Visualise golf shot. Have this as your default start for every stroke you do from now on.
You may or may not know that there are two ways of visualising. They both have their strengths and weaknesses and it is essential to know and practice them both.
The first way is looking through your own eyes - or Associated.
The second way is as if you are looking through the lens of a camera, like a video recording of the event - or Disassociated.
So with the first way - Associated - with your imaging you would look down and see the ball at your feet as if you were there. In the second way - Disassociated - you would see your self over there looking at the ball at your feet. Just like watching a video of the event.
Keep in mind, it doesn't matter which form you are using, they both need the reference for your best shot in a sensory way. Remember, from Rehearsing / Replaying, go with the aspects of the imaging for your best shot - size of picture, brightness, location, sensations and so forth. Get your best 'code' on the job.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of both these styles:
Associated
Remember. We are talking about the images you make in your own mind here. Not the real external reality of the golf course.
The images that you make that are 'Associated' - i.e. looking through your own eyes - tend to be much more emotionally intense.
A huge advantage here is to go Associated when you are at your most confident and effective. You build in a stronger reference that you can use later.
That is, if it is a happy occasion it becomes even more happy and if it is a bad experience it becomes even more intensely bad.
So, good tip, in your life make sure your happy memories are Associated and your unhappy memories are Disassociated This can be a life changer.
The best reference for this comes from Hollywood. Note how we relate to the hero or heroine of the story but don't care about the 20 or 30 innocent people that get killed along the way. This is because they are killed from a Disassociated perspective - those little people over there being shot. We care about the hero or heroine because the director makes us do so.
At some point he has us looking through the eyes of the main character by using the point of view of the camera. We become intensely emotionally involved. Also they are always dressed in different colors or shades to the other characters. They take our eye and we become involved. We haven't even covered the auditory component yet.
The benefits of using Associated for visualise golf shot techniques.
It can give you a better sense of timing. You have the distance between you and the ball as it actually really is - if you visualise accurately that is. You can also have a more accurate perception of the distance from the ball to the target.
I have worked with athletes in different sports whose techniques weren't working optimally because the distances and timing in their visualising was inaccurate. It is easy to distort things internally. Actually we can use that to advantage as I will explain.
A very good aspect to play with here, using Associated visualising, is to make the ball seem bigger than it really is. This can help with your accuracy. Try it and see. Visualise golf shot techniques can be flexible.
Associated visualising doesn't help as much if you want to use a role model - such as a top PGA golfer. Often it is better to use Disassociated visualising first with this aspect. We will cover more of this later.
Another disadvantage of Associated visualising is that it wont help with correcting poor posture and 'out of balance' swing. This is why we use real video footage techniques. It helps you to see yourself as you really are. Associated visualising doesn't lend itself to this.
Disassociated
Disassociated visualising, as if through a camera lens, can be very useful for bouncing off a role model. Most of your references for these people are from this perspective - camera - anyway. Lets use it to advantage.
You can go '3 D' with this. Just like on TV you can have the helicopter shot, from either side as well as the front or the back. All this adds up to multiple references that, if used well, can inform your brain of many ways for you to improve.
In other words you can critique and improve your technique with this approach.
An excellent use of Disassociated visualising is to use it as your first reference for an important hole. The advantage here is that, as it dilutes emotion, it can stop you getting too nervous or excited or out of control.
Some disadvantages with Disassociated processes for visualise golf shot techniques.
It dilutes emotion. This is not useful with your really good shots as it can make it a less relevant and rich sensory code - size, brightness, color etc. Also, it can diminish your actual enjoyment of the game. Super smell the roses when they turn up.
Another disadvantage is that it can interfere with your relationship to the distance to the ball. This effect the accuracy of your swing.
Here is a final point on these two ways of visualising.
Use both, but make your final version of visualise golf shot processing as Associated. This will leave you with a relationship to distance and timing.
Move on to Using Role Models
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