Sports Hypnotist Peter O'Dell, MA says that the average golfer puts far too much attention to various body parts, when there is one “muscle” that causes most of the problems—the “muscle” located between the ears! Over the years working with golfers of all levels, he has compiled a list of the Top Ten Mental Mistakes Golfers Make, And How To Immediately Correct Them.
"Most golf gurus tell their students to focus on their arms or wrists or exactly how their feet are positioned."
O'Dell's Top 10 mental mistakes are:
Number 10: Worry About Others Watching You
The shrinks call it performance anxiety and names like that. All it comes down to is imagining what somebody else thinks about you. Unless you are a certified psychic, you don't have a clue what somebody is thinking about you until they tell you. And then, chances are that part of what they are telling you is a lie. Chances are these days they are more concerned about making the next balloon payment on their mortgage for the house that is three times what they could afford than your swing. Tell your conscious mind to “forgetaboutit”
Number 9:Think of what could go wrong
Totally counterproductive. To process the language, your subconscious has to make up images of those things happening. Shift your thinking to a fantastic shot you made in the past and how good that made you feel.
Number 8:Compare yourself to some other golfer
This is really useful! Here is the good news and the bad news. The good news: your brain is very good at answering questions you pose to it. The bad news: your brain is very good at answering questions you pose to it. And it is like “radio talk show hosts”: nobody checks the facts. It just has to sound plausible. Far better to compare yourself to yourself. Hint: spend most of your time thinking about where you have already improved and only a tiny amount on where you need improvements.
Number 7:Criticize your shot and look for flaws
You get more of what your focus on. If you want more problems, then think about “your problems.” A much better idea is to remember a shot that was spectacular, or a whole round that you played “out of your head.”
Number 6:Try To “Consciously”
Probably half or more of the golf gurus tell you how to hold the club and how to move the arm and a bunch of crap like that. In the golf swing, you whole body is involved. There are over 600 muscles in the body, and most of them play a role. You can't control more than a handful at a time—consciously. But it is a piece of cake for your subconscious. Your subconscious mind effortlessly handles the golf swing. Tell it what you want the swing to looks like. Picture it, describe it, feel it—and keep doing that until it feels totally natural.
The balance of the list can be found at: http://www.howcaniimprovemygolfswing.com/
