Superstition or Ritual: Can You See The Difference?

Have you ever wondered why certain players dominate a given sport? It's not always the tallest, strongest or longest hitting player that tops the money list. Every professional athlete has the physical conditioning to win, yet the majority struggle to break into the winners circle consistently. Elite athletes have discovered the recipe for consistently re-creating the ideal state of mind and body that allows their best performance to just happen.Every golfer, at every skill level, can create their own unique recipe.Have you ever hit a perfect shot? Did you have the feeling that the shot was going to be good before you even swung the club.The key to re-creating those shots is discovering the ritual youfollowed, often unconsciously, to access your optimum state of mind and body.Commentators often refer to these rituals as superstition. In reality, they are the recipe for helping you eliminate fear and just hit the damn ball!Your swing is a by-product of habitual ways of thinking and acting.This behaviour pattern affects how you feel. Do you focus on past mistakes? How does this make you feel?Let's define a ritual as a set of behaviours, verbal and/or physical, that enhances your focus on a particular goal. Rituals can be simple or complex. Every player is unique. The ultimate goal is to discover an action that creates your ideal state.Rituals are rampant in professional sports. Have you noticed how most NHLgoalies skate once or twice around the net, then finish by tapping the goal posts and crossbar. You will often see professional tennis players step over the lines as they follow the same route to their chair.Can you recall Tiger's glory days when he always wore a red shirt in the final round of a major tournament? Gary Player always wore black. Phil Mickelson twirls the clubhead just before addressing the ball. Brandt Snedeker taps the ground twice. Jim Furyk hitches his pants. The list is endless. If you pay attention, it's easy to see the ritual behaviour that distinguishes the worlds best players.How do you discover your ideal ritual? There are three steps:1) Realize that your swing is a result of how you feel. You can't consciously control your swing.2) Start the habit of recalling your best shots regularly. The majority of mid to high handicap golfers review the memories of their poor shots in the hopes of eliminating them. While the logic is infallible, this practice actually locks the feeling of the poor shots deeper into your nervous system.3) Golf is a game of feel and feel changes daily. Judge the efficacy of an action by how it makes you feel.After teaching the game for the past thirty-two years, I believe our obsessionwith perfect swing mechanics is the biggest obstacle to improvement. If you've ever hit a perfect shot, then you have the ability. The secret to constant improvement is learning how to play byfeel. The maxim of just hit the damn ball! will help you tap into your natural ability and re-create your best shots.For additional thoughts on how to develop your innate swing, please check out the website:http://www.davejohnstongolf.net.The next article in the series will look at the real value of golf lessons. Play well!Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/D._Johnston/1308123