The Value of Dreams!

Most golfers tend to find themselves playing the same course, or a fairly limited number of courses, again and again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as you don't let boredom set in!

When you have a couple of moments spare, find a quiet spot, sit down, close your eyes and take several long, slow deep breaths and then slowly exhale. Keep your eyes closed and just let your body go limp and your mind go blank.

With your eyes still closed transport yourself to your golf course - imagine yourself standing on the tee of any of the par four holes, any par four hole will do. You can see yourself with club in hand, standing behind your ball, lining up your tee shot. Now you see yourself addressing the ball - the mental camera pans back to give you a wide-angle view of you on the tee and then you see that wonderful tee-shot. The glistening white orb climbs gracefully away from you, brilliant against a clear blue sky, straight and true like an arrow from Robin Hood's bow the arcing flight carries it to return to the center line of that velvet green fairway. Wow, what a shot. You smile to yourself and quietly acknowledge the applause of the admiring gallery. You slide your club back into the bag and walk slowly and elegantly down the fairway.

You're standing behind the ball again now. It's an iron to the green. That green is enormous. ?-iron, yep, that's the club (you decide the club, after all - it's your course!). You see yourself making two or three slow, smooth practice swings. You address the ball, glance to the target, waggle the club slowly. The camera pans back again. That oiled swing happens again, the club head slides through the ball, it's almost as though the ball wasn't there, there's no vibration just a wonderful crisp clear sound of balata on metal. Again the ball arcs up, it climbs, no - it soars, it peaks and starts to fall, your eyes glance from ball to flag and back again, it's right on line, it hits the green behind the flag, it takes one short hop forwards and stops. What a player. What a player!

Putter in hand you stride to the green. You pace out the putt. It's four meters. Crouching down behind the putt you decide there's a slight slope down and the ball will break about two ball widths right to left. You can see a bright line marked out on the green for you. The ball will run along that line and into the cup. You are standing to the side of the ball. Two practice swings and you have the feel. You address the ball. You check the line. You sink the putt! Great hole. Great birdie. What a player. What a player!

YOU ARE THAT PLAYER. Tell yourself you can play well. Believe you can play well and .... you'll start to play well!

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