This term may be around for quite a while after the display of Tiger Woods in the Accenture Match Play. Also, at last year’s Tour Championship victory, Bart Bryant stated “I felt like I could win.” So, why does it seem that the great athletes can “turn” it up when needed? The answer lies in their attitude and mindset.
“Playing to win” is vastly different than playing “not to lose”. For instance, imagine if Tiger went out just trying to make a cut? Or at last year’s event if Bart Bryant tried to just hold on for the win? Having the strength of playing to win is a challenge, yet those that achieve it all believe one thing, they knew that they could do it.
Yet, often this “don’t lose” attitude is the mindset that accompanies our play. Instead of just playing golf and knowing that we can do it, we play defensively. We try to avoid three putting instead of trying to make it, then later we press and try to play harder and soon our mindset has changed to negativity.
The simple fact is that trying too hard does not work; it does not allow for a free flowing swing or putting stroke. The key is to have a mindset that believes in yourself. The mindset to have is similar to the one that you show on the range. On the range, the attitude is that it does not matter, because if you mess up a shot you can always rake another ball over. On the course though, the mindset changes to a defensive swing and an attitude of “I hope it doesn’t go left.” This is a big fundamental difference in attitude and it is a major cause of poor play. Recognize if you can play great “range golf”, but can’t carry it over onto the course. This may be an indicator of how your mindset changes to “playing not to lose.” Contact me if you would like help improving your mindset to a winning mentality.
Rob Bell is a PhD candidate in Sport Psychology at The University of Tennessee. If you would like a copy of his mental rehearsal CD, contact him at 865.591.7730 or rbell2@utk.edu
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