OK,

be aware of thought is continued with an idea that you are not your thoughts. You do not need to do, what you fear most. BUT you might ask you self from where that thought comes from. - And if you cannot shake it. You can but your fear in to perspective - like are you a horrible person, if you hit your ball to a water hazard.

(In Karate I do not have to think about any technique. It just happens. I might check out opponents typical moves before my match, but when in competition, I don't look for clues when to attack or what the other person might do. I'd be too late to react.

In golf I work the putting green same way. I just walk around it and let my hands work. If I set up in a wrong line when putting, I feel my hands turning my putter to a better line.)



I did some concentration exercises last winter. I think you can practice concentration with out even playing golf. It just like doing strength training, but working your mental abilities. (Just looks like I'm not "strong" enough.)

To be aware of not being strong enough and that I noticed some key faults on my swing, is a good development. Now I have something to focus on. I can start working to improve. (After a while I will notice more things to improve - and this will never end - but that is golf.)

Ian wrote about walking on a 10 feet high beam and I started to think what way would I practice that.
a) I'd start from the ground and lift the beam little by little so that eventually it would be 10 feet high.
b) I'd do easy things first - like drink half a pint and then continue to more difficult - like hole pint :-)
c) I'd learn to fall down so that I do not get insured. (Or use some protection while training.)

What would this mean in mental training in golf?
a) Start from little stress and ingress it - but the technique has to be good enough
b) I do not know if I should do a full motion swing - half 50% - or just hit the ball a shorter distance and let unconscious work things out. Often half speed leads to not hitting through - not shifting my weight or pulling a shot to left. ( "b" might mean that I need to practice with shorter clubs and move to longer ones? I'd like to get more accurate with all clubs.)
c) Making is save to fall? This would mean a very strong self image. "I am not what I do". It does not set my value. I am not a better person, if I win or loose a competition.

I have used "unconscious me" when putting. Some days it works fine, but it's very easy to break the concentration. "Zombie" might do the trick, but I think there must be some thing else. I would not go to "not feeling", but I'd like to go to feeling save to make or miss. (I accept that I can't make all my shots or puts, but yesterday I scored 111 and that's more than 20 shots too much.)

Hannu