The Mental Game Of Golf

A highly original and groundbreaking book from a noted PGA coach and Buddhist instructor • “The lessons in Zen Golf make the mental game seem so simple. Dr. Parent has given me very effective methods for working with thoughts and emotions, and for taking the negatives out of the picture.” —Vijay Singh, Masters and PGA Champion By combining classic insights and stories from Zen tradition, Zen Golf helps eliminate the mental distractions that routinely cause poor shots and loss of concentration, allowing golfers to feel in “the zone” that professionals have learned to master. The best players know that golf is a game of confidence, and most important, concentration–the ability to focus and block out distraction. The goal of achieving clear thought is also at the heart of Buddhist teachings. PGA coach and Buddhist instructor Dr. Joseph Parent draws on this natural connection and teaches golfers how to clear their minds, achieve ultimate focus, and play in the moment for each shot. Zen Golf presents a simple system for building “mental game mastery.” Dr Parent’s unique PAR Approach (focusing on Preparation, Action, and Response to Results) guides golfers with specific techniques for each aspect of their games. In chapters such as “How to Get From the Practice Tee to the First Tee”, “You Produce What You Fear”, and “How to Enjoy a Bad Round of Golf”, the author shares a personal teaching regimen that has helped improve the games of professionals and amateurs alike. Clear, concise, and enlightening, Zen Golf shows golfers how to prepare for, execute, and equally important, respond the results of any golf shot. A different approach to golf instruction, this book shapes ancient philosophies into new teachings.

Combining the latest research, wide experience, and tips from tour pros, Cohn shows in this practical guide what peak performance is and how it can be achieved; how to learn the confidence that unlocks your best play; and techniques designed to improve concentration and emotional control in pressure situations.

Perfect your mental approach to your game To be a golfer is to tinker—with everything from equipment to grip to swing. But one thing most players don’t give enough attention to is the mental game. Psychologists aren’t a new phenomenon in golf, but Dr. Michael Lardon is a different breed of performance coach. Instead of sending his players into a losing battle against emotion, indecision, and fear on the golf course, he shows them how to organize their thoughts and use them for maximum performance. His step-by-step Pre-Shot Pyramid provides any player with the ideal blueprint for shot setup. And his revolutionary Mental Scorecard will give you the tools to accurately measure what you really do on the golf course and how to make real, permanent improvements. You will learn the same techniques that Dr. Lardon shares with Phil Mickelson and dozens of other tour players, including the tools that helped Mickelson right himself after the 2012 U.S. Open to win the British Open a month later with a historic final round. Mastering Golf’s Mental Game will change the way you think about golf, and is a must-read for any player serious about shooting better scores and getting more enjoyment out of the game.

A detailed plan for conquering the FEAR that sabotages swings and ruins psyches, from the pioneering psychologist whose techniques have benefited Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, and numerous other world-class golfers. As Jack Nicklaus once observed, fear is the golfer’s greatest enemy, inspiring Tiger Woods to "refuse" to give in to this debilitating emotion. It can turn professionals into jelly and dominate the games of most amateurs. It alters swing paths, causes “tap-in” putts to go awry, and transforms a golfer from a brilliant shot-maker on the practice range into an incompetent hack on the course. Most golfers understand this, but do not have the tools to overcome it. That’s where Dr. Gio Valiante comes in. A pioneering sports psychologist, Valiante has studied the sources of an athlete’s fear, investigated the physiological and neurological impact of fear on performance, and, most important of all, developed a groundbreaking program for conquering it. With Valiante's help and by applying Fearless Golf, Justin Leonard went from three consecutive missed cuts to three consecutive top tens, and Chad Campbell recently moved from 98th in the world to 7th. Davis Love III went from zero wins in 2002 to four wins in 2003, and Chris DiMarco made the 2004 Ryder Cup Team. Emphasizing the need to replace a fixation-on-results with a commitment to mastery of one’s body and one's mind, Valiante’s approach will not only help golfers reach their true potential, it will make playing every round fun again. Through concrete confidence and mastery drills, he presents specific ways readers can break free of fear’s grasp and perform at their best—even under the most extreme pressure. With detailed quotes and anecdotes given exclusively to Dr. Valiante from the best players in the game—including Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, and other tour professionals, Fearless Golf is the ultimate guide to the mental game, the hottest topic in golf today.

“Dr. Bell’s book does a terrific job at breaking down the tools you need and to practice to become a mentally tough competitor.” –John Dal Corobbo- 2009 Indiana PGA Teacher of the Year " Mental Toughness Training for Golf is an excellent resource for coaches and players of all levels. Dr. Bell has done an excellent job compiling diverse and practical philosophies with a proven track record of success. Mental toughness and effective training is the final frontier of coaching our sport." -O.D. Vincent- 1999 National Coach of the Year " Dr. Rob has developed a road map for success. He has helped me numerous times and is very insightful about what it takes for every player to reach their full potential." -Mark Guhne- Three Time Southern Conference Coach of the Year “The practice ideas and tournament mental processes that Dr. Rob Bell reveals in this book are incredibly valuable to a player, coach, or parent. A "must read,” for anyone looking to develop mental toughness.” –Randy Wylie- Golf Digest “Best Teachers in State” Mental Toughness Training for Golf illustrates how to maximize our preparation. In this cutting edge book, you'll learn how great coaches and players create pressure in practice, how to build a human taproot, why suffering is needed, and the don'ts of mental toughness.

Golf has 3 competitors – other players, the course, and yourself. Leaderboards measure how you performed against others; score against Par measures how you performed against the course. The GYRA Mental Scorecard allows you to measure your performance against your primary competitor – yourself - per shot, per hole. This is a game-changer. “You may never play golf the same way if you start measuring your mental performance on the golf course.” Gary Player, World Golf Hall of Fame “With the introduction of the GYRA Mental Scorecard, you are now able to track your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to be able to better yourself for future situations.” Jason Gore, Player Relations, USGA “GYRA tools have given me the skills to manage my emotions and thoughts throughout the up’s and down’s of tournament golf.” Seamus Power, Olympian, PGA Tour Player “I have been coaching college golf for 20 years. The difference between a good vs great player is usually their mental approach to the game. The idea of having a scorecard for golfers to describe and track what is happening in their mind is groundbreaking.” Tim Straub, Davidson College “This book should be required curriculum for golf academies, teaching professionals, caddies, and players.” David Ross PGA Lifetime Member, Ross Academy

Two experts in sports psychology hone in on the mental approach that separates the winners from the rest--by showing how to target the eight crucial personality traits that make good golfers champions.

In Golf: The Mental Game, Tom Dorsel looks at more than sixty-five issues that can impact a golfer's success and happiness. It is the culmination of more than 25 years of writing about the psychological side of golf for national golf magazines.