Anxiety and working through it.....

Nickb333 · February 26

7 wood is the answer.

weems · February 26

The book "Golf is not a game of perfect" has really opened my eyes to how I should be approaching shots, and I re-read it often. I have terrible anxiety and always wondered why I could go out with a group of friends and shoot better than my handicap, and I get on the same course in the Friday blitz and look like I have never played golf before.

Executing a lot of the things that are suggested in the book have really helped. Now all I think about after picking my target, lining up to the ball, I focus on my arms and hands being relaxed and tension free, and just think "smooth". It has really seemed to eliminate that harsh tension filled miss that crept up in every round, now if I hit a bad shot, at least it was a smooth swing and doesn't effect my mood as much.

Edited February 26 by weems

ferrispgm · February 27

IMO most anxiety if not all comes from worrying about the outcome of the shot in some way; whether it's not embarrassing yourself, trying to avoid losing a ball or simply wanting to hit a good shot. The simplest answer and one that I adhere to is to not care about where the ball goes. Step up and hit it...where it goes it goes and if it's not good, hit it again.

Scottbox · February 27

99% of golf psychology books oversimplify or merely scratch the surface on the issue of intrusive thoughts, which is the main problem we all deal with. The fact is, research has proven that intrusive thoughts can not be controlled in any way. They enter our heads and leave. What we can do is accept the thoughts and learn not to react to them, so that they pass through us. This is book is a huge help: Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts.

Don't be put off by the overly long title. The book is an easy read and provides solutions that will truly help you.

Edited February 27 by Scottbox

Laaandry · February 28

Absolutely echo what @Scottbox is saying. Too many golf "psych" books expect people to just think their way to positivity through a bunch of idioms and metaphors. CBT workbooks are great. In the realm of golf, Golf Beneath the Surface by Raymond Prior is the only one I've read that actually talks about mindfulness and CBT related strategies while applying them to golf. I'll also throw one rec out for GYRA Golf by Izzy Justice which gives an actual on course tool and approaches anxiety and it's golf related comorbidities from a neuroscience lens then the usual, "Be the ball."