We have an interesting question from Gene Bowden about your metal attitude in playing golf. So Gene says this. “hi. i am 83, still play a good game of golf, when younger I was a 2 handicapper, now about a 14. Always hit the ball straight and fairly long, so what is my problem? About every time I get to these two water holes and have to go over from about 100 yds. In the water it goes. I was one over until i got to this 18th par 5 hole, had about a 100 yd. to the green for my 3rd shot, put two in the water and got a 9 on the hole. Same thing on the 8th hole, in the water and got a 7 that hole. This happens too many times. Need help…thanks. Gene.”
Well, Gene got a response very quickly from Amos Terrell. Amos said to Gene: “What club are you using? Try using one club stronger and concentrate on the swing. Try to forget the water. With the correct club selected, the water is not there!”
Well, that's really very good advice. You don't imply whether you're hitting the ball well and not carrying the water. It seems to imply you're hitting poor shots, and not a fact of hitting enough club. But if that's the case, there's one of your answers.
The second part of Amos' answer is also very correct in that you want to focus, not on the water, but hitting the ball on the green. It could be that, in reading your comment, it sounds like, when you get to these two water holes, everything is about the water.
We know that, in any cases, golfers immediately put a noose around their neck and start choking themselves to death. They get on a hole that gives them a problem or has problems on it, like one side, out of bounds on the other side or bunkers. It's like, O.K., don't go in the water, whatever you do, don't go in that water left, yeah, but don't go out of bounds right. All we're focusing on are the things we don't want to do.
The brain does not function in negatives. It functions in positives. The best example I got was from a very good friend of mine, Dr. Dennis Johnson, who is a psychologist. He once told me, “People always say, especially golfers, they are always focusing on the negatives. The brain deals in positives. For example, 'Don't think of an elephant.'”
If I tell you to don't think of an elephant, the first thing that pops into your mind is an elephant! In other words, you can't not don't do something. So the only thing you can do is positives. When you get to that water hole, I don't even want you to see that water anymore. Yes, you know it's there. But the water is not an issue because you're a good player. Even if you're a marginal player. Any Player of any skill level! Focus on what you want to do.
What you want to do is make a good setup, make a good swing, hit a good shot onto the green. So all you're looking at is your ball and your green and that's where you're going to hit the ball. Stay 100% on the positive.
We always have to know where the problems are so we can make sure, in some cases, we hit away from the problem to leave our selves a little margin of error. But we don't every focus and just think about the negatives, about the bad things we don't want to do or don't want to go, but only on the good things we want to do and the good places we want to go.
So, Gene, when you get up to that lake the next time, just look at that great big, beautiful green, just waiting to receive your golf ball so you can knock it on that green and one putt for birdie or two putts for par. The water's there, you know it, but put all your focus on the green and in your swing to hit the ball there. I think you'll be surprised that you'll start playing like the player you know you are.
So get that bugaboo water out of your head and think about that beautiful green.
The Surge!