Self talk will help you to play better

I have previously discussed how the way we think can have a massive effect on our performance. This week we will look in more detail at what you may be doing now that is sabotaging your game!

'Self Talk' is the dialogue that occurs with yourself all the time. It isn't just verbal either - the thoughts you have on the golf course are also known as self talk. I would like you to consider the types of dialogue that occur in your mind during a round of golf.

I have experienced that a lot of people start out who are actually extremely positive - 'today is definitely going to be my day!' At first glance this would appear to be a good attitude, but what happens when failure occurs during the round? The self talk can quickly change - 'I always struggle in windy conditions'.

It has been proven over the years that positive statements you make to yourself have little or no effect. What is crucial is how you react when failure occurs, which regardless of talent or desire often happens. The key is to be 'non-negative', changing the destructive things you say to yourself when the setbacks occur - this is known as learned optimism.

A pessimistic person may say 'I am a bad putter,' whereas an optimistic person might say 'the putts haven't dropped yet today.' The difference between the two statements is the first is a permanent view and the latter is a temporary view. You should strongly avoid thinking about any aspect of your game in a permanent sense; "I never deal with pressure" should be replaced with "I just lost it on the last."

If you persist in being permanently pessimistic, your beliefs will start to become true. If you go out on the golf course with confidence in your ability and safe in the knowledge that things aren't exactly as you want them, you will be able to maintain your optimism before, during and after your game, giving you a better demeanour on and off the golf course.

The top professionals in the game have days where nothing seems to be working just like the rest of us, but they are at the top because they are able to minimise the damage by remaining optimistic and focused for every single shot, shaving a significant chunk off their score at the end of the day. Make that the goal of your day next time you play and notice how it can impact your game.