Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
"I never hit a shot, even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. It's like a colour movie. First I 'see' the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes and I 'see' the ball going there: its path, trajectory and shape and even its behaviour on landing. Only at the end of this short, private Hollywood spectacular do I select a club and step up to the ball."
Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus, 1974
This is an extract from one of Jack Nicklaus's books written at the peak of his success and is a great introduction to this week's subject which is how to use imagery or 'visualisation' to help put you in the correct mental state of mind to hit a golf shot. He, and indeed most of the top players, use some form of imagery as a key aspect of their pre-shot routine.
If you now sit back, close your eyes and think about an important moment in your life, whether it's your wedding day or even a favourite moment on the golf course, you will see a movie playing in your mind. You should see images both still and moving. You may hear the sounds associated with it, voices etc. Most people aren't aware that every time you think about something, you see it in the movie screen of the mind.
It is this awareness of the images in your mind that will help you to build a picture of the perfect golf shot you want to hit, every time you prepare to hit a shot. As the quality of the image improves, so the quality of the thoughts also improve. Eventually, with practice, you should be able to create a highly detailed picture similar to the one Jack Nicklaus portrayed. This can have a profound effect on your state of mind:
Thoughts = feelings
Feelings = performance
We usually think about all those destructive thoughts such as:
Don't hit it in the water! Please don't three putt! Please don't hit it thin!
The list goes on. Imagine the effect they will have on our performance. We have all been guilty of it. If we replace these thoughts with the brain being focused on creating quality positive imagery, it will prepare the brain long enough for you to be truly ready to hit the next shot. Have you ever noticed the best players in the world standing behind the ball and staring straight down the fairway before each shot? Sometimes they will address the ball then step away if they don't feel ready and repeat the process. They have the discipline not to hit the shot until they have seen a clear image of the perfect shot.
So, next time you play or practice, try it as part of your routine - create a movie of the drive hitting the fairway, hear the sound of the strike, feel the motion, see the ball land exactly on the spot you want. Do the same with a putt hitting the back of the cup, or with a chip releasing to the hole. If you persist in trying to change the way you think, it will have a positive effect on your whole game.
