Dr. Nate Zinsser – Director of Sports Psychology – West Point

“Overthinking is often the problem in golf. Winning requires some forgetfulness. Suppress negative emotions. Concentration, composure, and confidence. Just look and swing!

From time to time our minds wander and get sidetracked by the things we don’t want to happen. Worrying about “what ifs” negatively programs the conscious mind to expect failure. The subconscious mind (the control center for all movement) starts giving the conscious mind confusing messages like, “I hope I don’t make this mistake again.” Exactly what you don’t want to happen is programmed to happen. Fear of embarrassing yourself creeps in.  Why not take an alternative approach and tell your mind just exactly what you expect to happen.  If you are going to take the time to think a thought and communicate the thought to your mind, why not make it a success oriented thought.