When should I start my junior with mental game training?

When should I start my junior with mental game training?  This question has come up a lot in the last few years as mental game training is a key component for golfers.  And junior golfers are now using mental game coaches like me to help them get to the next level.  So really the question becomes is your child mature enough to handle those mental game skills.  So I started with seven year olds before, and we are talking about basic skills, like what you are focusing on, and pre-shot routine, and some stuff on confidence, but how I would approach them is going to be different than a 16 year old who has played a lot in tournaments, who is more mature.  We start talking about pressure and some other situations.  So as a parent, if you feel that your child is not handling competitive golf well, has a poor attitude, and needs a little bit of some support and some coaching, then certainly mental game coaching can be a solution for that.  When it comes down to course management and things like that, sometimes the local PGA pro teacher can help fulfill some of the basic needs.  As the child gets older, and some of the mental and emotional issues come to the forefront, then we definitely can use the mental game training even more.  So I would say a great age to get them started is between eight and ten on some basic mental game skills, and then as we start approaching the more competitive ages of 12 to 14, its definitely a key component for them to succeed, and of course, as we get into 15, 16, 17, getting ready for college golf, I think mental game skills are vital, whether you use a coach like myself, or get resources, books, and audio’s, I think it would really, really help that competitive junior at that age to take them to the next level.  So at any point just like you would do with physical skills, you can start introducing mental game skills and help your junior get to that next level.

When to specialize golf coaching for juniors

As the child gets older, there is a decision being made about should they specialize just in golf, or should the junior actually play other sports throughout the year. My opinion is that it’s great for the 8 to 14 year old to play other sports, especially a team sport so they can learn some different dynamics with team building and coaching that you may not get in an individual sport like golf. With that being said, as we do get to an older age, the 14-15 year old range, depending on how good the junior is will depend should we specialize in one sport or the other. All sports have become more specialized in the last 10 years than before. I like to see balance in somebody’s athletic endeavors; however, because the competition is specializing, you may have to look at making decisions when the child is 14 or 15 years old of is golf going to be the only sport to put the 100% of effort in, or can we still succeed at a high level in golf and have some other interests in some other sports. Now that’s on kind of an individual basis. But what I have seen lately is people specializing at an earlier age. I had one of my top juniors decide not to play baseball anymore at the age of 12 because he knew that golf, in the long run, was going to be his answer to college, and it’s where he wanted to compete, and that potentially playing baseball would deter him from some of those goals. So it’s important for one to understand where you are at from an achievement standpoint in your specific sport and if the other sport or activity would actually interfere with the improvement of somebody’s golf game.  And so, take again — take a look at where the junior is. Are they at a high level already? And what are the end goals? Now some people just want to play high school golf, great. Then you should be able to play other sports. You should play on the football team, the basketball team; sports that are not in the same part of the year, and this can help you stay fresh and balanced for the golf season. But, again, most juniors that I work with, their goal is college and beyond, and right now we’re seeing a lot more specialized, picking one sport over another. If you have any other questions you can reach me at golfmentalcoach.com.

Junior Training

The last five years has really opened up specific golf training for juniors.  I know through the TPI, Titleist Performance Institute, they now have certification for junior fitness trainers. What has been known for now 10 to 20 years, is there’s different golf academies throughout the world — Sweden, South Africa, Canada — that have been implementing specialty teaching and coaching to their junior golfers.  The important thing to understand is that juniors, whether you’re the age of 8, 12, or 16 have many different needs.  Children change physically, emotionally, and mentally very quickly, and need to be trained accordingly.  So when you’re looking at improving juniors’ golf games, we certainly look at the mechanics of their golf swing, and we know that teaching a five year old, who’s very weak, is different than teaching a 16 year old, who can hit the ball 300 yards.  There’s a physical difference in strengths and flexibilities and structures.  That’s the same thing with physical training now that we’re working on balance, flexibility, strength, core conditioning, explosive power, which are all important to get to the next level.  Those need to be trained at different stages depending on the age and maturity level of the junior.  Mental game training is the same way. We need to train based on the maturity level and the needs and wants of the junior golfer.  There are certainly general principles that can be applied to all training here, but it’s important to understand that each child is different. So as you now put together a great training program for a junior golfer, look at the different elements of physical training, technical training, mental training, and club fitting.  The clubs could change almost every year sometimes as they get taller and swing faster.  Just realize that when you look at specialized golf training for juniors, it’s important to know the age, maturity, and physical structure of the junior before we start to dive into these different specialty trainings.  When you put them all together, and they’re done correctly, it’s very powerful and can definitely accelerate improvement in the junior.  But if they’re done incorrectly, it can be a hindrance, it can cause injuries, and it can actually produce poor performance. So, please be careful as you now do specialized training for your junior golfer.

Ryder Cup Pressure

Wow, what a Monday that I saw on TV with the Ryder Cup singles matches. I had not been able to follow too much of the weekend team matches, but now to see the individuals go at it, it was very interesting to see how the mental game came into play. After it was said and done, Europe beat the United States. The United States came out and they never quit and they went and almost made a great comeback. What was interesting with the commentators during that time is that at the start of the telecast, it seemed to be kind of a preconceived notion that Europe’s going to win. Almost like a moral victory of, “let’s try to have some pride for the USA to make it at least somewhat of a match”. Then as the tide started to turn towards the US, it now became mathematically possible for the United States to win, and now the attention became on the Rickie Fowler match and the Hunter Mahan  match. What happened here? As you may know, Rickie Fowler went birdie, birdie on the 17 and 18 to halve his match, which now again put it into Hunter Mahan’s hands that he needed to halve the match in order for the United States to retain the Ryder Cup. Then you saw a different Hunter Mahan. I really like Hunter and I think he’s fantastic player who’s got a great future in front of him. It’s interesting now that once it became apparent that their match was the only one left, that his physical skills were now affected by the mental game. He did not hit the fairway on 16. He did not hit the green on 16. He hit a poor iron shot on 17 and hit a poor chip shot on 17, so he never made solid contact like he did earlier in the match. So,  what happened? Did the situation become too big for him? I’m not sure. I think he obviously was distracted in some sorts and there was some nervous energy going and he wasn’t able to perform. When you ask Graeme McDowell after his win how is this different than winning the US Open, he says “this is the most nervous I have ever been”, and yet he performed very, very well. He made a birdie on 16. He hit a solid golf shot on 17 and put it close so that he was going to have a par putt to win it anyway. He thrives under that pressure and used that energy. I think Hunter was playing almost too hard and I think he felt the enormity of winning for himself, for his team, for his country, and it got the better of him unfortunately. So, the mental game of golf again is the difference between who wins and loses. I think it’s important to understand the best of the best that has been under the most pressure, they also have their breaking point.

The 5 Biggest Mental Mistakes made by Junior Golfers

The 5 Biggest Mental Mistakes made by Junior Golfers:

Mistake #1 Distracted Easily-  Mental Skill needed=FOCUS 

The lack of consistent focus is the number one mistake junior golfers make on the golf course. When I give playing lessons the first thing I notice is the lack of concentration throughout a round by a junior. I see juniors that are distracted by playing partners, noises, squirrels, wind, you name it I have heard it. The issue for juniors is that very few of them are ever taught what they should focus on. This is where developing a consistent, effective pre-shot routine is vital. In my book, Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game I spell out in detail the proper preshot routine. For this audio I want you to remember a few basics.

1. Be clear on what shot you have in front of you. What kind of lie do you have, what is your target, which club are you going to use, and what shot are you going to play.
2. Next, rehearse the shot with a practice swing exactly how you want to perform the shot.
3. Finally, look at your target and commit to the shot. Stay focused in your mind on the target you are planning.

If you do get distracted use a refocus word like target to get you back on focusing on the present shot. 

Mistake #2- Too hard on self- Mental Skill needed Confidence

 The second mental mistake I see junior golfers make has to do with being too hard on themselves. Unfortunately I know this far to well. I lived and died with everyshot. If I hit a good shot I felt fine, however if I hit a poor shot I felt horrible. It was difficult to bounce back for the next shot. I would call myself names, throw clubs, and basically become a jerk to play with. My wake up call was when I was 18 years old my friend and instructor Paula Olsen told me she would not play with me again until I controlled my temper. She always supported me and said that I was good enough to play at the highest level except I didn’t have a good attitude on the course and couldn’t play well after hitting poor shots. I worked on my attitude and because of the improvement I earned a college scholarship because my mental attitude was now as good as my physical skills.

Please if you get anything from this audio is to develop a mental toughness that even when you hit poor shots you can stay positive and are able to refocus on the next shot. Nobody wants to play with a poor sport and your game will suffer if you let your temper take over.

I teach a post shot routine to my students that allows them to learn from the shot they hit without letting it emotionally affect their ability to be at their best for the next shot.

Nobody is perfect and you should strive to enjoy golf. I know it is easier to enjoy golf when you are playing well, however golf is like life you must keep going with the ups and downs.

 Mistake #3 Score Focused- Mental Skill needed Process Focus

The third mental mistake I see junior make is being too score conscious during a round of golf. I know that golf is about which player scores the lowest; however when it becomes your only focus you will actually play worse. Golf involves two steps: process and outcome. This means that how you swing the club will result in a certain outcome of shot. Basically this is a cause and effect. If your only focus is the outcome of the shot you will forget to focus on the best process to achieve better results.

What happens is that juniors begin to think too far ahead in a round of what they should shoot on certain holes and forget to focus on the shot that is right in front of them. 

Mistake #4 Poor Practice Habits- Mental Skills needed Focused Practice

Don’t know how to practice- waste time and seem to only gradually get a little better instead of making big strides.

            * Juniors tend to mess around and just hit balls- don’t focus, don’t have a plan

            * Juniors need to know in advance what they are going to practice with the help of their instructor

            My students get a card after each lesson that highlights where improvement is needed and what should be practiced with drills to make changes

            Have a plan- what are my priorities that I need to practice today.

            What drills and practice games can I use to keep my focus on my priorities

            Journalize your sessions to track your progress

 Mistake #5 Not Tournament Ready- Prepare to Be at your best

• This sometimes is a mistake made by an overzealous parent who wants their child to play in a tournament.
  • Outside comfort zone
  • Not knowing how to prepare for tournament.
    • Practice round
    • Pre round routine

Congrats to Bella!

I really enjoy working with junior golfers because most of them truly love the game and practice so hard. One of my students Bella Setio just won another big tournament. This one was the Los Angeles County Junior Championship. She shot even par and played very well. Good job Bella.

Golf Tips Interview- What should Tiger do next?

Golf Tips Magazine interviewed me on what Tiger Woods should do next to get his game back. Below is an expert out of the article that will appear in the July/August issue.

1. If you were Tiger’s coach, what would you advise him to do? How would you advise him to change his swing? What does he need to get his game back on track?

This is no time to press the panic button. Tiger is so talented that he went out with minimal preparation and placed fourth in the Masters. First, Tiger needs to take inventory of his physical body. He needs to be honest with himself and his future coach on how healthy he is as it pertains to his knee, neck, and Achilles tendon. Next, develop a plan for the next 5-7 years that takes into account his physical issues and his ultimate goal; surpass Jack Nicklaus’ major record. I think Tiger will play even fewer tournaments in the coming years to preserve his body and stay fresh. This is a time for Tiger to reinvent himself both as a man and golfer. We have all known Tiger as a power player, however I think he will become known as the total golfer and learn to dissect courses with playing the “right shot” instead of over powering a course. When Tiger first came out on tour one of his weaknesses was his inconsistent distance control with his wedges. He then learned to dial down the aggressive swings he made and learned to play these wedges at 70% effort. He then became very good at those shots. I would like to see him take that same attitude to his longer clubs to improve his sequence and keep his arms and body in sync. Swinging within himself, especially with the driver will improve his consistency and minimize the big miss.

2. How do you compare Tiger’s swing today to when he held all four majors at once? Any specific swing aspect you would like to see him to improve on?

I preferred Tiger’s swing in 2000-2001 stretch. His arm plane was a little more upright on the backswing and he kept the club in front of him better on the downswing. He played a soft cut with his driver and rarely missed it both ways. Haney’s philosophy is to promote more forearm rotation on the backswing and forward swing. Unfortunately, I believe that caused the club face to open up on the backswing and he had to rotate the forearms through impact to square the club face back up. The problem with the new swing is that it required more timing to get the hip rotation, arm plane, and club face back to square at impact. Tiger still has very fast hips and with his arm plane flatter on the backswing it promoted an under plane downswing causing both pushes and snap hooks. I would like to see the older version of arms higher on backswing, less arm rotation, and hitting a little cut.

3. Tiger is struggling more and more with the driver. Why?

Tiger’s arm plane has lowered which promotes more draws, however with his aggressive hip speed he would drop the club even flatter on the downswing causing him to get stuck more often than in the early 2000’s. Add that with his head dropping and you have a recipe for getting stuck and either pushing the ball right or overcompensating with the hands and flipping the club face closed causing a hook.

4. Do you think Tiger came back too soon? Should he take the rest of the year off?

If Tiger’s neck was truly hurt, then he did come back too soon. However, the only way to get your game back is to play again. He probably felt he needed the normalcy of playing golf again to get some control back in his life. Getting back to playing golf was more for his personal health than his golf career.

5. Tiger has been the game’s most mentally tough player, probably ever. Do you think he’ll regain his old form? What does he need to do to do that?

As a junior his father was training Tiger to deal with anything that could potentially get in the way of his performance. Tiger will figure it out mentally. As a mental coach I stress routines and rituals. It is important for Tiger to find a practice ritual that gets him mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared to compete. He needs to go back to mastering the process of each shot. I think there was a part of him in his comeback that wanted to prove to everyone that he could overcome his personal turmoil. I would advise him to get back to doing the things he knows will get him back and not care what others are thinking. He played his best when he played in a cocoon. His agent and others may want him to be a nicer version, but I disagree. What makes him a great competitor is being so focused on playing golf that he is not focused on being nice to the gallery. It sounds harsh, but for him to play his best, his intensity and drive needs to be high and if he is consciously trying to be different will negatively affect his performance. He knows how he needs to be mentally and emotionally to be at his best. He needs to get back to those routines before and during competition to keep his edge.

6. Tiger’s “problems” are certainly both personal and professional. How do you think he’s handled himself so far? What do you think he should have done differently?

It is always easy to say he should have done things differently. I think his “handlers” waited too long to have Tiger respond. I also think the “rehabilitation” was not his idea and he hid behind it to gain sympathy instead of coming out early showing he was responsible and he made those decisions. It would have accelerated the comeback process and he could have comeback sooner to competitive golf. With his world upside down he needs routine and what he knows, that is golf. He is in a no win situation when he talks about making changes because he will constantly be under the microscope.

7. There’s been a lot of talk about Tiger regaining his “Tiger Slam” swing. First is that even possible? Second, is that the best thing for his game?

I think there are elements of the Tiger Slam swing that will help him; however his body has changed considerably since then. His injuries and the added muscle will create different challenges for his swing. He needs to minimize the two-way miss with his driver. I would like to see him go back to hitting a soft fade with the driver by having his arm plane a little higher on the backswing and less forearm rotation throughout the swing.

8. What do you think Tiger’s next move should be?

I think he should go back to basics after developing a long term plan. He shouldn’t get caught up in fixing everything now. Play his normal schedule through the end of the year and reevaluate his game in October to prepare for 2011. He can still win in 2010, but don’t do a major overhaul. Who he picks as his next coach will be important, but Tiger knows his game and will ultimately create the swing he thinks will get him back better than ever.

9.With all the turmoil that’s happened in his “annus horribilis” do you think that he’ll be able to get back on track and break Nicklaus’ record?

Yes, I think he will break Nicklaus’ record. He is still young and will use this personal challenge to motivate him to even greater heights. I would be surprised if he won at Pebble, but not surprised if he won at St. Andrews where the landing areas are wider and the greens slower. He will get back to being single minded and do everything he can to break that record.

I have taken the challenge!

I just signed up to do a 100 holes in a day marathon on May 3rd and I need to start getting ready. The event will benefit junior golf and I will play 9 holes with 11 different juniors so they can be a part of this exciting day. The problem for me is that I maybe played a total of 200 holes in 2008. Now in one day I am going to play 100 holes. This gives me a great reason to practice, get in golf shape, and challenge my mental game to play so much in one day. I will keep everyone updated on how I am training to so I can play great golf, injury free, and be able to raise money for junior golf.

He’s Back!

The golf season will officially start this week when Tiger Woods comes back to the tour after surgery on his left knee. Everybody will be wondering how he will perform. He will be great. With no pain in the left knee he will be able to swing freely for the first time in 3 years. The physical part will be fine, it is the mental side that might get even better. When athletes are away from their game they begin to change perspective. They get to a point where they miss playing. Many like Tiger get completely away from the game and begin to focus on other ventures like his golf course design projects, a new baby boy, and finishing building his home. Tiger will be fresh mentally as many golfers will be fresh after a cold winter. I am looking forward to see once again how Tiger can impress us all.

Are you playing inspired golf?

I was fortunate to get to play at Ojai Valley Inn Resort last Sunday and had a very unique experience. I found myself playing very uninspired golf. You know those days when you could take it or leave it. I was surprised how I felt because I usually look forward to playing my once a month round. From a performance standpoint being uninspired created a decreased level of focus and an almost “too relaxed” attitude on the course. This did not work for me. I play my best when I am a little on edge. This improves my focus and keeps me in the present moment. I was sharing this experience with a student of mine who had just had a similar experience. He agreed that his lazy attitude created focus breakdowns and poor execution on easy shots.

So many players blame their swings for poor rounds when it could be your attitude and how inspired you are to play that day. When the attitude is not right find something about that round that will spark your interest. For me it turned into a challenge to finish strong. I found it difficult to just switch it on. This was a good lesson for me as an occasional player that I need to come to the course with the correct attitude because it can be difficult to change once in the round. Get inspired!