Rowe Mental Game Tips
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Putting Pause
How long should it take you to putt after you address the ball? I’m sure you’ve heard advice given to some players that the longer they take, the more likely they are to miss. On the other hand, you’ve seen some pros who take a long time over the ball. Who is right?
It depends. There is no one answer for all golfers. It depends on what is going on in the brain while they are standing over the ball.
If they are remembering the last time they missed a putt like this one, picturing the ball slipping by the hole, remembering what it felt like when they missed, etc., standing over the ball for a long time will decrease the likelihood of making the putt.
If they are getting a clearer picture of the putt going in, the time it takes to get clearer will increase the likelihood of the putt going in. Jack Nicklaus has said that he always sees the ball going in before he takes the stroke.
What to do?
If you are running all kinds of negative thoughts, images, and feelings through your mind, the standard advice is to step up and take the stroke quickly. That may not help, but probably won’t make it worse. A better way is to step back and tap right on the spot anytime there is doubt and/or tension before any shot. Look at the stealth tapping techniques in EFT and Golf: The New Mental Game Manual, Chapter 5, Shortcuts and Stealth Tapping, if you’re not willing to tap openly.
When you get a chance, take some time to yourself to tap on the negative stuff. Here are some examples that may apply to you.
If you talk to yourself when you address the putt, your negative self-talk may sound like this. “Don’t miss it.” “Don’t make a fool of yourself.” “Don’t push it.” “Don’t pull it.” Tap on ,”Even though I tell myself [insert your self-talk], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
If you are making images of missing the putt, try “Even though I see it missing, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Rather than images or words, if you feel doubt, tap on, “Even though I feel doubt, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
If you feel tension, “Even though I feel tension, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Tap on any other negative memories from past rounds that continue to haunt you.
Once you have tapped the negative thoughts, images, and feelings, take as much time as needed over a putt to see or feel the putt going in. Like Jack Nicklaus, when you are sure it’s going in, take the stroke. If there is still some doubt, step back and tap. See Chapter 5 to speed or conceal the process.
If you have a question or comment, go to questions and comments.
To test the strength of your mental game, take the Rowe Mental Game Test for Golf or the Rowe Yips Test. Note: The Rowe Yips Test is putting yips only. I'm working on the others.
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Until next time, keep on tapping.
Jack