Improve your focus on the green

PG Wodehouse knew all about golfers. One of his characters, having missed

a crucial putt, complains that “the uproar of the butterflies in the adjoining meadows” ruined his concentration.

We’ve all had the dubious privilege of spending 18 holes in the company of such people. They are prickly, short-tempered and self-obsessed. Worst of all is the impact they have on their playing partners. Someone in your group constantly whingeing or foaming at the mouth can lead you to lose concentration. You end up hoping their game improves just to keep the volume down.

Playing alongside a slow golfer can also be infuriating for partners seeking to avoid a reputation for tardiness. Rushing shots to make up for lost time just makes matters worse.

The ability to cope with distractions is critical at all levels of the game. In the pro ranks, distractions can include spectators chattering away on their mobiles, cameras clicking at the top of your backswing or having to field endless questions about Tiger.

I want to introduce you to the most powerful sports psychology tool of them all. I have used the Black Box Recorder on hundreds of occasions for over a decade and it has worked every single time.

The Black Box Recorder wipes out distractions. Examples of distractions might be your mother-in-law or someone who keeps parking in the space outside your house or going on the clock in the middle of your round. Distractions, in other words, are minor irritations that get under your skin.

The Black Box Recorder erases them all. For example, I used it to help an international footballer stuck on 99 goals whose obsession with three figures had become a distraction. After guiding him through the technique, he scored twice in the next game.

Next page: Black Box Recorder Technique

Where next?

More Mind Game instruction: - Manage your expectations  - Sensing the danger - Control your anger on the course - Train your brain - Five steps to positive thinking

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