I've been writing a lot lately about the negative and positive golf psychology of fear on the golf course. While I've been thinking all about golf fear consciously, it seems that my unconscious mind has been quietly working away on the question of how we actual do this "fear" thing in our golf minds. Using a post-shot routine was the answer - to the problem, not the question.

Now in NLP and golf hypnosis, we have many ways of managing a person's fears. If it's a full blown phobia, we can deal with that easily. If it's a habit or belief that's blown out of all proportion, we can help there too using techniques like the NLP Swish Pattern. If we need a skill that someone else has we can use modelling and Richard Bandler's "Stealing a Skill" technique. If the fear is doubt related and, as we might say colloquially, there's a part of me that wants to play a risky shot and another part that's saying it's too dangerous, then we've got the NLP Visual Squash parts integration technique. And there are many more NLP tools we can use before we even start looking at golf hypnosis.

So why not use one of these techniques to manage or eliminate fear? Well, you can use these techniques and if they are really deep-seated fears, you may need them. But what about nipping the fears in the bud, so that we don't have to remember them every time we come to play a similar shot? After all, didn't I read somewhere that Tiger Woods says about hitting bad shots, "I hit it and forget it?" You can't go back in time and replay a shot, so just forget it and move on." If there's a way to forget our bad shots, then surely we don't need to fear them.

Now that reminds me of a story I've used many times before about Jack Nicklaus genuinely only remembering the putts he holed, never the ones he missed. So has Jack ever missed from inside of six feet on the last hole of a major? Of course he has! Does he remember it? Not a chance. And do you think he cares that he can’t remember? Some people would probably say that Jack is deluded in his thinking, that it is not based on reality. Well, we all create our own realities and Jack’s seem pretty good to me! You can read the full story in my earlier article entitled Better Putting in Your Golf Mind.

So where is all this going, Andrew, I hear you ask. Well, we hear and read a lot about pre-shot routines and most of the people I know now use them diligently. But few if any use any sort of post-shot routine. They usually just replace any divot, put the club back in the bag - sometimes firmly, sometimes gently - and either, walk forward happily or trudge forward miserably. Of course some rant and rave, but we'll ignore those for now - seems like good advice to me.

If you react positively after hitting a golf shot, your brain produces lots of happy chemicals and associates those good feelings to the shot you've just hit and to the hole you've just played. The next time you play that hole or a similar shot, you have the opportunity to unconsciously remember that feeling and the associated result. In NLP we call this anchoring. Something similar happens if you react badly after hitting a shot and that bad shot can get anchored too.

So my recommendation is to really enjoy your good shots - you want to remember them - and release the bad shots to the past without any emotion, like someone else hit that bad shot. You can't go back in time and replay a shot, so just forget it and move on.

Now I don't like prescribing detailed pre-shot routines to people as it is far better to develop your own one from what works best for you. I think the same applies to a post shot routine, so I'll just list these few simple pointers:

1. Identify a specific trigger for the post-shot routine, like seeing the ball stop moving
2. If it's a good shot, then really feel good and replay the shot in your mind just as it felt when you hit it
3. If it's not a shot to remember, then don't react at all and just see it briefly as if you were watching someone else play the shot
4. Good or bad, consciously release the shot to the past and relax as you start walking forward to the next shot.

Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a practicing golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes.

Visit his website for information on how to get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf. More specifically, it is about how to improve your golf by working on the 90 percent of the game that is played in the 6 inches between your ears.

Sign up for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine at http://www.golf-hypnotist.com/ and get your free 25- minute Your Own Virtual Caddy golf hypnosis MP3 that goes with this article.

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Although I’m sure golf clothes  could be used to improve any game, or at least make the game more amusing for the spectators, this article is focused on potential ways to improve your golf game by choosing the correct clothes to suit the specific situation.  

I’m not sure how much effort you normally put into choosing what you’re going to wear to the golf course, but I’m assuming that there must be a certain amount involved due to the fairly strict etiquette surrounding what one can and cannot wear on the course.  Recently I got to wondering whether spending a little bit more time deciding what to wear might actually give you some huge advantages and maybe even improve your game – these were my thoughts.

The Shiny Shirt Approach

If you are a shy person, easily put off by having lots of people watching you tee-off, consider bedecking yourself in attire similar to that of Ian Poulter in this picture.  As long as it is a sunny day (which I accept is unlikely), the reflection of the sun in your shirt will blind the surrounding spectators, meaning that they cannot possibly watch you while you play.  A perfect tip for the stage-shy, I’m sure you’ll agree!

The Ball Trousers Approach

This clothing-technique is essentially a cheat for those who find teeing-off a bit of a problem.  Maybe a good option for the employee that is so desperate to get in with the boss that they agree to play a few holes, despite having never held a golf club their life.  The idea is to take a pair of ridiculous golfing trousers, like those modelled here by Payne Stewart, then fill the voluminous interior with golf balls.
When it is your turn to tee-off, step forwards and simply hit the ball as hard as you possibly can – way out into the rough where nobody could possibly have seen it land.  Cover yourself with a muffled curse including either the word “splice” or “hook” and trot off after your lost ball, making a big show about stomping around in the rough grass.  Once you have reached a respectable position, a quick snap of sock elastic will secretly magic a new ball out of nowhere!  After that it’s just a few simple whacks onto the green...

In this way, beginners can take advantage of silly golfing fashion trends and use them to overcome the embarrassment of losing a ball every time they tee-off .  Consider branding all the balls with the same distinctive logo beforehand to remove any suspicion that you may have accidently found somebody else’s ball.  Maybe even accessorise with some binoculars; hit the ball as hard as you possibly can, whip out the binos and then make a big show of watching the flight of the ball before running after it shouting “I’ve got it, don’t worry, I’ve got it!”  You won’t look cool, but you will get through the experience with a far more respectable score.

The Distraction Technique

It’s a very cheap tactic for sure but, if you dress cleverly enough, you can actually distract your opponent into playing badly.  Sure it doesn’t make your score any better but, when winning is on the agenda, it doesn’t matter how badly you play – as long as you the other person plays worse.  So, we’re looking for distracting things; shiny things that catch the sunlight, flapping things that distract the eye and jangling things that interrupt concentration...in other words, it might be best to dress like a Morris Dancer. ?

There are many other classic golf clothing techniques that you can implement, including the old “long spikes in the golf shoes used to “accidently” step on opponent’s foot” move and “aerodynamic clothing” for the intense golfer.  The general rule though is to experiment within the boundaries of golf clothing etiquette.  

Confident and skilful golfers probably won’t benefit massively from this guide, but even they should take some extra time getting dressed before their round to ensure their golf clothes aren’t an embarrassment.  There are lots of stylish golf clothes out there, including personal favourite of mine Greg Norman golf clothing and Nike golf clothing; there is no excuse for wearing the same old outdated nonsense every time.

Even if none of these techniques are for you, at least you can now detect a player’s type by the way they dress; shiny clothes probably means they’re secretly shy; baggy trousers suggests that they’re a beginner; too many accessories for take in at one time may imply that the player feels like the underdog.  Maybe this could apply to life as well as the golf course...

William Klimt manages the golf clothing outlet in the Chiltern Heights Golf Club. For more information about golf clothing, please visit http://www.easytigergolf.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/improve-your-game-using-clever-golf-clothes-1011582.html

Harold Swash, now aged 75 years old has been a golf putting coach for 40 years.  He is also the man behind the Brand of Yes Golf.  His Yes Putters have been used far and wide by Tour Professionals and club amateurs alike.  His C Groove designed putter, training aids and wedges all come designed from his many years of experience in the game.

The background behind the technology of C Groove Yes Putters is that Harold worked out from many years of training and studying how the ball rolls when hit, that when putting, the ball skids first then rolls.  He realised if he could reduce skid and increase roll then the putt would be truer, and would continue on a straighter path, hopefully towards the pin.  His concentric circles were proven to do just the job when tested against other leading brands such as Ping, Taylor Made and Odyssey.

He has coached many top Golf Professionals including; Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Thomas Levet, Ian Woosnam, Darren Clarke, Robert Jan Derkson, Nick Faldo and Constantino Rocca to mention but a few.  Harold doesn’t just cater for the golfing stars, he also teaches at his Putting School of Excellence in Bristol, where you can enrol in One-To-One tuition or join a Putting Clinic group session.  His Yes putters are readily available to try but be warned, there are many styles to choose from.  All Yes putters are named after Ladies.  It no doubt started off as his closest family but now there are so many one can only assume he now names the Yes Putters after friends, colleagues and possibly even celebrities.

Top Five Yes Putters

1. Callie
2. Tracy
3. Marilyn
4. Victoria II
5. Tiffany

Yes Putters come in blade, mallet and also some with unconventional shaped heads, with 3 different lengths available and in right or left handed options.  Some of the Yes putter styles come in a pink ladies option. And some also come in a “belly putter” length which is popular with some golfers on and off the tour.

Peter Field Golf is an online shop in UK for Men's Golf Clothing, all types of golf equipments like golf balls, shoes, golf clothing, Electric Trolleys, discount golf gloves and much more.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/yes-putters-1008932.html

Golfers of all standards are recognizing that hypnosis does work. There is more to it than the stereotypical stage hypnotist who wears flowing robes, has a goatee and makes usually sensible people cluck like chickens, or do rather more embarrassing deeds whilst under his "spell".

A lot of people are afraid of hypnosis, but this is usually due to lack of knowledge. They've seen a stage show and think "I'm not going there" or "you couldn't do that to me". There is a natural fear of losing control, and a secondary fear that maybe you can't be hypnotized - that it takes a certain type of person to be hypnotized.

Everyone can be hypnotized, so long as you want to be. You pass through hypnosis every time you go to sleep and every time you wake up - it's the dreamlike state between wake and sleep. When you drive home in your car, and ask yourself when you get there "did I check the traffic lights?" you've been in a trance - a state of hypnosis. When you stare through the TV and don't hear your partner speaking, that again demonstrates trance; it is hypnosis.

Hypnosis is natural, normal, and powerful. Think how useful it could be to block out everything except what's in your spotlight of thought, AT WILL?... Not just when you're staring through the TV. Wouldn't that be helpful when you're teeing off on the 1st or putting for eagle on the 18th?

Hypnosis is a state of relaxation at one with a state of heightened awareness. You're not asleep, you're not knocked out and you cannot be made to do something you don't want to do. You can hear and you can think. Again, wouldn't it be helpful to be able to have a relaxed awareness on the golf course? To be able to remain calm inside, but totally aware of what is important at the same time, AND be able to block out unnecessary thoughts and distractions? Just one look at Tiger's facial expressions and you know how he's feeling and focusing when he is playing golf.

It seems to be that human nature is that if we're not achieving the results we desire we must be doing something wrong. We look for something that needs to be fixed. In golf this usually means a fine dissection of our grip, stance, alignment, swing path and so on; followed by a rework of the swing (which may take all year to groove). Very few people think that their swing is basically alright, but they need to focus more clearly, relax more, or begin to think straight.

Returning to the "my swing needs to be fixed" culture, ask yourself "why is this the case?" Because most golfers hit several beautiful shots and a few that weren't as beautiful - and each time it was the same person who swung the club. How can your golf swing need fixing when that swing hits both beautiful and less than beautiful shots? Ask yourself as well whether you can remember a day when you started on the 1st and hit some really nice shots and you felt yourself thinking "Oh, it's going well today"?...and your confidence grew, and somehow everything came together and you had a great round of golf? Did your swing need fixing then? Is it your swing or your mind that makes the difference in golf?

Why not spend some time focusing upon your golf mind instead of the mechanics of golf? You can learn how to change your habitual thoughts with the help of hypnosis downloads. Why do you think the professionals use golf hypnosis? They use golf hypnosis because it works; hypnosis downloads can be used to get you to focus, to stay in the now, to visualize a great swing and to see what you really want to see. You can use golf hypnosis downloads to create a great swing which suits you as an individual.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading golf psychologists. You can get a free hypnosis download from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and view the golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis downloads.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/hypnosis-in-golf-part-1-1009015.html

In golf, the slow pace of the game provides time to worry, to interfere with the smooth automatic processing of your swing, to think about what you don't want to happen, rather than what you are meant to be doing. And the most basic, most essential thing in this game is to keep your mind focused on what you want to happen, not on what you don’t. Whatever you focus on will happen. The most essential thing in golf is your mental game.

"The psychology of golf goes a step further than course management. It entails mental toughness, self confidence, intimidation, gamesmanship, conquering inner demons, instant recall of past successes and being able to quickly purge failures. It is the game within the game". TIGER WOODS

Golf is a game, and should be fun. No-one plays golf perfectly, not even Tiger Woods or Ernie Els or whoever else is, or has been, at the top of the game. It's a game where mistakes are made, frequently...and no wonder...when you think about the size of the ball, length of club, and the distance the ball travels...just a whisker of a change in club face application can create a massive difference in where and how the ball travels. So this game is also a game of accepting mistakes and errors. And a mistake is only a mistake if you see it that way. It could alternatively be seen as an opportunity to learn.

"Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you" ALDOUS HUXLEY

All golfers may have beliefs about whether they are good or not at sport, or golf, or good or not at learning - but these are just beliefs, nothing more. There is no need to be held back by limiting beliefs. You can choose to change beliefs no matter how deep rooted they are. Everyone has a body and a mind that has a similar physiology and neurology to the best golfers in the world. Athletic literature is full of examples of athletes who have excelled because of their internal desire, rather than the physical attributes such as size, strength, power or speed. There are tall golfers and short golfers, male and female golfers, young and old golfers. It is not age or body shape that prescribes ability. It is your mind that makes the difference.

"Your thoughts create your actions. You create your thoughts" RICHARD WILKINS

Everybody has the ability to play golf well. How good they get will depend on their commitment. When one scrutinizes the training and preparation habits of great golfers, and all great athletes, it is clear that what is required is a combination of physical ability and a desire to be the very best. It all depends on personal choice - each person can be as good as they want to be.

"Our life is what our thoughts make it" MARCUS AURELIUS

How many times have you heard it said that good golf is 90% in the mind? How many times have you described a golfing problem as a "mental block"? If you yourself recognize it as a mental block then the first step is to learn how to think about your problem in a different way. Remember thoughts create emotions, which in turn direct your actions.

Everything in life depends on how you think about it, not just your golf. You can learn to choose your thoughts, and therefore control the outcome of them. It just takes a little time and practice - but the results will be truly AMAZING.

"All the difference will not make the way you think; yet the way you think will make all the difference" RICHARD WILKINS

Why not spend a little bit of time in working upon the 90% instead of the 10%? You can learn how to relax in an instant and to overcome your mental blocks with the help of hypnosis downloads. Why do you think the professionals use golf hypnosis? They use golf hypnosis because it works; hypnosis downloads can be used to get you to focus clearly, to stay in the now, to overcome obstacles and play great golf. With hypnosis downloads you can learn to control your mind and that is the quickest and easiest way in which you will knock shots off your handicap.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading golf psychologists. You can get a free hypnosis download from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and view the golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis downloads.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/positive-thinking-in-golf-part-3-1005976.html