Certain thoughts have raced through the minds of every golfer since the first player took the first tee:
- "They’re going to think I’m terrible."
- "What if I hit it in the water?"
- "I wish he would stop jingling his coins!"
Professional golfers have sought sports psychologists, undergone golf hypnosis and mental golf training in hopes of ridding themselves of those devilish thoughts. Most amateurs suffer along in hopes they will become cured through practicing and improving the physical game, the actions required to make the ball go straight and long. The inability to exorcize those demons and remain focused on the task at hand illustrates how difficult it can be to control the six inches between the ears, at least while on the golf course. Collectively, those thoughts and those like them are the single biggest obstacle all golfers face to becoming better players.
Through his free weekly golf psychology podcast entitled Sessions With Doc, Dr. Patrick J. Cohn makes it a bit easier to understand why such thoughts present themselves. He also provides methods of replacing them with more constructive, productive thoughts.
Dr. Cohn, president and founder of Peak Performance Sports in Orlando, Florida, is an expert in the field of sports psychology. He clients include NASCAR teams, professional football teams, large corporations, individual amateur competitors and parents. Several professional golfers, such as Joe Durant, Frank Lickliter, Suzanne Strudwick, and J.L. Lewis, among others, have also found his advice on the mental side of golf to be valuable.
The weekly Sessions With Doc podcasts are typically around four-minutes in length. Each podcast addresses a question or problem directly related to the mental game of golf that has been submitted by a listener or client. Dr. Cohn explains his interpretation of why the problem is present and then provides his solution to the problem. Subscribers to the golf psychology podcast, which was first broadcast in May 2007, will find that each is amazingly pertinent. Some weekly titles include: "How to Stop Worrying About What Others Think," "Coping With Distractions," "Are You too Score Conscious on the Golf Course," and "How to Take Your Practice to Competition."
As an illustration, in addressing the problem of worrying about what others think, Dr. Cohn posits that people who do this (which applies to most golfers) are making assumptions. They "assume" how others "may" view them. They believe that if they could hit a great shot or post a good score, they would somehow be a better person, accepted by their peers and competitors. The reverse being the "assumption" if they play poorly. According to Dr. Cohn, in order to shake this problem, a golfer needs to accept himself or herself. In short, they must realize the only thing hinging on a bad shot is a bogey.
Dr. Cohn has an ability to clearly dispense with needless sports psychologist terminology and get to the heart of the matter, which is all a listener wants and needs. The only complaint with these golf psychology podcasts are their brevity. The four minutes pass very quickly and listeners will find themselves wanting to hear more. Golfers, like everyone else, can never get enough of hearing others are in the same boat.
Train yourself to play better golf and Give Sessions With Doc a listen. It’s free, but worth a whole lot more to avid golfers. His advice, when put to good use, should make big difference in on-course performance and enjoyment of the game. The golf podcast can be found at Apple’s iTunes or visit Dr. Cohn’s website, PeakSports.com.
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