Good day from Classic Swing Golf School! It's hard to believe we are half way through July. I don't know about anyone else but I thoroughly love these warm temperatures. As I pass by our area's golf courses, I see a lot of activity as folks take advantage of off season prices and specials. Why not take this time for a golf lesson from Classic Swing's professional instructors?
The following is a tip from Ted Frick, Owner/Director of Instruction at at Classic Swing:
Visualization
In 1982, I had the honor of playing on the high school basketball team that won the mythical national championship. It was truly an unforgettable experience! Our team went 34- 0 that year and yes, luck must have played a part. But, I believe it was our head coach who made all the difference in the world to our success. I also believe it was not a coincidence that he was the upperclassmen's psychology teacher. Our practices, though very tough, were really cool and calculated in that they often simulated live game situations, all the way to the buzzer beater (which we needed 3 times that season).
One book that was required reading for both his psychology class and basketball team was Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. This book was written in the 1930's by a plastic surgeon who determined that although you can cosmetically change one's outside appearance, it does not automatically change how they feel about themselves, termed self- image. I appreciated that point, but I really liked the concept of a built-in success element he called the "servo mechanism." Based on extensive research, he concluded that we, as humans, are all built to succeed, and that we must always believe this in order to improve.
Dr. Maltz's research was a part of our classroom study as well as basketball court practical application. The best feature about this technique for improvement and success is that it is not expensive or too time consuming. It all boils down to this: In order to improve, you must see yourself improving! The art of visualization is the ability to see yourself successfully accomplishing a task before it is actually accomplished. In golf jargon, "Be the Ball!"
Here are some examples of golf visualization exercises:
1) Pretend you are playing a golf course the next time you practice. From the first tee to the last green, shot for shot, club for club. Visualize each shot. This will put you in the game mode while practicing.
2) Commit to seeing each shot executed successfully before you stand over the ball the next time you play. You have to commit to this as it is easy to get lazy here!
3) Play the course in your mind the night before your next round of golf, and see yourself playing well!
Visualization takes practice so have fun with it. If you avoid this ingredient, you are only delaying the optimal outcome. This technique obviously applies to all facets of life; your self- image is a product of how you think.
Ted Frick
Want to know more about golf instruction and golf lessons in Myrtle Beach? Check out www.classicswing.com to view the Internet Specials page and complete list of current specials, including the Junior Golf Camp.