Chatterbox
Before we start I had better explain that I am not talking about her in doors (only joking ladies) or the playing partner that just will not shut up.
The chatterbox to which I refer is the voice inside your head that you hear when you are thinking or alone. Unfortunately it is the source of negative thoughts and heralds doom, gloom and losing.
If you possess an internal golfing chatterbox it usually sounds something like this:
“If I go for the green I could get a birdie but if is miss the green I could lose the ball and ruin the rest of the round and waste the long hours of practise but if I don’t go for the green I have lost a good opportunity and my golfing mates will make fun of me and this will affect my confidence”.
Do you recognise this circle of thoughts or something similar?
I bet you do because we will all have fallen foul of our golfing chatterbox during our golfing lives. Now that you know that it exists you will also realise just how difficult it is to switch off.
The only way to overcome the chatterbox is to out talk the negativity by re-affirming the positive aspects of your golf game. Literally speaking start to talk to your self in can’s and not cant’s and stop moaning and groaning and take positive action. As soon as a negative though pops into your head, say STOP to your self and immediately replace the negative thought with a positive one.
For example, when faced with a 4ft putt on the 18th hole to win the competition, your chatterbox will say, “I have GOT to hole this putt”, and immediately you will feel stress and muscle tension.
Replace that thought with,” I am GOING to hole this putt, and just feel the difference in the impact on your body.
Go on give it a try!
It will not be easy to change because your chatterbox has staying power and will introduce ‘what if’ thoughts to your conscious mind and feed the fundamental lack of confidence and trust that we have in our abilities.
Remember you are not a failure if you do not succeed in anything but you are a success because you try.
It is also important to lighten up and not take yourself too seriously because trust me, nothing is that important.