I’m As Nervous As A Cat!
Jack Nicklaus once said, “The difference between being nervous and scared is being prepared.” Rocco Mediate, 2008 U.S. Open overtime runner up to Tiger Woods, speaks his truth when describing his emotions and feelings when playing on perhaps the biggest stage in golf there is The U.S. Open stating on camera, “I’ll be as nervous as a cat.” We become what we think.
A couple days ago I was playing a round of golf with my friends and while getting ready to tee off on the 4th hole I told them ‘I’m as nervous as a cat’ through the first three holes…giving them The U.S. Open Rocco quote. Another friend said, “Me too and here I am playing with my buds.”
What is it that causes us to feel this nervous energy run throughout our bodies? I mean a little bit of excitement and eager anticipation is good for the soul. Too much anxiety creates unwanted tension in our mind and body. It’s nerves and it all starts with a thought – a vibration. Those who control, manage, or are able to be with their emotions will ultimately prevail. It was the great Harry Vardon who profoundly said, “There are only two types of player–those who keep their nerves under control and win championships and those who do not.”
By the 4th hole I was able to center and ground myself much better. Rocco talks about the same phenomenon. After we get going some we tend to settle in and get more comfortable. However, if we allow the event to become bigger than it really is in our mind, it will become that, despite the fact that it is not. It’s just a round of golf, a stroll in the park if you will, hitting a little white ball down the fairway and into a little round cup.
Really? I invite you to observe yourself when playing golf next. Really begin to notice and observe your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and any physical symptoms like a racing heart beat, shallow breathing, tension in the neck, or sweaty palms. Just notice. Can you be with that? Because what you look at disappears. Practice detachment from being all caught up in the experience.
Another technique that I like to use is The Mental Edge Golf Technique that focuses on releasing negative or stuck energy and replaces it with a new more positive focus and belief. First we acknowledge the situation, then we accept ourselves exactly was we are, forgive ourselves for feeling this way, and replace these negative aspects with positive ones, like: calm and confident, relaxed and focused, present and joyful…Let it be Easy! I’ll show you how to do it and after a few times you can do it on yourself. Same technique works in lowering your comfort zone as well.
What does it take to become a mentally tough golfer? Post your comments and feedback as we open up this can of worms and start spilling the beans.
Feeling stuck or confused, call me – no charge, no gimmicks.
Play Well and remember Golf Is Supposed To Be Fun,
Rand Marquardt
Author, Teacher, Mental Golf Performance Life Coach
www.golfissupposedtobefun.com
(231) 838 – life (5433)
Inspiring Excellence Within!
Recognizing Communication Breakdown in Golf & Life
There are so many things in life and golf to be grateful for and of course so many things to be disheartened by. There are always things we are working on to fix, change, and become better at, and there are other things we have very little control over, like our club head speed, which determines our distance – it’s a physics thing you know, something we can learn to accept and embrace. New technology will take us only so far. But today I want to bring to your attention something that we all can work on that will not only change the lives of those around us but will change our lives as well. “What’s that?” you might ask. Well, I will tell you — it is the way that we communicate.
The way we ask questions, give answers, listen, and share information can make someone’s day or it can ruin it. I’m sure you had someone say something to you regarding your golf game or some other negative comment that took the spirit right out of your sails. These upsetting moments plant seeds of low self-esteem into the very fabric of our subconscious minds – before too long we begin to believe and live this lie.
Have you ever asked yourself, ‘How am I showing up on the golf course? How am I communicating with others?’ You know you can learn an awful lot about a person by playing a round of golf with them. And you can learn an awful lot about yourself. I know you’ve recognized certain empowering aspects (gratitude, focus, mental toughness, joy, love) and less than desirable traits (anger, frustration, fear, insecurity, hate) in another. Yet have you really gone inside and observed how you are showing up as well. What we do to another we do to ourselves. What we do to ourselves we do to another. Golf on the fairway of life becomes a circle. The Secret is the law of attraction. We become what we think.
I invite you to become fully present and really observe yourself in how you are communicating with yourself and with others. If you find yourself beating up on yourself just close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself, “What hidden thought or belief have I been unaware of that affects my communications?” When you get in touch with your communications and their consequences, be gentle on yourself. Beating up on ourselves will not make us better communicators. In fact, it will do just the opposite.
Begin to notice right now the communications that you have received or ones that you have delivered that no longer serve your best interest and one by one release them and be grateful in becoming a better you. If there is someone to apologize too, say you are sorry with a compassionate heart and with true intention. Finally watch and observe your thoughts and the words you speak and replace them with a new more empowering self-talk, belief and focus. Sweeten your delivery and bring more awareness to each moment like a champion – you might just end up playing like one!
Think, talk, play, and carry yourself like a champion – Today!
Rand S. Marquardt, Author
Performance Enhancement Coach
Specializing in the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Aspects of Golf
www.golfissupposedtobefun.com
(231) 838-5433
Inspiring Excellence Within
Visualization is Key to Becoming a Better Golfer
Who doesn’t desire to become a better golfer? Tiger Woods is on a mission to become a better golfer, are you? Lorena Ochoa put in a grueling winter 2007 practice schedule that looked like this:
1. 7:00 – 10:00 am: Short game 100 yards in
2. 11:00 – 1:00 pm: Putting
3. 2:00 – 5:00 pm: Long game
4. 5:30 – 7:30 pm: Meditation, yoga, and gym workout
Most likely us mere mortals who don’t play the game for our career and money (skins and Nassau aside) will not have this kind of time to invest into our golf game, however, what I have found is that if we practice the universal life principles of The Secret (the law of attraction), learn to embrace the moment and find out it’s insights, reach for better feeling thoughts remembering to go with the flow, and visualize, visualize, visualize, our life both on and off the golf course will dramatically improve and become better. All it takes is a simple shift in perspective.
The fastest, surest, easiest, and most ingenious way, between here and there is visualizing! What’s your take on visualizing? Are you? Tiger Woods visualizes his entire round before he plays. Jack Nicklaus sees the ball landing exactly how he sees it in his mind. Trevor Immelman dreamed about being the best golfer in the world, and for 4 days in April at The Masters he was.
The primary intention is to attract all of those whose dreams, desires, and goals are to play better golf – mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. As a student of life coaching and life education I decided to apply these universal life principles to the game of golf – once I healed and transformed my life enough to ‘get it.’I decided to set a powerful intention and trust life and let life know it can trust me.
For most of my ‘prime time’ golfing life I played to about a 6-handicap. In my mid-forties my handicap rose to an all time high of a 10. So, on February 19, 2005 I set an intention to drop my handicap to a 5 or less by July 4th.
I wanted to be a guinea pig in my own experiment. What followed is an amazing story because once you fully commit providence moves and the universe conspires with your desires. You too can connect to source energy and your higher (authentic) Self and play the game of golf and life to your full potential as we learn to love ourselves and align with life’s pure positive energy.
Learn how I went from a struggling, frustrated, and sometimes out of integrity being and a 10-handicap golfer to a more aligned, authentic, awakened being and a 1-handicap golfer in just one summer…and have stayed there for four years now…simply by accepting, embracing, observing, connecting, and listening to my higher Self. Lots of stuff to chew on…and each bullet point in connecting the dots in our life is as simple and complex as that!
In other words taking that next step is no easy step, unless it is? What’s coming up for you? What’s your next step? You think you can figure this out on your own? I did too – for over 30 years I thought I could figure this out too. And I’m practically a straight ‘A’ student with a Master’s degree – so what? Big deal! Yes, the answer and wisdom does lie within you – most are just too plane scared to find out something they might not like and continue sabotaging themselves in so many ways. Better not go there, that’s creepy. Yes, in order to get to the positives we first have to deal with the negatives – fearful thoughts, poor self-talk, playing scared and small, feeling unworthy and undeserving, blames, excuses, and poor me’s – Boo frickin’ hoo! Want to get back into the game of life, or are you just venting?
In the days and months to follow we will talk about getting healthy again, Dreams, The Zone (what it is and how to be in it), and your comfort zone (how you have settled for less and how to lower it), how to overcome and greatly reduce your fears, anger, worry, and frustrations, and how to create a champion’s self-image. So for now I invite you to begin to notice and observe your self on the golf course. How are you showing up? How are you feeling? What are you thinking? What’s happening in your body? The place to start is to notice and journal about that experience.
Embrace the highs and lows along the fairway of life. Be appreciative and grateful, and remember golf and life are meant to be and are supposed to be fun!
Warmly,
Rand S. Marquardt, Author
Performance Enhancement Coach
Specializing in the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Aspects of Golf
www.golfissupposedtobefun.com
(231) 838-5433
Inspiring Excellence Within!