How Can You Gain Control Over Your Thoughts?

It can be helpful to formulate a thought plan and experiment with it over a number of weeks in practice and then competition.

Thought Plan

Action One - Become Aware of Your Thoughts

• Become aware of your selftalk. Acknowledge what you are thinking generally e.g. around the supermarket, in the car on the way to work, in the shower. Listen to what you are saying to yourself during golf specific occasions e.g. during practice, on the way to the golf course, during your warm up, during competition.
  
  
• Notice the type of self-talk that is detrimental and unhelpful to your performance.
  

Action Two - Plan

Where you see undesirable patterns in your
thinking, for example:

• Negative self talk – “I am a useless putter!?!?!”
  
  
• Unhelpful self talk – “I might as well give up now and head back into the golf club!?!?!”
  
  
• Deconstructive self-talk – “Well I think my mother-in-law could chip better than that!?!?!”

Challenge these thoughts:

• Is the way I am thinking helping me to play well?
  
  
• Am I thinking as my ideal golfer would think?
  
  
• What are the advantages/ disadvantages of thinking this way?
  
  
• What would be a more constructive way of interpreting this situation?
  
  
• What would be more useful for me to focus on?

Tips

• It is useful to identify the times that you usually fall into negative thinking e.g. on the drive to the golf club, as you are warming up, on the first tee, before a particular hole, after a bad shot etc. If you can recognise those times you may be able to catch yourself before you start!
  
  
• Emphasise self-instructing, motivational, simple and present tense replacement thoughts.
  
  
• Plan and rehearse what you are going to say to yourself beforehand.

Action Three – Re-Frame

• When you notice yourself thinking in an unhelpful way take control of your thoughts.
  
  
• Take a nice even breath to slow the situation down and regain control.
  
  
• Pinch your nose/Adjust the Velcro on your glove/Visualise a STOP sign.
  
  
• Repeat to yourself “I refuse to carry on thinking like that”.
  
  
• Be forceful with yourself.
  
  
• Substitute that thought with one of the positive and constructive thoughts you have identified.

Action Four – Take Control of Your Thinking

• Choose to think helpful, constructive, empowering thoughts.

Summary

Thought control entails recognising what you are focusing your thoughts on and then choosing to listen to helpful, positive and constructive advice. This is not an easy feat to pull off and will take some time, so be patient and persevere. Practice is the key!