Sports psych

Concentrate, focus, address the ball, check my grip, feel loose, carry the club slowly backward and stare at the number on the ball, follow-through: Concentrate - whack! My golf ball leaves the tee as my focus sharpens at the ground where the golf ball once rested. I raise my head as my driver follows through to my left shoulder and search the center of the fairway for the expected outcome. To my dismay, I catch a white streak hooking sharply left into the environmentally sensitive unplayable grassland on the first fairway of the Circling Raven Golf Club - mulligan.

I quickly turn to scan the course in hope no one sees my dismal display of golf. I see the starter and my father humbly looking at the ground pretending not to notice my error. I reload by reaching into my pocket, remove my second $5 golf ball and place it on the tee.

I follow the same ritual performed minutes prior - whack! This time I immediately look left expecting the resulting hook as the ball leaves the tee. I internally remember the layman's definition of insanity and often recite it to my clients.

"The definition of insanity is repeating the same act over and over expecting a different outcome."

My second ball enters the hazard at precisely the same place my first ball did. I am insane.

Is there help for my golf game? There might be if I use the tools supplied to me by the psychological science of performance.

What earns one the opportunity to play PGA golf, become a prima ballerina, an astronaut, an excellent skier or champion chess player? Sports psychology examines successful people and discovers commonalities in each individual's success. Successful people in business, academics, science, sports and in life are motivated, have great imagination and imagery, have sharp focus and accept criticism.

Psychology helps us to become better at our art, sport, job, trade, hobby or spiritual dedication if we listen to the science. Let's examine psychological theories and how each might pertain to one's golf game.

Motivation - people are motivated either internally (intrinsically) or externally (extrinsically). Intrinsic motivation allows one to achieve a task or help another because one feels it is the "right thing to do," and one gains little or no reward extrinsically. Extrinsic rewards offers an external or visual reward for one's work - a paycheck for working, candy for being quiet in the store, praise or press for giving money to charity. Successful individuals are motivated intrinsically and practice, work or perform not for external reward but because success feels good.

Motivation outperforms talent. A study of outstanding scholars, athletes and artists found that all were highly motivated and self-disciplined, willing to dedicate hours every day to pursue their goal. These superstar achievers are distinguished not so much by their extraordinary natural talent as by their extraordinary daily discipline. Great achievement mixes a teaspoon of inspiration with a gallon of perspiration.

Golf - for the past 10 years I've played golf three times a year. I expect to shoot in the 70s as I did in my youth but without motivation and time to practice; my outcome of 105 should be expected. This past spring I became a member at a golf club. Playing and practicing every day has decreased my score an average of 15 strokes a round. Practice increases my performance.

Cohesion - working together as a group or team to achieve a shared task. Being part of a team allows one to share his or her workload. In sports, one gains trust in one's teammates and expect each member to be there when needed.

Teams and cohesion celebrate people one trusts and can count on. Successful people keep teams close to them and gain energy from the people they trust. They cheer when a teammate succeeds and feels down when a coworker or teammate becomes injured or struggle in his or her task. A team member's job is to support the team which makes every player better.

Golf - This year I was invited to join a team for my club's Men's League. When I play well and win my match I feel great for my team and proud that I contributed to team. When I don't win, my team supports me and reminds me that, "It is just a game."

Imagery - visualize the world as you wish it to be. If I am taking my midterm test and am afraid I will fail, I visualize my failure and fulfill that prophecy. If I study (a must for success) and visualize the correct answers on the paper, my chance for success will increase. In sports, I visualize the basketball going through the bottom of the net, the soccer ball entering the goal or the golf ball heading down the center of the fairway and discover my visualizations become reality.

Golf - In my recent example, I do not visualize the golf ball sailing down the fairway. My brain is stuck in the semantics of the golf swing and not focused on the outcome. Focusing on the outcome often produces a different result. Working on the mechanics of one's performance is meant for practice. Visualizing and imagery are for the game.

Attention focus - blocking all outside influences and focusing on the task at-hand. Imagine what Kobe, Tiger, LeBron or the person operating the mechanical arm on the robot placing the cap on the leaking Louisiana oil rig might be thinking prior to shooting a free-throw, hitting a putt or saving the Gulf Coast? Leaving the outside world outside takes practice.

Here is how it works. You lay your head on the pillow prior to falling asleep. After three or four minutes, you nod off and your world goes silent. The phone rings and you startle awake hearing the television, air-conditioning buzzing and dogs barking outside.

In stage one sleep, your attention focuses on sleep and you block out the world. Great athletes, focused individuals and surgeons are good at this while awake. The crowd disappears, the gravity of the task diminishes and emotion becomes void. They enter a hypnotic state of alertness resembling stage one sleep and can focus on difficult tasks easily.

Golf - after hitting the first ball into the rough, I quickly turn to see if anyone is watching. My attention becomes misdirected and unfocused. My concern is to protect against embarrassment and not for success. My speed at re-teeing signifies repairing a wrong, fixing an error and redeeming myself as a golfer. The result is repeated failure.

Internal monologue - maintain positive thoughts during competition by keeping a running conversation in one's mind. Now things really get psychological. Positive self-talk changes one's perspective. Believing I can hit a golf ball straight increases the odds of the ball landing in the center of the fairway. Positive self-talk increases one's success. Telling oneself (actually saying the words in your head) you are good enough to hit a difficult shot, play at an elite level, make a high-pressure free-throw or sink a 20-foot putt greatly increases your chance for success. Believing 100 percent with no doubt that you are capable of great things make you capable. We must first believe to know the truth. Negative self-talk creates failure.

Criticism - understanding when we fail and accepting failure allows for growth.

Golf - After hitting my second ball into the rough my father offers, "I wouldn't do that again if I were you." I turn and smile at his sarcasm and accept his challenge. I take a step back, close my eyes, visualize the ball heading straight down the fairway, take a deep breath, take my stance, relax and hit the ball dead center, 275 yards down the course. I offer another smile to my dad and nod, "Thanks for the advice."

Send comments or other suggestions to Bill Rutherford at bprutherford@hotmail.com or visit pensiveparenting.com.