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LIST OF GOLF ARTICLES (All printed in the GOLF
UPDATE or Instructions: If you would like any of these articles they will cost you €2
(approximately US$2.60 or NZ$4.60) per article. Please email your selection
of articles (with corresponding number) to: vicster@cyberdude.com and you will be
emailed back a “paypal” invoice for you to pay on paypal. Once payment has been received you will
have your articles emailed directly to you. ARTICLES
(1) Introduction: “Maintaining Your Balance on Golf’s
Tight-Rope of Knowledge”
Article talks about the amount of knowledge
available about golf and getting the right balance. Understanding what makes up our performance
and why sport psychology is an important component. (2) THE
PLAYING ATTITUDE – PART 1
– Become a positive self talker! This
article introduces you to the foundation of good golf performance the playing
attitude by outlining the mental tool of self-talk (the how and why) which
plays a critical role in self awareness and in attaining the playing
attitude. (3)
THE PLAYING ATTITUDE –PART 2 – Death to
Paralysis by Analysis. If you think a lot when out on the
course then this article is for you.
It talks about the problems with analysis on course and the first step
to solving this which is another corner stone to the playing attitude. (4)
THE PLAYING ATTITUDE PART 3 -
Unquestioning Golf in “Flow". This article
talks about the peak performance state of flow in golf and how if you attain
all the characteristics of the playing attitude you give yourself the best
chance to attain this flow state regularly. (5) THE
PRACTISING ATTITUDE – Part 1: PRACTICE TO PLAY BETTER As
there is an attitude to take to the course there is an attitude or approach
that you can take to the practice area or range which will help you be a
better player out on the course. (6) THE
PRACTISING ATTITUDE Part 2: SHORT GAME PRACTICE SHOULD BE CHILDS PLAY! Short
game is an often overlooked but important part of your game to practice. This article looks at how you put the fun
and effectiveness back into your short game practice sessions. (7) KEEPING
YOUR CONCENTRATION This
article looks at all the factors that influence your concentration and
attention. It outlines some practical
and psychological steps you can take to improve your concentration next time
you step out on the course. (8) "GOOD
SPORTS AND GOLF" all in the same sentence !?! This
article broaches the subject of good sportswo/manship and details how playing
within the spirit of etiquette can actually benefit you and your
game. (9) FUN,
GOALS and GOLF! When
your golf is completely off the boil and you’re struggling to enjoy it
this article will help inject some enthusiasm and sense of success back into
your game. (10)
PRESHOT ROUTINES (I) The advantages of a pre shot
routine such as consistency of shot quality are outlined along with the
basics of what make a good pre-shot routine. (11)
PRE SHOT ROUTINES (II) – LONG GAME This article goes through some of
the specific steps one needs to go through in a long game pre-shot
routine. It outlines the mental tool
of imagery and how you can successfully incorporate it into your pre-shot
routine. (12) PRE-PUTT ROUTINES – The Psychological simplicity to putting like a legend. Golfers often overlook the obvious
in their putting which makes it hard for them in the first place. This article takes you through the
important aspects of a good simple pre-putt routine. (13)
PRE-SHOT ROUTINES for your short game This
article outlines the idiosyncrasies between pre-shot routines for the chip,
pitch and bunker shot so you can get the most out of your short game. (14) HOW
TO PLAY MATCH PLAY I Golf
is not just about the lowest score for 18 holes. Often we play other forms
including match play – which is when you play directly against an
opponent hole for hole. Based on my own masters thesis research you are
guided how best to approach match play psychologically. (15) HOW TO PLAY MATCH PLAY 2 Many
golfers have to play against a friend or someone they respect at some point
in their lives. This article
encourages you to deal with the situation effectively so that you all retain
your dignity at the end of the round. (16) A GUIDE TO FOURSOMES Another
form of golf is foursomes when we play alternative shots with a partner. This
article explains how you can get the best out of your two person team. (17) HOW BEST TO PLAY "TEAM" GOLF Whether
you’re playing for your club, county/province/state or country chances
are you’ve got to play “team” golf. This article looks at how you get a bunch
of individual golfers to work together effectively. (18) DEALING WITH BLOOPERS Based
on Lynn Brooky’s story (given with permission) of how she overcame a
blooper, this article demonstrates how you can overcome obstacles in your
game. (19) TO
GO OR NOT TO GO PRO? That is the
question. Many young golfers have the ambition to turn
pro. But what exactly does that
mean? And how do you get there? This article clarifies the situation for
those that are serious. (20) PSYCHOLOGY OF BEING A GOOD CADDY I Caddying
at club through to professional level there are issues that arise in how
caddies ought to do their job well. It talks about multiple roles of caddies
and keeping your player’s confidence high. (21) PSYCHOLOGY
OF CADDYING II : Decision Making and Caddy-TalkŠ This
article looks at the decision making process (ie club and shot choice) that
goes on between a player and a caddy and the appropriate roles involved. (22) CONFIDENCE
IS KING OF THE COURSE This
article looks at how you create and maintain confidence when on course so
that you leave the course feeling like a king rather than Joe Hackerama. (23) ROLE MODELS AND MOTIVATORS This
article reflects on Annika Sorenstam’s venture onto the mens’ USPGA
when she played the Colonial in 2003. It looks at how constructively she
dealt with the situation and why she did it.
It also looks at the pros and cons of having a “role
model” in the golfing world. (24) MOTIVATORS: WINNING OR BETTERING YOURSELF? Knowing
truly what motivates will guide you to best set the right motivating goals
for yourself. This article also looks
at goals which you have control over as well. (25) MOTIVATORS: USING YOUR GOALS TO GET YOU GOING This
article looks at how to prevent performance lapses in your round. It outline
how you can use your goals to keep you motivated instead of giving up. (26) FAILURE: PART1
This
article looks at understanding that failure is a part of life and sport. It looks at the fear we can often have
about it. (27) FAILURE: PART 2 This
article looks at how we over come our fear of failure. (28) FEAR OF SUCCESS Along
with success comes many responsibilities.
This articles looks at how we can best deal with the fear of success. (29) GETTING
YOUR SUPPORT TEAM TOGETHER This
article looks at the range of people you can put in place to support you and
your golf in your efforts to achieve your goals. (30) DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS If
you’re prone to being distracted by others or even your own thoughts
out on the course then this article is for you. (31) DEALING
WITH NERVES This
article deals with nerves in a novel manner by looking at the role that your
thoughts play in the process. (32) "YIPS"
– Mental or Physical? Looks
at the root cause of the yips and how you might start to over come this. (33) "Are you
Limited?" This
article looks at breaking scoring or handicap barriers and suggests how you
can overcome these limitations. (34) IS
YOUR CONFIDENCE ROCK SOLID? What
do you base your golf specific confidence on?
This article looks at how you can make your golf confidence more solid
and stable. (35) BRAIN WARMING! Golfers
need to mentally warm up or prepare for a round of golf or a tournament as
much as they would physically. This article outlines why and how you can best
do this. (36) MENTAL WARM DOWN! While
golfers often warm down physically what do you do to mentally warm down? This article talks about the benefits of
constructive post round reflection. (37) PRESSURE
– TOO HOT TO HANDLE! This
article looks at the pressure experience in golf and how you can best deal
with it to come out on top. (38) GOLF – A
Metaphor for Life Is there any transference of what you learn in golf
and sport psychology to life and the business world? This article would argue that there is and
gives examples of tools you might use on the course could be helpful in the
business arena. (39) KILLER INSTINCT (1): “Know Thine Own
Ability” This article looks at what exactly is the
“killer instinct” and what golfers with this characteristic must
possess to be successful in their approach. (40) KILLER INSTINCT (2):
TOTALLY TRUST IT! This article develops the concept of the
“killer instinct” further from the first article looking at the
need for trust, risk and the ability to let go. (41) WHAT’S A
SUCCESS? What do you consider success to be in golf? This article challenges you and attempts to
expand your definition of success. (42) “It ain’t
over til the Fat Lady Sings!” This article looks at the ideal of fighting to the
bitter end of a round of golf – keeping a good round going or turning
that bad game around. (43) A LEARNERS GUIDE TO
“HAPPY FAMILES”: Dealing with Advice. This article gives you three options for dealing
with Battle-Axe Betty or Chatterbox Bob and the well intentioned advice of
loved ones. (44) A LEARNERS GUIDE TO
IMPROVEMENT: Staying on Track. This article talks about the need for perpetual
disciplined diligence in keeping your mental skills/tools that you’ve
learnt sharpened regardless of how well things are going. (45) HELPING YOUR KIDS
& THEIR GOLF 1: Your Role as a Parent This article looks at what you can do to help you
child become great in golf and in life.
Tips on how you can achieve this are given. (46)
HELPING YOUR KIDS & THEIR GOLF 2: Giving their Confidence the Edge Looking at
the different parenting methods of Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie’s
families we can learn how to best build our own children’s confidence
in the big wide world of golf. (47)
“I Think Therefore I am”… a Great Golfer?! This
article rips off Descartes famous saying but also makes a good point about
the impact of greater knowledge of the swing and how thinking and our
intelligence can impact upon our performances on course. (48)
THE This
article compares traditional learning of “golf” or more
accurately the swing and compares it with the latest research on
“implicit learning”. A
must read for all swing coaches! (49)
THE Expanding
on the previous article this article outlines ways and methods in which a
player and their coach could improve their swing “implicitly”.
Again a must read for all swing coaches! (50) CAREFUL WHAT YOU AIM
FOR….AS IT SHALL BE WHAT YOU RECEIVE This
article asks the question of whether you are satisfied being the top of the
crop (in your neck of the woods) or whether you would be more satisfied in
maximising your abilities? And looks at how you can use this to influence
your goals and aspirations in the game and in life. (51) TRANSFERENCE What can you
learn from other sports that you can bring to golf? This article discovers a few that could
help your game. (52) SIMPLY PUTTING PART 1 As the
title suggests this article looks at how simple putting should be. It looks
specifically at line reading, lining up and pace. (53) SIMPLY PUTTING PART 2 This article goes to the next step beyond line
reading and pace and looks at the basics that make a good putter. (54) SIMPLY PUTTING PART 3 This article looks at how you deal with a bad day of
putting and what you can do to get yourself on track for the next round. (55) THE The battle on course is invariably with
yourself. This article looks at how you
can win the war or words, thoughts and self talk. (56)
MENTAL FITNESS: Are you mentally fit? As
physical fitness can help us succeed on course so can our mental fitness
– it can help us rise to the top when it matters the most. (57)
ON AND OFF THE COURSE: EMOTIONAL INCONGRUENCE (1) Emotionally are you the same person on the course as
you are off it? This article goes a way forward to look at the need for
creating emotional integrity between the two arenas. (58) ON
AND OFF THE COURSE: EMOTIONAL INCONGRUENCE (2) Understanding your emotions is the next step toward
being in control of the emotional roller coaster so often experienced on the
golf course. (59)
LIFE BALANCE (I): Is there more to your life than golf? This article looks at what makes a balanced life and
why its important to you and your golf. (60) LIFE BALANCE (II): How much practice is ideal? Getting the balance between practising enough and
quality practice is a big part of the life balance equation. This article helps you figure out what is
best for you. (61) TOP FIVE LIFE SKILLS: (1) Self Awareness In life we learn skills we can bring to the golf
course. The first of these is self
awareness. The article contains suggestions of how we can build this skill.
(There is a tip for parents with children). (62) TOP FIVE LIFE SKILLS: (2) Self-Discipline This article explains what self-discipline is and
how it can benefit you and your game.
Furthermore it explains how you can improve your self-discipline.
(There is a tip for parents with children). (63) TOP FIVE LIFE SKILLS: (3) High Self Esteem Good self esteem is a good foundation stone in which
to build your golf specific confidence on.
This article makes suggestions on what you can do to build your self esteem
and golf specific confidence. (There is a tip for parents with children). (64) TOP FIVE LIFE SKILLS: (4) Positive &
Optimistic Outlook This article looks at pessimism versus optimism and
the influence of your talk off course to your on course talk. (65) TOP FIVE LIFE SKILLS: (5) Personal Integrity Looks at what Personal Integrity is. Although not
necessarily considered by society to be a virtue this article argues how it
can benefit you both on and off the course. (66) MIND
GAMES Ever
played against someone who tried to use mind games against you to throw your
performance? How did you handle
it? This article will give you some
tools to deal with such unethical tactics so you can continue to play your
best. (67) IMMUNISE AGAINST CHOKING This article explains what choking is and how it
occurs and what you can do to deal with pressure situations more
constructively than the proverbial “choker”. (68) PLAYING
ATTITUDE (1): React at your Peril To achieve
the ultimate playing attitude there are four major aspects to work on. The first of these is about the peril of
reacting to shots and the required solution is outlined. (69)
PLAYING ATTITUDE (2): Unhindered by Swing Thoughts The second
aspect of the playing attitude is the rather outrageous suggestion of playing
without swing thoughts. This article explains why and how. (70)
PLAYING ATTITUDE (3): Thinking Positively This
article outline the virtues and the how to’s of being rebelliously
positive the third aspect of a great playing attitude. (71)
PLAYING ATTITUDE (4): Trust it! There is
an element of risk is all we do and golf is no different. In the fourth and final aspect of the
playing attitude we talk about the virtues of trusting your swing and
ability. (72)
REFLECTION PROTECTION Reflecting
upon a game or the year can serve to pat you on the back when others may not.
This article explains why this is important and ways you can do this
effectively. (73)
ANNUAL PLANNING (1) Once you’ve reflected on
your previous year’s performances it’s time to get proactive and
set some goals for the coming year. This article focuses on long term goal
setting. (74)
ANNUAL PLANNING (2) Developing
your long term goals into a periodised annual plan is beneficial for all
golfers. This article explains why and
how. (75)
PRACTISING ATTITUDE 1 This
article talks about what we practice for and ensures that a clear idea of
what we want to achieve will direct our practice sessions more successfully.
And looks at how you can get the best out of your technical swing work. (76)
PRACTISING ATTITUDE 2 Talks
about quality versus quantity of practice and the need to practice your
mental skills/tools too! (77)
CONFIDENT OR OVER EXPECTANT? This
article focuses on motivational goals (outcome and performance goals
specifically) and guides you as to how high you should set the bar for
yourself. (78)
OUCH! Dealing with Pain On the back of
Tiger’s US Open win in 2008 the question was asked: Tiger’s done
it then should we? We look at the
psychological pros and cons of playing with pain. (79)
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION- The Virtue of the Lesson. Most golfers are tempted to
continually tinker with their swing in order to get to improve or achieve
that perfect swing. This article investigates whether this continual improvement
is helpful or even necessary. (80)
THE PROBLEM WITH THE PEDASTAL The media love to put certain
players in the limelight and build them up in the public’s mind as
someone worthy to be in awe of or even idolised. But there are hazards
involved when one goes along with this media pied piping. (81) SELF-EMPOWERMENT:
The First Step to Conquering the “But I Always….” Your
thoughts and talk are a reflection of your belief system. This article makes suggestions of how you
can empower yourself to change for the better. (82) RISKY
BUSINESS….. Golf
doesn’t look scary, but it can be.
Taking risks is part of all top level sport. This article looks at what kinds of risks
are involved in the gentile sport of golf. (83) Pre-Shot
Routines (1): The Full Swing (picture sequence). Each
step of a good pre-shot routine is outlined with accompanying pictures. (84) Pre-Shot Routines (2): Putting (picture
sequence). Each step of a good pre-putt routine is outline with accompanying pictures |