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The Power Of Positive Thinking

Diane said:
Duey - I think it's more about your attitude than your hat.
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Lol, how did this end up over here? I think your right Diane. But, I think positive thinking is only half of the deal. To me, I have to execute positively. When I have a lot of faith in my abilities on a given day, (just know I'm going to do well), I stay down better, swing a lot more fluidly and simply execute better. Positive thinking makes it easier to concentrate because your able to get rid of a lot of the negative thoughts allowing yourself to execute.

I don't know that positive thinking set's it all up either. I really think the ability to concentrate gives you the positive thinking and execution, or some day's you simply have all three together at the same time. I have plenty of day's were my ability to zero in is simply not there, nor is my game.
 
Ty_Webb said:
It definitely helps as long as you genuinely believe it. If you just say it, but your inner voice is saying something like "ha, you don't have a snowball's chance from here", it won't work.
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That's the single most important aspect of such thinking.

You can SAY whatever you like but if you don't honestly believe what you're saying, then the whole exercise is pointless. Positive thinking is fine, but it needs to be buttressed by a true sense of confidence and a firm belief in yourself and your abilities.


-JP
 
tksullivan said:
I would like to take this a bit further. Most of us agree that positive thinking helps but, my question is, how do you maintain positive thinking when you are having a really bad day on the course? Or how do you discount a bad day (at work, etc) and not let it bother you on the course?
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It's all in how you look at it. Some days i might be missing gir's or putts but if it's a good ball strike, focus on that. There's bad breaks in golf, that's part of the game. I think there's always something positive that happens on the golf course, and quite simply, just being there is positive enough.
 
BigLeftyinAZ said:
What about the folks who step on a tee box and say " ****, there is water here"
They are finished.
Or Hope I don't hit it into the water or that trap. You will never improve with those thoughts
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I must have missed this comment when this thread was active the first time. Gotta say something about it though.

In golf, the power of negative thinking trumps the power of positive thinking every time. You will almost never see any player be successful if he approaches a difficult shot saying "I can never hit this one right.", or "Water always messes with my head." We have all seen it. Until you learn to get those thoughts out of your mind and think only of the positive target, you will continue to dunk the ball in the water every time you face it.

I have a friend who can be hitting the ball perfectly (for him... he is a fairly high handicapper, but it's his short game that really kills his score). We come to the 7th hole where the 2nd shot is a carry over a 80 yard wide pond. The shot is usually a short to mid iron depending on how well you hit the tee shot. There is plenty of room for error as there is still 40 yards of fairway between the far edge of the pond and the front of the green, yet he puts a ball in the water here about 80% of the time. He suddenly has lost that swing that he's made for the first 6 holes, because in his mind, that pond has taken on the dimensions of the Pacific Ocean. He is scared spitless of that hole, yet at 340 yards, it's the shortest par 4 on the course... a hybrid or long iron off the tee, then a short iron to the green. He considers it a success if he makes a double there. And afterwards, he's usually a mess for several more holes. All compliments of the power of negative karma. :confused2:

That is why you should approach the golf with a strong positive outlook every time. Once the bad thoughts creep in, it's difficult to exorcise them.
 
I believe that's a relatively well known issue with the subconscious mind. If you think to yourself "don't hit it in the water", the subconscious mind misses the "don't" and just hears "hit it in the water". You're far better off thinking along the lines of "hit it on the green" or "hit it to the left side of the fairway". Because then you and your subconscious are working on the same thing.
 
BigLeftyinAZ said:
What about the folks who step on a tee box and say " ****, there is water here"
They are finished.
Or Hope I don't hit it into the water or that trap. You will never improve with those thoughts
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Ty_Webb said:
I believe that's a relatively well known issue with the subconscious mind. If you think to yourself "don't hit it in the water", the subconscious mind misses the "don't" and just hears "hit it in the water". You're far better off thinking along the lines of "hit it on the green" or "hit it to the left side of the fairway". Because then you and your subconscious are working on the same thing.
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And don't take out an old ball on a tee shot over water.
 
I believe in this too and try to practice it as much as possible but I do have my holy %#$@ moments "how am I gonna do this." but soon as I do I back off and refocus.
 
i think JP hit it on the head in that you need to be realistic.

they had a mental game workshop at my local range and i attended.

one of the things i took from it was this:

"dont make yourself promises you cant keep"

so if you are telling yourself your going to sink a 50ft putt, and you miss. its a very negative experience as you have let yourself down..

being realistic means getting down in 2 from 50ft. get the first putt as close as possible, sink the 2nd from a more realistc distance.

another thing i took from it was always leave your bag behind you, out of sight once you have picked your club. having your bag in sight makes you question your cliub selection.

this is 2 positive things i apply on the course. both are in reality trying to remove negative thoughts.
 
Br1an_g said:
i think JP hit it on the head in that you need to be realistic.

they had a mental game workshop at my local range and i attended.

one of the things i took from it was this:

"dont make yourself promises you cant keep"

so if you are telling yourself your going to sink a 50ft putt, and you miss. its a very negative experience as you have let yourself down..

being realistic means getting down in 2 from 50ft. get the first putt as close as possible, sink the 2nd from a more realistc distance.

another thing i took from it was always leave your bag behind you, out of sight once you have picked your club. having your bag in sight makes you question your cliub selection.

this is 2 positive things i apply on the course. both are in reality trying to remove negative thoughts.
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Having confidence and making promises are very different things. I could say in refuting your "mental" coach that planning for a 2 putt takes away from the confidence in the first putt. That strikes me as a very negative approach, and something that I would never do. Although I know realistically that I'm not going to sink very many 50 footers (I'm not stupid here :dohanim: ), I'm still going to be planning to hole every one I face.

And I guarantee you that being able to see my bag has never made me question my club selection. :rolleyes:
 
Fourputt said:
Having confidence and making promises are very different things. I could say in refuting your "mental" coach that planning for a 2 putt takes away from the confidence in the first putt. That strikes me as a very negative approach, and something that I would never do. Although I know realistically that I'm not going to sink very many 50 footers (I'm not stupid here :dohanim: ), I'm still going to be planning to hole every one I face.

And I guarantee you that being able to see my bag has never made me question my club selection. :rolleyes:
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I agree Fourputt - both about the putting and the bag. I've never heard anyone say that looking at their bag makes them question their club selection.
 
ok, so in the first instance he didnt give me that example, however its how i have applied the initial statement. but telling yourself your going to make everything isnt being realistic. and missing lots of unrealistic shots you are telling yourself to make is a negative process. how many 50ft putts have you sank and have a mental picture of to call on? if i can make a shot more often than not i will make sure i tell myself how its going to play out. otherwise i take the numbers approach. e.g. tell myself i might make this best case scenario, worst case im left etc. so if i miss the initial shot, its no surprise to me..

teh bag thing is really useful when you are between clubs and distance is a question..e.g. do i bump and run or pitch it up. different clubs, different approaches. i see a lot of people change clubs at the last minute. the bag being out of sight stops me even thinking about it once ive picked.

the mental part of the game is very personal, everyone has different triggers etc. the above 2 things work for me.
 
Why not make the deal with yourself that you're going to give your putt a chance to go in, even from 50 feet? If you miss, you don't get the negative hit, but you're still giving yourself a positive thought. After all, a machine couldn't hole a putt reliably from that distance. Too many vagaries of the green conditions, but what you can do is hit a putt that might go in. If I find myself thinking about two putting, I find very often I leave it short, which might be 6-8 feet short from 50 feet away. Not good. Rotella reckons that the mind works better when you have a very specific target and when you're putting, there's an obvious one that presents itself, so why not make that the target, together with holding on to the realism that it probably won't go in?
 
Don't know about all of this but definitely beleive that if you think negatively the outcome will be what was imagined.
 
jefffann said:
Don't know about all of this but definitely beleive that if you think negatively the outcome will be what was imagined.
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Won't the same hold true if you think positively?
 
Diane said:
Won't the same hold true if you think positively?
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Not as consistantly.I can think of a positive outcome and sometimes not acheive it. But as far as negative vibes...they are 100% effective.
 
Br1an_g said:
.

the mental part of the game is very personal, everyone has different triggers etc. the above 2 things work for me.
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Now this I can sort of understand. If it's something that works for you personally, then go for it. That fact is that we all have different approaches to this side of the game, and if this is yours, I'm fine with it. I just happen to know that it isn't anything like my approach.



jefffann said:
Don't know about all of this but definitely beleive that if you think negatively the outcome will be what was imagined.
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Diane said:
Won't the same hold true if you think positively?
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I don't think so Diane. Positive thoughts can't make the improbable probable. All they can do is make for a more confident approach to the shot, and that usually leads to better result. It still won't help you hole all of those 50 foot putts, but it might help you make better strokes on all of them.

But thinking negatively will almost always guarantee a worse result than what should be. Thinking bad thoughts about a water hazard may not mean that you WILL put the ball in the water, but it will almost always lead to a poorer swing and a worse result than thinking good thoughts and focusing on the safe shot.
 
Fourputt said:
I don't think so Diane. Positive thoughts can't make the improbable probable. All they can do is make for a more confident approach to the shot, and that usually leads to better result. It still won't help you hole all of those 50 foot putts, but it might help you make better strokes on all of them.

But thinking negatively will almost always guarantee a worse result than what should be. Thinking bad thoughts about a water hazard may not mean that you WILL put the ball in the water, but it will almost always lead to a poorer swing and a worse result than thinking good thoughts and focusing on the safe shot.
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I never said it was magic, but I think positive thoughts will definitely help. Same holds true for your clubs - they're not magic wands, but if they boost your confidence - then that's great.
 
As far as negative vibes...how many times have you had a shot through the trees where you thought I don't want to hit the tree and you hit it more accurately then if you took aim at it?
 
jefffann said:
As far as negative vibes...how many times have you had a shot through the trees where you thought I don't want to hit the tree and you hit it more accurately then if you took aim at it?
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Next time - try a positive thought - "I won't hit any trees" - perhaps that will help.
 
Diane said:
Next time - try a positive thought - "I won't hit any trees" - perhaps that will help.
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It works better to aim at the tree! Now if there's a bunch of trees you probably won't hit the on you aimed at but you'll probably hit one of the others.

If there's that many trees you're probably better off hitting back to the fairway. If only I could make myself take that advice!
 
Smallville said:
It works better to aim at the tree! Now if there's a bunch of trees you probably won't hit the on you aimed at but you'll probably hit one of the others.

If there's that many trees you're probably better off hitting back to the fairway. If only I could make myself take that advice!
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The Power of Reverse Psychology Smallie?
 
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