hams, quads and more. I also pay a lot of attention to my flexibility which help with my mobility.”

The final excerpt is the one I like best and the one that I see really starting to take root with golfers.

“For amateurs out there, I think it’s vital – and I don’t mean just a couple of quick stretches before you tee off. If you aren’t flexible enough to get into positions demanded by the golf swing, you’re limiting your game.”

Well said Mike!

As always your feedback and comments on this golf blog are appreciated.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take the COACH54 program at the VISION54 Academy in Phoenix, AZ. The academy’s co-founders Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson are two of the best coaches in the world of professional golf and they have mentored many of the game’s best players including Annika Sorenstam and Ai Miyazato.

During the four days of training, I received the inside scoop on the academy’s philosophy of complete game coaching. Lynn and Pia break golf down into 6 key areas:

Physical

Technical

Mental

Emotional

Social

Spirit of the Game

When I work with clients, I focus exclusively on the last 4 topics on this list, and this would make me a MESS coach… certainly not the best acronym, but it highlights the importance of everything other than the physical and technical in golf.

If you’ve never read Lynn and Pia’s two books (Every Shot Must Have a Purpose and The Game Before the Game) you need to get your hands on a copy as soon as possible. These are quite simply two of the best books ever written on golf and both give the reader plenty of drills to engrain key concepts on each of the 6 areas of the game.

My greatest “ah-ha” moment of the training was the importance of being congruent in what you coach and what you practice in your own game. I have to admit that I am often soft on the application of the tools that I teach to my own game. Since VISION 54, I have recommitted myself to following the old adage “practice what you preach.” I have incorporated mental game practice into each of my practice sessions and am looking forward to reaping the rewards in 2011.

Play Well!

Chris