Exercise # 1: Walking to the first tee
Objectives:
To become more aware of my mood, feelings, thoughts and physical responses when walking to the first tee and teeing off and to begin to understand how I react to this stressful situation.
Instructions:
Prior to the start of your game, practice slow, deep breathing to gain presence and awareness of your mind, body and emotions Simply observe and notice what is going on without criticizing or commenting to yourself. Immediately following your first tee shot, ask the following questions:
- What was I feeling as I walked to the tee?
- What were my exact thoughts, what was my inner dialogue?
- How did I show up to this particular game? What is my mood?
- What judgments and assessments do I have about my game at the moment?
- What judgments and assessments do I have about the outcome of the shot?
The idea is to start becoming an observer of your traits in the moment so you can see how they impact your actions and results. Observe yourself without judgment, and then take a few moments to reflect on the conversation. Later you might wish to write down your observations in a training log.
