THE BRAIN GAME

The mental side of the game can be elusive. That's especially true if the way we think has been influenced by overstatement, oversimplification, myth, fancy, trying to combine things that don't mix (like oil and water), or anything else that may throw a curve at our perception.

The mental game has more to do with appropriate thinking than it does with emotion. If our thinking is well put together, emotions tend to take care of themselves. The harder one tries to contain emotion, the worse it generally gets. Did you ever notice how many Tour players remind us that they "tried too hard," keeping them from their goal? A few have been known to complain of headaches from grinding on their concentration. And let us not forget the self-discouragement currently being confessed (at least indirectly) by quite a few players as they face one Tiger Woods.

Those are illustrations of thinking that have defaulted to emotion, of the mind faltering in the wake of a shaky gut. What we need in this game works the other way around - thinking that manages emotion. Of course, our thinking needs to manage other things as well, like the way we play the course, how we put our games on automatic and how we deal with the game in general. All of those will produce emotion, so the managment of that is no small matter, and we are not referring to "control" of emotion, as is often the phrase used. In fact, that is a demeanor that lends itself to failure, since emotion will only be "controlled" at a very high price. Better not even to think in terms of control. "Managed" is the proper term for dealing with emotion, and we do that with the right kind of thinking in the right time frames.

Over the years, at KeyGolf, we have had a great deal to say about the "how" of practice. We continue to recommend staying inside one's personal style while doing that. Of course, it's important to know the dimensions of that style, through a reliable means of profiling, so we know when we're actually "in it." It is from this baseline that we can best understand and relate ourselves to the "how" of practice. Having done that, we need to look at "what" we need to practice. That requires measurable attention, too. Both of them are important. Both require accurate thinking, based on the sound perception that comes from sound thinking.

Watching the average player practice will tell you something. Most of them (except you, of course) concentrate their practice time on their strengths - usually it is what they do best, so it is more pleasureable. They spend the least time on the "weaknesses" in their games. In either case, what they appear to use as a measure to determine what to practice comes from what they excel at on the practice tee. If they are good with their irons, they hit a lot of those. If it's the driver, that's where their action will take them. That's emotionally biased practice - going where it feels good.

In any event, it is rarely possible to tell, from what we do on the practice tee, how we'll play on the course. Different game. Different place. Different emotional backdrop.

In other words, we have not thought through carefully enough what is going on with us when it comes to matching practice and playing. Instead, we tend to depend on our feelings (emotion) to give us our clues, and that can lead us astray, unless we are trained specifically in translating the messages our emotions deliver.

We go to the practice tee before each round "to find out how we're going to play today" because our emotions tend to beg us to anticipate a great round. But we worry a lot because last time we played there was that really bad couple of holes.. Or we just watched this week's best two or three of the top players (maybe it was only Tiger) in the world hit it stiff for two hours, coming down the stretch in the Gold Medal Flour Invitational. (TV only shows us the greatest of the moment). Unless there is a rain delay, we don't often get to see "the rest of the field" do whatever it is that leaves them in the rear of the pack, but it can't be knocking down the sticks or they'd be among the leaders.

What we need to practice and what we want to practice can be two entirely different things. Our biggest problem there is seeing the difference. Typically, we aren't sure what to practice because we don't know what caused our most recent "problems" in the first place. What do we have that provides a standard of measures, after all?

We tend to go about the matter backwards. We "look" at, and assess ourselves, primarily on the practice tee. We like what we see there much better. It's more fun, anxiety free and often has the appearance of success. We don't really observe ourselves on the course (thinking). It's much less fun, loaded with tension and given to water hazards, sandtraps and deep rough. We just get frustrated or mad when something doesn't work (emotion). That's not comfortable, so we look for something to "blame " the bad shot on. When Curtis Strange was playing regularly, he found such a use for camera clicks and rustling sounds coming from umbrellas in the gallery all the way across the fairway.

You and I may go more for "bugs on the ball," sirens in the distance or even an unexpected church bell on Sunday morning.

However, we do it, we let emotion rule the roost. With heart in throat, the mind follows. So what to do?

First of all, avoid taking personal measurements for your game from what the TV shows and the commentators say. Patience and performance excellence are a lot more complex than they imply.

Second, observe yourself more closely on the course to learn what you need to practice on the range. For that, you will need to know what to look for. Look for patterns in your shot making, not exceptions. One or two errant shots is not a pattern.

Third, in order to observe yourself clearly, you must be on automatic on the course. (That has no magic in it, and if you aren't clear about how that is done, let us know and we'll help you fill in the gap). You can't be on automatic if you are thinking about the mechanics of your swing while you are in the process of making it. (We use the Clear Key method to initiate automatic action. Our book, the Double Connexion is devoted to what they are and how they work to produce the automatic process for the game).

Fourth, let your practice match your needs as they show on the course. Avoid trying to make your game match your desires left over from practice.

Fifth, make your practice brief and well orchestrated. Your objectives and time on the range also depend on your style. If you have a style like Lanny Wadkins, short sessions on the tee are much better than long. If you play like "Radar" Reid or Bernhard Langer you can tolerate long ones, but probably don't need them. If you play like Fuzzy Zoeller, only practice when someone is there to watch or you just want to have a little fun. If you are more the "Gentle Ben" style, all you really need to do is get your rhythm going.

Last, but not least, practice your thinking with reason and purpose. How many people practice driving their cars, riding their bikes, tying their shoes? They don't, because they have well established habits there. They don't think much about those things either. They just do them.

Unless we just started playing golf, we have habits there, too. Put yourself on automatic on the course and you'll find out, without fail, just how good your automatic is. Then go practice what you need to make it better. To get the most value from our practice, we'd all be better off if we played first and practiced afterward, based on what we struggled with on the course.

Be sure, however, to take those "weaknesses" and needs to a Professional to validte what you are seeing in yourself. They can help you. They can prevent us from spinning our wheels and guessing at our problems.

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Let us know if you have questions or comments.