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  1. #1
    Golf Padawan nokids is on a distinguished road nokids's Avatar
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    Optimum arousal level in golf

    I think the author has a point here. What do you think?

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    http://www.golfpsych.com/

    The Arousal Problem-


    Your personality, your experience, the comments of others and the importance for you of performing in this tournament, this round, this shot all tend to raise your level of arousal when you are competing. In our experience this is true for most players. The more important performing is to you the more your arousal goes up.


    Based on our research, there is an optimum level of arousal for the long game and a lower level for your short game. When you exceed those levels your physical skills decline. Your swing will change. Your touch and feel will not be as good. Your mind will be busier. Your decision-making will not be as good and you will second guess those decisions. Your focus will open. Your intuition will not work as good as normal.


    In addition, you will be more emotionally reactive than normal. If you are naturally dominant, then you will get more aggressive. If you are naturally submissive you will get more defensive.


    The higher the arousal above optimum the more obvious these changes are.


    Just a little above optimum and the changes are subtle. You may be miss-reading your putts slightly or lipping out a lot. Your ball striking may be off a bit, and you cannot figure out why.


    This is just the impact of arousal above optimum.


    If you do not know what optimum arousal feels like then you don't know why things aren't working right. This leaves you guessing and probably trying to fix something in your swing or technique. It certainly reduces your confidence.


    After the round or the tournament, your swing may be fine, your ball striking often is back, your putting may be better. This can make you crazy because you don't know what to work on or why it is happening.


    The Left Brain Problem-


    Another big problem is trying to play with your Left Brain in control. The Left Brain is thought to be good at logic and math, at memorization and calculations. It is not very athletic. Think of it as the nerd or the computer.


    Your Left Brain is useful and helpful in golf for doing all the calculations before the shot or putt. It is good at getting the yardage and considering all the variables, picking the club and the shot. But it must never try to do more than that.


    You must use your Right Brain to play your shots. Your Right Brain is athletic and has great feel and imagination. Let it play.


    If in your pre-shot routine you are being careful to do the physical aspects and checking or judging how well you are doing them: checking your alignment, checking your swing and your swing keys, checking to make sure you are doing everything you are supposed to, then your Left Brain is trying to play the shot. This is a big problem because your Left Brain is a lousy golfer.


    If over the ball you are making adjustments of line or target, aiming your putter, then your Left Brain is engaged. If you are paying careful attention to the way you are moving the club and your body to hit the ball, then your Left Brain is trying to control your swing.


    A really good mental pre-shot routine will have you using your Left Brain at the beginning for calculations and your Right Brain to play the shots. It will work really well when your level of arousal is optimum for that shot.


    The Wrong Thoughts Problem-


    Then we have your thoughts between shots and before the round. The wrong thoughts or memories will trigger emotions and raise arousal. Remember the problems with arousal above.


    This is another big problem area.


    When you are playing, what are you thinking about between shots? If you are thinking about your score and what you need to do or how you are matching up and what it means, you are wasting energy and may be raising arousal.


    You may be on the outcome thoughts and emotional roller coaster. If you get good outcomes then you may get excited, raising arousal. If you get bad outcomes, then you may get frustrated or angry or try to press, raising arousal. This means You are being affected by your outcome thoughts and out of control.


    If your thoughts before the round are anxious or fearful or excited, you are probably raising arousal before you get to the course. When you do get there you will go even higher in arousal. Remember the problems with arousal above.


    You cannot just breath and relax to lower arousal if you are not dealing effectively with these arousing thoughts. So you need awareness of your thoughts and ways to control them. You also need to get good at breathing and lowering arousal to the optimum level.


    These first three mental game areas are fundamentally important to your ability to perform in competition.
    You only get out of something what you put into it

  2. #2
    Singles Match Play Champ 2010 Ruskie is on a distinguished road
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    Based on our research, there is an optimum level of arousal for the long game and a lower level for your short game
    Hmm... so, that means cart girls should be welcomed on the tee, but ignored when you get to the green?

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