Welcome

Welcome to issue number 19 of The 3 Minute Golfer. This FREE, weekly publication is here to help every golfer improve their mental game and their personal wellbeing.

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In this issue:

• Sleepy…The Lullaby Player

  • The Psychology Behind the Snooze

  • How Sleepy Affects the Group

  • Pro Tips for Waking Up the Sleepy Player

• Wellness Tip – The Power of Positive Thinking

• Mental Demons Q+A

• In Person Events - Book The 3 Minute Golfer

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Sleepy…The Lullaby Player

Ever found yourself tapping your foot, checking the time, re-checking your glove Velcro, and wondering if your partner has dozed off over their ball? If this scenario sounds familiar, you might be playing with a partner who has a Sleepy mental style. This is the golfer who drifts around the course at a snail’s pace, struggles to make decisions, and seems blissfully unaware that their slow motion is driving everyone else bananas.

Picture this…you’re in a friendly competition, but you notice Bob in your group is taking forever to line up a short putt. He circles the ball at least four times. Then he kneels. Then he re-checks his angles. But somewhere in the midst of all that, he seems to forget what he’s doing entirely, gazing off at a random cloud. You see your precious afternoon flying by as he drifts into lullaby land.

Bob exemplifies the Sleepy mindset…

Slow to Move…moseys rather than walks, or constantly just needs a little more time to decide his shot

Indecisive…even a simple pitch to the green from the fringe becomes an existential crisis

Concentration Issues…finds it hard to stay focused, letting his mind wander to the birdies in the trees instead of the birdies on his card

Lack of Awareness…genuinely doesn’t get why everyone else looks like they’re about to blow a fuse waiting on him

The Psychology Behind the Snooze

As we know, and have discussed in previous newsletters, golf requires a delicate balance between calm focus and energetic execution…optimal arousal. If you are a Sleepy type, then you tend to hang out on the too-little-arousal side of the spectrum. Your sluggish tempo can reduce your competitive edge and sabotage your performance through a loss of mental focus when it matters most. Unfortunately, your sluggishness can also trigger frustration in your partners or, let’s be honest, the entire field behind them.

Here are three possible reasons why you may be creating the snooze…

Overthinking + Under-Doing…You mistakenly believe that taking more time means a better shot. While taking a moment to line up is useful, going down an infinite rabbit hole of overthinking your shot can backfire. Your Sleepy mindset can easily get you stuck in mental quicksand, so the more you analyse, the more you are likely to freeze.

Anxiety Masquerading as Calm…You may look relaxed on the surface, but just beneath is likely to be a ton of anxiety, with one common response to the anxiety being avoidance. The Sleepy golfer often stalls because committing to a shot feels stressful, so they push the moment of truth as far away as possible.

Lack of Mental Awareness…Or you may just lack mental awareness and not be tuned into the world around you. Your mind just wanders naturally, and you find it hard to focus and concentrate on the job at hand…a daydreamer extraordinaire.  Unfortunately, a drifting mind leads often to a scattered performance and slow pre-shot routines.

How Sleepy Affects the Group

Teammate Tension…we’ve all experienced the dreaded wait. Over time, that tension can stew into irritation or even resentment if the slow poke doesn’t speed up

Lost Momentum…golf is about rhythm. A lull between shots can break the flow for everyone, not just the Sleepy player

Longer Rounds…if you’re known for finishing 18 holes right before dusk, while everyone else started at dawn, then there’s a problem

Pro Tips for Waking Up the Sleepy Player

Set a Time Cap for Decisions…Give yourself a “decision deadline.” For instance, you have no more than 15 seconds from the moment you arrive at your ball to decide on the club and shot shape. This structure can shake off the mental cobwebs and force you to become more efficient.

Use a Trigger Phrase…Ever find yourself staring at the ball without a clue of what to do next? Create a short, upbeat phrase like “Let’s do this!” to say before each shot. This serves as a mental “alarm clock” that snaps your focus back to the present moment (Krane & Williams, 2010).

Practice Purposeful Awareness…Try purposefully tuning into your environment, what are your playing partners doing, are they staring and waiting for you to move, are you lagging behind walking up the fairway? Being self-aware is the first step to being a better player. Don’t be embarrassed, just do a quick hustle to the next tee box or be quicker in your pre-shot routine.

Stay in Your Optimal Zone…To speed you up and increase your arousal level, try light physical activity before your shot, like a few jumps or some brisk practice swings. This will raise your heart rate slightly and provide the perfect wake-up call.

Self-Diagnose…If you suspect that you might be a Sleepy, fear not, your game improvement starts with acknowledging the problem. At the end of the day, golf should be fun, not frustrating. So, if you find yourself slow-motion-floating around the course, consider giving your game a jolt of energy. Everyone and your scorecard will thank you!

See the References Here.